The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-05-06

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tons. The Yankee schoolmaster and the
bridegroom's sister were groomsman and
bridesmaid. The marriage ceremony was
short and simple. Then followed much
kissing and many jokes, some not so re-
markable for wit as certain coarseness
that passed for it. Supper followed, and
great was the merriment when the brides
maid drew the ring that had been put N
the wedding-cake! After supper the table
was cleared as by magic; the elders re-
tired to the sitting-rOom and the hostess
bedroom, where on the high-post bed
stead, hung with blue checked curtains,
slept my little baby, unconscious of all
that was around her; of all that was be-
fore her. The young people had gathered
in the kitchen and supper-room, and soon
the sound of their merriment came in to
us, for though l was not yet twenty years
old was the minister's wife and had to
sit-much against my inclination-with
the staid, old people.
Hunt the slipper and kindred games
were played with forfeits, and after a
while there was sort of lull, and then a
scraping and twanging sound, and knew
the alarm for us to leave had sounded, for
the fiddles were being tuned for the dance ;
and, sure enough, my good husband at
once arose and said very gravely, "Susan,
| think we had better be going nOw.'
Soon we were wrapped up, and baby, who
opened her blue eyes only a minute, and
stared about as if unable to decide whether
his was part of her dream or not and
then shut them again, was tucked once
more into the great mutf, and we accepted
the invitation of one of our own deacons
to ride home with him and his wife.
"Did you get the two dollars, NAL
colm?' | asked, when we were again at
our own hearthstone Yes, indeed,n he
answered, land another dollar beside,
which the schoolmaster told me was for
making the ceremony so short. Old
Dominic Van Horn, of Johnstown, who
used to do the marrying, was wont to keep
the poor creatures standing an hour and
sometimes more. The Yankee 'reck-
oned' l had tied 'em jest as fast in five
minutes" And the dear fellow put into
my hand three silver dollars, saying,
There, Susan, there is so much toward
educating the wee bairnie."
II.
| shall take little space to tell of we'd
ding number tr0. / am old now-sixty-
five on Christmas Eve Times have
changed in forty-tivc years. A few weeks
ago Malcolm-his hair is g like the snown
now-and | came to the city to visit our
daughter-the "wce bairnie" whom |
once carried in my mutf. And last week
we were invited to attend a wedding at one
of the collegiate churches in Fifth avenue.
The bride was the granddaughter of the
young woman who was married that night,
forty-tive years ago, up in Montgomery
County. What a contrast there was in the
weddings and in the brides! This young
girl, in her trailing satin dress, white as
sheeted snow; her point D'Alencon
flounces and wreath of real orange bios
SONS, was as pale as lily, and her waist
was so slender that / wondered how she
had strength to carry the weight of her
train. No roses save white ones bloomed
on her checks. No wonder She never
MIXED the sweet -breathed kline; she never
cardcd wool and flax, and spun
and wove, as her handsome grand
mother did. The wedding was a
very grand one From the church door
to the sidewalk there was an awning, and
the pavement was carpeted. There were
six bridesmaids and groomsmcn, and the
church was filled with gailydrcssed people.
The clergyman who married them wore
a gown and read the service from book.
Then at the house there was great dis.
play of flowers and presents, and the bride
and groom, surrounded by their attend
ants, stood in state for hours and re-
ceived their friends; and wines and ices
and wonderful cOnfections were served;
and after the guests had left, the bridal
party went in a special train on their we'd
ding tour.
| suppose it is | who am wrong and that
these changes are but necessary concom-
itants to the advance of wealth and cult
ure but it does seem to me that there was
more heartiness, more realness in the old
than in the new. Wouldn't our girls have
more red roses in their cheeks, more vigor
in their frames, if we could go back to the
simpler life of forty five years ago? Would
not we all be better and happier >" Scotch
Granite" in ". 7, Observer