The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-03-14
MISCELLANY.
NELLY's WEDDING.
BY VIM. Il. MAHERs


declare, could no more realize that
our Nelly was about to be married, than |
could account for the white hairs that Kit
typoints QUIT me in my hairand whiskers.
do not know where the years have gone.
Kitty and Il very often speak of these years,
but not asif 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 us. This
thought is never out OF our mind. >, He has
guided our lives with so loving hand
that the years have passed away ag1a 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 IS voice, whenever she speaks of
two little hearts that were taken to heaven
before they had reached their tenth year.
All laughter? No, thank God now, tru-
ly and heartily, for the sadness that came
to us, just as truly and heartily as | thank
Him for all our happiness.
Death has no terrors for us when it will
but take as from our children on earth to
our children IN heaven, and if we had not
known what it was to suffer we could not
have understood how to sympathlZe with
others who mourned.
And yet, as | said before, / could not re-
alize thattall these years had passed over
me, and that our Nelly, our darling, was
old enough to leave us.
TO be sure | saw that Tom Baron was
very constant visitor 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 the boy had any idea of
marrying, and especially OF marrying our
Nelly.
Kitty saw it all and supposed that did !;
but then Kitty is much quicker to see to
the bottom of things than / am.
was quite taken aback when Tom told
me he wanted to marry Nelly.
MARRY Nelly!'' said /, s'why, bless US,
Tom, yoh are only couple OF children ~
Tom laughed, as he answered, II am
twenty-f0ur, and Nelly is twenty
81 know" said [ {; but then what is
twentyg Why the girl is but child yet. -
.'Weare old denough to love each other" !"
said he, and with a quick dignity that made
me respect the boy more.
"You have spoken to Nelly then!o L
asked.
"Yes, sir, 1 have told Nelly that | love
her.
"And what did she say?o
''She consented to become my wife Ii
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 dshe ?''
There was no need of saying it. Isaw
it in her face
Just then Kitty came in the room, and |
must say felt relieved to see her.
"What do you suppose Tom has been
telling nae?', / asked her.
From the puzzled look in your face |
should imagine it was something strange" !"
Why" said /, .dashing into the sub
ject, 'stlle boy wants to marry Nelly!o
&. imagined she would.
WELL" said she, IN her tenderest way,
i've haven't any fault to find with Tom,
have we?n
"Fauitr' said |, more puzzled than ever
at the cool way she took it. ''But they are
couple of children yet!n
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'gooda mans
love-" She stopped over as she said the
words and kissed Tom, and know she
had taken him into her heart of hearts
where she held me and the children.
OF course there was no use of my saying
anything more except to give him fatherly
counsels and then to call Nelly in and kiss
them both.
As she came into the room 1 acknowl-
edged TO myself that she was woman.
and had no fears but that she would be
good wife; for better or more loving
daughter never lived.
1t seemed to me Tom was very impatient
to be married, but whenever | said this to