Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-03-26
NELLY's WEDDING.
BY WM. H. MABER.

BY wM. H. MABER.
declare, could 10 more realize that
our Nelly was about to be married than
could account for the white hairs that
Kitty points out to me in my hair and
whiskers. do not know where the
years have gone. Kitty and very of
ten speak of these years, but not as if
they had passed away from us; they
are more like old friends, who are just
as dear as when we first knew them;
just as securely nestled among the good
things in our hearts.
| Yes, God has been very good to as.
This thought is never out of our mind.
He has guided our lives with so loving
a hand that the years have passed away
and left no sign.
Not that they were all sunshine or
laughter. Nay, there were many days
of weeping, and there is a tremor, even
now, in Kitty's voice, whenever she
speaks of the two little hearts that were
taken to heaven before they had reach
ed their tenth years. All laughter?
No, 1 thank God now, truly and hearth
ly, for the sadness that came to us, just
as truly and heartily as thank Him
for all of our happiness.
Death has no terrors for us when 1t
will but take us from our children
in heaven, and if we had not known
what it was to suffer we could not have
understood how to sympathize with
others who mourned.
And yet as sand before, 1 could not
realize that all these years had passed
over me, and that our Nelly, our dar-
ling was old enough to leave us.
To be sure saw that Tom Baron was
a very constant visitsr at our house but
he played and sang great deal more
with Grace than he did with her older
sister, Nelly, and he always had some
question to ask me, and was sure to find
occasion to have chat with Kitty; so
that had no reason to think that the
boy had any idea of marrying, and es-
pecially of marrying our Nelly.
Kitty saw it all and supposed that 1
did; but then Kitty is much quicker to
see the bottom of things than 1 am.
1 was quite taken back when Tom
told me he wanted to marry Nelly.
"Marry Nelly"' said /, ''why bless
us Tom; you are only couple of chill
drenI"
Tom laughed, as he answered, 81 am
twenty-four and Nelly is twenty
81 know" said L; ssbut then, what is
twenty9 Why the girl is but child
yet"
"We are old enough to love each |
other" said he, with quick dignity
that made me respect the boy more.
"You have spoken to Nelly thsn9'' 1
asked. "Yes, sir, 1 have told Nelly
that loved her,
"And what did she say?
"She consented to become my wife if |
you and her mother consented"
"But she didn't say that she loved
you! Come now, she didn't say that
she loved you, did she?''
"There was no need of saying it. l |
saw it in her face.''
just then Kitty came into the room,
and 1 must say 1 felt relieved to see her.
"What do you suppose Tom has been
telling me?" asked her.
"From the puzzled look in yeur face
[ should imagine it was something
strange
She didn't look at all surprised, as /
imagined she would.
"Well," said she, in her tenderest
tone, eve haven't any fault to find with
Tom, have we?''
"Faultn' said :, more puzzled than
ever at the cool way she took it. "But
they are couple of children yetv'
"Just two such children as you and
were, Dick. We can certainly trust
our Nelly with Tom, father, and am
glad and thankful that she has won so
good mans love-" She stopped over
as she said these words and kissed Tom
and knew she had taken him into her
heart of hearts where she held me and
the children. -s
or course there was no use of my say
ing anything more except to give him
fatherly advice, and then to call Nelly
in and kiss them both.
AS she came into the room acknowl-
edged to myself that she was woman,
and had no fears but that she would
be good wife; for a better or more
loving daughter never lived.
1t seemed that Tom was very impa-
tient to be married, but whenever l
said this to Kitty, she laughed and re-
called some speeches had made in our
young days.
Nelly was not so constantly sewing
but that she and Ihad long walks
and talks together, and the dear child
was so like her mother, could fancy l
was young and chatting with Kitty.
And Tom and 1 were often together,
too. found him as full of hope and
ambition as he could well be, with a
thoroughly good heart, and a desire to
be happy and comfortable rather than
riglk and stylish.
At last the day came when we were
to give our Nelly into the hands of an
other. 1t was lovely day in June, and
l hope it was foreshadowing of what
their lives should be.
1t seemed to me too solemn an occa-
sion for theatrical show or flourish.
They were married in the church, of
course. A ceremony that is bound by
Gods ordinance; VOWS that reach even
beyond the grave, should only be given
under the roof of Gods house.