Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-23
The Unwilling Bride.

|
"Well who said y3u did" cried her stepmoth-
er. but you can do so You viii have plenty Of
| tmo, ana lie IS q Kind nan and viii teach you to
| du so
"lt will he committing a sin II [ marry him "
| continued Rnth still WEEP ing
u cant see how that ia,' replied Mrs Nell
vain. rs il speaking to herself People have \
variety OF ideas on the subject of particular vio-
aton7 of religious docmas. Yours aud mine,
perhaps. are not alike. don't think you will tc
| guilty of any sin at all
but cannot and will NOT marry a man that |
scarcely know and do not love-" said Ruth
| ~ on may alter your opinion" replied Mrs
McllwAia. "lt is 10 your fther you must say
| that D."
Ruth.
no. replied her stepmother sternly as she
went ont OF the room. Fool" she nluttered
"but she shail yet YIELD, and that right speedily
too"
Several days elapsed without Ruth seeing eth
er her hther or MIR. Walker when one bright
morning, as she was reclining upon her bed, her
iather entered her chamber and commanded her
to prepare herself instantly to marry Caleb Wal
"All ,s prepnad, he SAID rather harssly "get
mp instantly and dress Yoarseif Let me helr no
murmur.'
At this moment a couple OF servants entered
the apatInent bearing number OF h5yes while
| MIR. McllWain placed a magnificent necklace CT
pearls upon the dressing case
| ihc'ci s1'l htI rs Z present from y9ur iu-
ture husblnd.'
Halt stupehed, Ruth made an attempt to re-
monstrate.
Don't speak, sad her lather; "marry Caleb
/ walker OF leave NY house, aud lake my ,ufsa
| along with yon."
He TUNED On his heel IS h. -plke, m quilted
| his daughters presencc.
OVerwh,lmed with grief aud despair, the an.
happy Rltl eould not maintain tile re.oluttou she
expected TO command IN the moment OF her need.
fassively submitting to the late that bad oYeltl-
ken her, she was doc,lo under the hands Of the
waiting maids VITO immediately began to array
her for the bridal.
OIL Daling the performance ol the ceremony she
. appeared morc dead lhan alive, and 1t was only
when Walker sllnted her as his BRIDE that she
. started "A ii from dream. They proceeded di-
u rect from the church to the house Of the bride
u groom, where splendid dinner awaited them.
y Ruth desired to BE- conduced 10 her chamber, and
= locking herself in, leit Caleb Walker to entertain
n the bnjal party aa best he could In vain did
u her stepmother aud sister solicit admission. She
u refused TO sutler them 10 come into her presence.
" Sudden indIspostion served a preteXt ior her
~ leaving the company and her husband had pres
" ence oil mind enough 10 put the best face on the
" matter.
,ol When the guests had departed, Caleb Walker
~ assembled the stairs with a slow rtep and thought
% full en and tapped at his wIfes door,
20 "Let me n," he said in a low tone, al have
70 something To say 10 you that Will not displease
you"
Ruth opened the door, but ayerted her eyes
Her husband OWNED what was passing through
her mind. Seating himself near her, he spoke II
the tone OF a man whose suu IS PeuetIatei Will
sorrow.
"Do not make yourself unhappy he sad
- Hear ME patiently. Ii tell you that l repent
having married you, you will not, perhaps, be-
leve me, yet it is true. | was made to believe BY
your father and stepmother that your affection:
were disengage1, aud that you had no aversion t
me-that you would dispense with those atten
tions customary from lover TO his bstroteed, bu
which the difference in our ages, and my con
sciousness that nature had dealt hardly with me
rendered me ayerse from offering. Too late
Ihaye discovered the cruel deception your fathe
. has practced upon me. Still 1t is III my powe
to render your fate less wrstched than you antici
pate Bear the name of my wife, command in m
n house dispose of me and my fortune as yol
U please. Before heaven, promise you solemn,
to live with you only as brother, and never L
approach you until you can receive me as tn
/ husband of your cho,ce
He ceased speaking ana sat gazing at heI
awaiting her reply. The iorcs OF truth Is Away
: irresistible Ruth dried her tears and extende
: her hand to him.
~ accept YOUR cfIer,' she said, "and thank 20
for your generosity will try and repay yon
ok kindness. You have daughter; that child shsl
" be in my care. But from this hour will see IN
~ fathers face no more. | forgive him the wren
he has done me, but can never willingly behol
- his face. As to my step-mother and her daugt
ter as your wife, forbid their presence Tor a
instant under this roof.
"Your wishes shall bo the law OF my house,
returned her husband fear not, you shall b
implicitly obeyed. Good night" and withor
shaking hands with her, or even looking at he
Caleb Walker lett his young wife alone. and d.
scended the stairs.
The following day she met him with a eheeri'
countenance; and few days later, his daughl'
an interesting child about four years old, wa
brought home. Ruth was naturally very affet
:, tionaie woman. Estranged from her neare
connections by the very base deception they ha
practieed upon her she needed an object upo
which to lavish her tenderness, and soon found
in little Efie, who became passionetey fond OF he
Time flew by, aud Caleb Walker kept b
he word strictly with his beautiful wife. He d
more. be was incessant in his endesTors to re
ed der her happy. Two years passed away, vii
scarcely any change in his domestic relation, e
cept perhaps, that Ruth was more con6dsnti'
with him, and at times evinced more tendernt
q Howard him than she had hitherto done. IF
u was her darling, and she appeared to love t
child with 80 strong and passionate attachmeu
that Mr.. Walker often marveled at it.
- Ona dav aarlv in SnrinV Caleb Walker