The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-08-13
then it will be all ready to wear to meet

|
7 Grandma hadn't been to church for
! years, so this announcement created no
little surprise. "Iou shall have new
bonnet if you want to 60 to meeting" ="
her son shouted in her ear.
IA few to make fun? dare say, but
l don't care for that. This is good sen
sible bonnet, worth a dozen of the little
noddin' things they tuck on behind their
ears nowadays. / should catch my
death of cold with one of EN-; I'd a great
deal rather tie a Handkerchief ON my head
than wear one"
You could have new bonnet made
large, you know" shouted Mrs. Free
man.
"Too far to go9 La sakes, | amt so
feeble but / can walk that little ways.
My red shawl viii be warm enough if
it's pleasant day, and my black ally
packy dress is all the fashion now"
There was clearly no way but to let
tsaf css lady take her own course, as
rseas.. 81 ir.,-, was made up it was like
the laws of the Medes and Persians.
But Lucy and Belinda were wholly over
come the next morning when their
mother told them of grandma's plan.
"What does make her do so?o cried
Lucy.
Pm sure | don't know, but she's
! bound to do it and | see no way to pre-
vent"
"She hasn't been to church for years"
said Belinda, "and knows she can't hear
"A word Strange what she wants to 90
now for''
Il know one thing" said Lucy, dccid-
edly. II won't go to church IA step il
she goes with that awful thing on her
head"
Nor l." put in Belinda. 81 guess
not indecdr'
"Oh! now, girls" said their mother,
soothingly. 1.-The best way is to be indie
pendent and not mind it," But girls at
eighteen and twenty rarely possess the
independence of mind that belongs to
forty or forty five, 50 the church bells on
Sabbath morning rang to them secluded
in their chamber, peepng through closed
blinds at the church goers. Not one of
the family had CHANGED to hear the
rumors which had been flying all over
| town for the past two days, gaining vol
ume with every repetition until full par
ticulars of the bridal costumes, the house
they were to occupy and the furniture
already purchased formed part of the
regular story. 1t comes from the fam
lily, SO it must be so,' was the clnchcr
and convinced all doubters.
Grandma had settled her huge sky
scraper of bonnet with many and long
consultations of the mirror, and Mr.. and
and Mrs. Freemen proposed to walk to
church with her, both trying not TO feel
the Righteousness of the situation.
Grandma was formed somewhat like Mrs.
Stoves old ladies, like "a bag Of feathers
with string tied around the middle;"
and the ample skirts of her black "ally-
packy" seemed to hang from very
short and chubby cider barrel. An old
fashioned red shawl covered her broad
shoulders and over and above all-the
crowning glory of the whole outtit-was
that bonnet, her little wrinkled face ap
pearing in the middle of its huge circum-
ference in about the proportions of
humble bee in the center of pumpkin
blossom.
The gals have gone, ! s'pose," said
grandma, pausing at the foot of the
stairs in the hall "Belindan' She squealed |
up the staircase, but there was no an
swer, SO on she went. Her son dutifully |
gave her his arm, and his wife pattcrcd |
mcckly along behind, looking neither to |
the right nor left. The girls pcepcd |
from the window, and laughed till they |
cried.
It's too ridiculous" said Lucy, wip-
ing her eyes. "Do YOU see mother trot-
ting on after them like little dog?"
Like a lamb led to the slaughter, | |
should say I'd like to be there and see
how people look when they 90 in,' said
Belinda; !" that is, if could without be-
ing seen"
81 hope she won't take notion to go
all SUMNER" said Lucy.
"Oh! hope not, indeed" exclaimed
Belinda. "It's too bad for even to-day, |
for they really need us on that new an
them"
Every body but us is out to-day, and |
they all seem to be going to church, TOO"
There's Mr.. May; and see, he's got
on a new suit
For that gentleman, hearing the ru-
mors, and knowing well enough how they |
started, took no pains to contradict them,
but rather helped them along by buying
IA new suit of clothes on Saturday. Black |
dress coat, lilac vest and gloves, drab |
pants and hat. He passed the slow paced |
Freeman family at the church steps, and, |
entering the fast-filling room, took a seat |
near the door, apparently unconscious OF
the scrutiny bent upon him. Many Curl
Gus glances went to Belinda's usual seat |
in the gallery, but the general opinion
was that she would appear just in time
for the ceremony.
The entrance of the Freemans put an
end to all doubts in any minds, as well as |
to sobriety in most. Little children gig |
gled right out older ones Uttered, and |
even the most sober minded found it |
hard to repress smile. The church |,
filed up rapidly, pews all full and crowd
ed, and still they came. The somewhat |
prosy parson looked at the gathering |
multitude in silent surprise, not having |
heard the flying rumors and not knowing |
what power of his had so drawn out the
people. Truth compels me to state that |
he hardly received his share of attention |
from the audience, however, Mr.. May |
and Grandma Freeman dividing it about |
equally. grieve to add that at the other |
church the minister almost literally |
preached to bare walls and empty pews,
only few of the staid fathers and moth |
ers in Israel appearing in their places |
But the minister with the small audience |
was the favored one, after all, for the |
large audience fidgeted uneasily all |
through the sermon, especially when |
prayer followed sermon, hymn followed
prayer, benediction followed hymn, and |
still no hint came of the wedding cere-
mony. Slowly the audience filed out,
looking extremely blank and puzzled.
"What does this mean, May?" asked
one young man of our hero, as he stood
coolly on the steps.
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