Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-31
THE WOODEN WEDDING.

grandfather ami grandmother tiruhner, widow
GIuhneT and her two daughters, NJ tTgOt, whose
nth wedding day was TO De celebrated. and
Gretchen. the laughter loving. youngest OF The
family. Besides whom were present Wilhelm
kaUs, daE COTS husband, and Hans, the Miller
son
'Yes. yes. Frauietn Loui-ou must come home
for the Wedding, Of cOarse," echoed Hans.
And then every body laughed FRS Of all,
because 10 one in the world hut Hans would
have dreaIIed o. dignifyinE n,ds Loaison
GrUbneT With 80 imposing tide, and next, be-
cause poor Hans could never - much as mem
tlOn LOuisOn's name, titled or not without caus-
ing q laugh in the family circle. HIS admira-
ton for N % young person. freely espresso on
all Occssi7H= when ths object OF ms affections
was not T. snt, snd his extreme sayness in hes
society, had long ueen a standing Joke in the
village OF BTushOfen, and had earned for him
the nickn2 me OF the bashfuI lover
When they al laughed, Hans bIUshed a very
furious AM unbecOmIng Eed.
Never mind. never N nd, friend Hans - said
wilhelm, ciapp,ng him ON ttc - builder. encOar-
agiuglv. .. I Nas Young once, and tinfd TO-,
and yet then See-t 1 took the bull by the horn,
al last, an I would advise thee -"
But the a'lyi"e Vas drcwnsi IN a chorus o.
laughter and exPnstulatjOns. NargOt, perhaps
not Unnaturaliy' objected 10 ne compared to n
horned bull, and WIlheIm's timItltV had not
been - patent 10 the wOrltt, even in his YOuuE
DAYS, - To have made much impression upon
Howeves, j.. "a, quite decided that L5uison
was 20 sOLe Dome.
She VS. a fright, dark eyed ,rrI of aboas say
enteen, 81 orphan niece o. wI1JS GraIuer, aud
bOsC ID friend OF her cousin Gretchen, who WA
Ner JUNIOR " a lev months LJu.~DL lived, -
= rule, with some distant relatives, who were
faTmer5, = few miles from Nom gsbsrg; but her
EO.day=, lev and Tar between, were ALWAYS
spent IN she GruLn-T'S little cottage, which
from her Childhood had been considered her
real home. HLi her visits 10 BrushOfen were
looked foIEaTt to by all t-a msl5sTs Of the
family VII, Esrat pleasure. /. was now almost
year since she had been tp see them, aGd IL
w8s quite impossible 70 a,j3w the grand TsstivI-
ties OF tie wooden wedding u take place
without Der. - after some what elaborate
be Wa
Frau L'e5t the farmers wife Whose II ght n aud
IOuis0n as q leave ofa i0Ttri -.lc Wa DRAINED.
and the DAY was uNed tor Jas young gIrls a-Tl-
va at BruSHCien.
Oh GT.Irer, accompanied IS Ia grand
daughter, Gretchen, went ID meet LeF a. t1e
s.Two weeks, two whole weeks, my Lolison,'
cried Gretchen, gTasIIUg her friends hand As
they walscd Together Up The steep ciiH p4td
Jba, led 60 the cottage. 'Only think how ds-
IgbtfuE And before the cid OF that time Hans
Steiner Viii have ssked thee 20 marry HIM and
live IN the Pretty new cottage by this mill, and
we shall u YER part with thee again"
"Come, come retUTted LDIisOn, chow dOst
thou know that by the time Hans 5 elmer please
to say WIZ thou" Il shall please Z say nay"
But a. she spoke a smile cuTled the corners OF
her pretty mouth, and her eyes spsrkIe,i, all
hidden though they were by their long Isshes.
'Wen, well, We 81 all see, y returned Gretchen,
wisely resolving net Il press the matter, at
least for Il e present.
And there were naturally many other sub
iects OF ConyeTsation interesting to the family
party, or - least 70 the woman portion OF it.
many questions 10 AK ami b. answered, mAav
friends TO be inquired for and discussed.
merry and laxative group were they, as
they sat together that evening at work, o. the
open windC ' Of the cottage Kitchen. Il seemed
as though they never COaid get % the eud OF
their a. soJbiUX tcpICS-bITth-. marriages, and
deaths, changes Uf one Kind or another, rumOTs
OF what might be, OF might have been, firt8-
tons, fSULs, who does not know the thousand
and one elements OF village gossip? IT the CON
versatiOu tagged for moment. it was Sur5 to
break our again directly with an cob what do
hfrFE L IA
me- And then on the Tongues would 90 again,
as glibly a. though not q word D al been spoken
for hours.
"Oh! these women, these women yruubled
old GTaH1i tJbeT GTuhner. ''Just listen 70 them
click ClacS4 click claCking, Tor al the world
like tOck q geese. Set nve women 20 gether.
and sOn-e mischief will be brewing, one NAV Je,
cure OF thai AUD yet, in spite Of his protests
II did not seem that the cid man hal really any
very strong aversion himself to A Httls gossip,
since he nCVered about the group. pipe IN
mouth, with some tenaCIty, instead OF 10. 10 wing
his sOn-lH- law Wilhelm, 70 The garden, where
he was busy digging potatoes.
The forthcoming festivities OF the wooden
Wedding ana the presents - LiCL were eYust.tei
OF promised fOr the occasion, OF course took up
q considerable share OF the COaversatiOn, aud
hlled Up the Fauses OF village scandal. The
custom OF giving presents OF special kind on
each NTH Anniversary OF a marriage originated
IN America, but has been largely adopted in
Germany. on the NTH Anniversary of the we'd
ding day Al the Z fts must be OF wood, on the
tenth OF tin, on the fifteenth OF china and 80 on
until the silver, the twenfy-1fth, tha golden
the titieth; and the diamond, the seldom
reached sevsnty-nfth year OF Wedisck, Is at
tanned. There Was naturally 4 good deal of
arrangement required, and some anxiety mani
t6stCd by the notable young housewife that the
ofeTiDgs should be such a. would give Sarisfac-
ton alike 70 the donor and the recipients, that
Tarest OF sll cases in the giving aud receiving Of
presents. Possibly MaTgOt had never heard of
that unhappy bridal PAIR whose thoughtful
friends provided them with ten toast racks as
wedding gifts. But experience or learning Cf
some kind hsd evidently made her wise, and
she was resolved that no mistake of such a kind
should occur IN her case. Though the gifts
might be limited In kind, as well as in cost,
there was 10 reason why they should not be Of
various descriptions. At least 80 it would seem
frem the list she counted on her fingers, more
than twice over, for her cousins benefit and
which included among other things an arm
char, tea c2ddy, a carved necklace, a picture
frame, three spoons, a brooch, potato bowl,
and q washing tub.
"Ah, by the bye" she says, rather Suddenly.
after one OF those dead pauses which occur
even in the most animated conversation, iEby
the bye, nv husband tells me that Hans Steiner
will come hi. evening TO ask what his present
10 me sbal be- l must decide. WHAT dOst
think, grandmother, OF little bracket for the
wall III would just hold the best Dutch china
teapot"
~ think that would be capital, -" responds the
old lady.
Meanwhile look OF intelligence passes be-
tween the ether women. LOUiSOu, who j. sitting
close by Gretchen, works away yery steal ~
and pretends not to see 10.
81 doubt II MargOt's Presen. is the only res-
Gruhuer, smiling ar her niece.
How should he know / was here ?" asks
POOR IOulsOn, betraying herself uncOnsciously
and then blUshing crimson to the very tips of
her ears
There Is a general laugh. A. the same mo-
ment L0UisOn drops the needle she Is working
with, and goes on her knees 20 the floor 10 nni
II Suddenly her heart beats unanimously. IL
seems 10 have dOWn 10 her head, ami 20 bs
knocking very tatto on her brain; the sound
OF q fOOtstep, Of uell-knOwn voice, has reach d
her listening ears long before the others are
conscious OI II. IL Is rot a very musical voice:
II Goes net belong TO a very remarkable or
charming person. Hans, is, after all, but q
commonplace, every day sort OF Young m an;
but yet % the little girl cropping about in Il o
twilight after the missing needle, the voice has
charm sweeter than any other on earth, the
round commonplace face, under the rOun a
1habby hat, has a radiance and beauty no other
face viii ever equal in her ewes. After all is II
Piness2
"Caust thou not find that needle?n asks
Gretchen and then, looking suddenly up
haIra a