The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-04-03
, John Plowden's Wedding day

I krpt M temper AZ all times his gooC
/ hooks ATS money Nhru needtul, and hi,
/ the seat across country hat # you invited
! hiu O. dinner at ,I.ht ne came at nine
.ni touched r,rrN uudy IN thr repentanc,
Z ht >huN,-t though 90" had always rrut
eNcl,e v, urge 10 you wanted him Z
I catch a msd lay tram the only Eay was =,
u.t..nry hu to ~. 40 the station AT ten
ami J.huN had b,,n Known. under such
circumstances. VIZ turn uP punctnally al
h,lf-paSt eleven w All ut US have
uur enemies. and Johnny flowdrns tWo
Nrr.. TAN, and tide ~hich ~ait t"r no
man
>om, mur.'h hs a., Johnny ~a.S engaged Ia
~ married tu a pretty creature who loved
him we'll. tut was aware of his besetting
sin. Not even with her had he been able
o. make his foot steps keep pace with the
,luck anJ the ordinary prelude I" all in
tcryIe~s h,tAe.n himself and his atfianced
Nas fnr Mis- Amy ." draw "ut her watch
and say There. u"~. y"u are an hour
hehIndhand again lt Was very natural,
therefor. that % the eve "f the wedding
Miss AMY should remark, heseechmgly
ID d. hole J"hnny. ,nu Will he Pnnctual
Tomorrow should l"ok miserably ridi-
culuus # YOU ~rry late
Late ! should hkc-t" catch myself
lat, .n such a day echoed Jack, with
feeling aud ~ tddvd enthusiastically
enough 'Nnn al srem To- think am
uupuuctuAl hnt. N"n know, II | was be
hInd this morning. II was only because
had ftr."trnn d" Nind NJ my watch last
night
We'll NJ me ~Ind Il a. myself now.
then Ne shall lee safe said Amy, soothing
IL and taking Jack Key she set his watch
by her own aud sent HIM home rejoicing
and full II good resolutions
He got up at sly the next morning dress
ed, hreakfasted. anu found himself at eight
o CLOCK with nothing 10 do for the next
two hours and a half. hIs appointment At
Amy house bclu. tor 10 30. Now Amy
lived at Hampton Court, and lack himself
Was lodging with ala aunt who resides III
the Palace Every one knows that the
PARK al dining the Palace is a tine park,
Just the place tor nice stroll on a sunny
wedding morning. So Johnny, after deliber
ating rhe I, lestlun. decided that two
hours stroll would prevent him from un-
dertaklng any OK patton reading, or the
like which uig' lead him 70 forget -ttffas
march Sf time. He went ont, walked
straight ahead Of him, threw some bread
crumbs to the royal fowls on the ornsmen-
tai water and paused under an oak 70
admire the beauties of nature What q
day for wedding What golden tInts IN
the sky What melody III the songs Of
birds caroling in the branches above HIM (.
Johnny walked on AGAIN, happy man IN
his new clothes took a turning, then
another, ani found himself opposite the
labyrinth.
There il generally keeper who directs
people how to find their way through tins
maze IF yew-hedges but the hour was too
early for visitors. and the keeper was alb
sent. Johnny glanced at his watch; time
: 80 and still one hour and half at least
before his best man would call for him.
Johnny was temple He had often
saunteIed through the labyrinth, and
thought he could find his way about it
alone besides which, the attention he
would be Obliged to bestow on his move
ments would make the time pass more
quickly. To take stroll through fine
scenery in sunny weather IA good, but
when a man is about to be married even
the brightest walks are apt to seem tedl-
ons Johnny xas surprised to ind that he
hao Ily been wandering half an hour; he
had imagined that good hour had elapsed
since he started.
He entered the labyrinth lew to the
right of him. yew to the left of him, yew
to the front Of him lowered and zlgzagged-
Expectation prevented the meanderings
from becoming mOnOtonous ; still, Jack
was glad when he reached the center of
the maize. for this proved that he could
find his way out again. Every man knows,
! indeed. that facility in getting into q fix
argues similar ease IN getting out witness
rat-traps, quagmires, and suits in Chan
| Gerry.
Johnny turned his steps outward, and
reflected that labyrinthing was decidedly
pleasant pastime he had killed twenty
minutes comfortably. and could afford an
other twenty-nay, hundred and twenty
without inconvenience. The yews were
very picturesque, too. Johnny stopped
to feel their shelterIn1. cool leaves and to
marvel at the thickness Of the hedges; hs
caugh; at the notion of putting dog, al
impatient coqnette OF passionate old mar
into such place. Right he went, theI
left. the old story, and Of sudden fOunC
himself in the centre Of the maize again.
Have you ever experienced what it IL u
be seized with an abrupt panic and hav'
you ever meditated upon the differenc'
there is in doing thing to MI MP tim
and trying TO do the same thing within
given time ! Johnny Plowdeh was des
tined to enrich his experience on boil
these questions on this his wedding morn
ing. On discovering that ne had landec
himself for the second time IN the hear
Of the labyrinth, instead of emerging
something cold seemed to drop from hi
heart into the heels Of his boots, and tn
faint murmur of the breeze through tn
yews sounded like the diabolical grinninl
Of his old enemy, Time, quietly mockinl
him. Johnny made plunge through th'
first aperature, dartsd on like madman
dodging one turning after another, grazinl
/ his sleeves against the hedges, and makins
occasional spasmodic dents into the grave
n ~th his boots, 10 serve him as marks if h
sho.ld again mistake his way. Alas HI
mlstosk it not once, but twice and thrice,
and It vas . wonder then to zee how thu
minutes esgAn 10 scamper along, a. if theJ
were running steeple-chsse, and wers