Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-23

berry. as he again emerged into the rain AMI
siuSh; latter my putting myself SO much out
OF the way, he might just as well have come"
IL stood within the porch of the veStry-hau
In the hope OF obtaining a vehicle. and the
curiosity OF the messenger speedily became
aroused by Boggleberry's anxious dances ar
his watch. Cab after cab dashed by but ali
were occupied. Then suddenly the neighbOT-
ing churCh-clock boone forth the hour of IL
What a nuisance,' exclaimed our hero
'its twenty minutes walk 10 the church
ana dare say they have started by This
through the rain"
And plod along he did as fast as his spindIy
teSs would carry him. Again did his
shoulders grow wet tn the pelting rain, his
Clothes received fresh deposits from the road:
ana the eXertion Of walking at a brisk rate
/ speedily produced an emulation from his
iofehead both embarrassing and uncomfoI-
| table.
Well, II this is what people call the plea
sure a getting married" mutterei BnSg.e-
! perry, Wroth with the rain, with JONES'.
| with himself, and with everybody and evs-y-
thing, ,.all l can say il, you won't catch me
But TIA longest lane has a turning ami the
! most tedious walk an end: so At last Nicholas
! came within sight of the church where the
| marriage hal been arranged to take place.
anu espIed waiting outside three cabs with
! their attendant horses deep in the peaceful
e joymcnt Of The nOsebag.
! Three cabs" he grumbled, now almost
| d .enched 10 the skin; .'well as there's only
I'VE i've, ia the party, L think two vehicles would
j
| children and experienced matronS who, with
| arms akimbO, and utterly regardless of the
| urlZIllng rain were propheSying the greatest
| earthly feilCl y, and moment after the pro-
| ioundost depth OF human misery, for "thc
| poor young thing who had Just gone inside
! and varying the theme with Sundry details
OF UIelr own welded existence. BoI-lebNrry
az last contriycd To enter the sacred elificS.
| He saw, To his surprise, that there was no
| o e at the altar: then suddenly remembering
| that he had told Ferrars to take Miss Bnni
| 10 the veStry. he Invested himself OF his
| grcatcOat, and cOnfidcd il, with his dripping
! umbrella, TO the care of the lussy Old pew
| opener.
Where are they-in the veStry?" inquired
! B0ggleberry.
The pew-opencr smirked and reioineI
Yes, They're in the veStry now. Oh, its a
| ''iOvely wedding"
ROgglCberry was so pleased with this re-
| mark. that he felt half inclined TO beStov a
| guerdon upon the venerable lady; but the
| thought of how beautiful Miss Bond ap-
| peared was Immediately checked by the con
| seriousness that with his much covered boots
| and despatched trousers ne certainly did not
| look very inviting bride groom.
| However, there was no time for regrets
| anu BOggleherry at once made for the yeStry
| lhe first object that met his gaze he en-
| tered was Annie, attired in costume which
| well became her fair complexion and 1.-THE
! fingers; and simultaneously it flashed across
| the little mans mind that he had never seen
| hcr looking so charming.
| "A thousand pardOns, my dear AnnieI
Know If you forgive me the rest Of the com
|
| couldn't get cab; tell you all about 1t, by
| and by. Now. I'm ready"
| $50 are We" said FerTars, who stool by
the side Of the smiling bride. "Are the cabs
| waiting!r
''Of course they are. Now, Annie, come
and be Mrs. Boggleberry," replied Nicholas.
The minister, who had hitherto been seated
~ the table, rose, and gazing curiOusly at
| Boggleberry, whose face shOne with excite
| ment, said, 'Are you not aware the cere-
| mOny is at an end?'
| Ceremony! what ceremony" gasped Bog
| glcberey.
The marriage ceremony, of course, Here
! are the signatures in the registry
| Dropping the hand of Annie, which he had
| taken within his own, poor mud stained
| Nicholas darted to the register on the table
and witnessed unmistakable proof that An
| ME Bond had ten minutes previously become
| the bride of Thomas Ferrars.
| If look could have withered the Oimans
| blithe assistant and love-messenger, Mr..
| FerrarS would have expired where he stool.
| The duped BOggleberry, despite his corpu-
| iencc, attempted to spring upon the bride
groom; but his weight was against him. and
| he could only velt his passion in shrek
that the marriage was not q legal one.
Pardon me-" replied the minister; 1.-The
| marriage is perfectly good. 1t by lii
| cense, and all the formalities have been com
piled with"
"And the anonymous letter this morning.
exclaimed Boggleberry, turning TO the peril
WAS contrived in order to get you out of
! the way
| Boggleberry sank speeches. into a chair,
| while the wedding party quilted the yestry
and returned to Mr.. Bonds house.
And did no one stay to sympathiZe with
the perplexed old man? Yes, Annie's father
and the minister. BOggleberry roundly ac-
cuSed his brother vestryman of treachnry.
| and stOutly proclaimed that had he known
the underhand work going on he would have
seen Mr.. Bond at Jericho ere he would have
| got him the order from the work house for
| flannel and towelling. By-and-by his re-
proacheS slackened, and then Mr.. Bond ex-
nlaII hot
| in his masters cause, but that the result of
the frequent meetings of the young people
was That an attachment sprang up between
them. He Mr.. BOnd) would not think of his
| daughter wedding a man for whom she en-
| tertained no love; and thus it came to pass
that he had winked at the conspiracy to
10restall poor Nicholas Besides if married,
BOggleberry would he unable to devote so
| much time To the vestry, of which he was
such an active, Jealous, and useful member;
and none of them liked the idea of Armies
robbing the parish of his services. The min
lister aided in the work of pacificaton, and
at last ROggleberry became reconciled to the
state of affairs.
Before they had gone a quarter of a mile
from the church, Mr.. Bond proposed to Bog
gleberry an arrangement satisfactory to all
sides Ferrars was valuable business man
as every one admitted. Now what if Fer
rars, aided by his father-in-law, were to put
ti,NC III the Oil-shOp-wOuld BOggleberry ac-
cept him as partner, and leave to him, as
before, the entire management of the con-
Germ? The great vestryman's eyes twinkled
he pressed his companfon's arm, and without
a word of protest allowed himself to become
one of the guests at the wedding breakfast.
'Tom," he said, calling Ferrars aside while
Annie, accompanied by her bridesmaids,
had gone to don her bonnet ere starting for
the wedding trip, although / shall now be
able more than ever to devote myself to pa
IRISH matters, feel you have not acted right
by me-"
"Well, Mr.. Boggleberry, haven't; and if
I've caused you any pain, I'm truly sorry for
it,"
Say not another word about il, my boy"
replied Nicholas. II love my country,-that
is to say, my parish,-better than L do my
self; but you may make amends for my dis
appointment. StOop, and let me whisper in
your ear"
Tom did as requested. and when he had
heard BOggleberry s mysterious communica-
ton, gave vent to hearty laugh.
"All right" he said; 1.-the first boy, prom
ise"
A year after, Mr.. Ferrars was able to di-
rect the attention of the customers of Boggle-
berry Il Ferrars to the spectacle of a bald old
gentleman dandling bouncing infant whose
delight IL was to grasp at his nurses ruby
| tinted nose. But the old man enjoyed and
encouraged the sport, for the child was his
gOdSon, and bore the name of Nicholas.
IS ha fa-