The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-04-27
COUSIN .CAlRoLlNE's
WEDDING.
BY MRS. HENRY WOOD.

Away l drove, four posters and Al
yellow chaise, wondering what the
invitation could mean. The last svis-
it had made into Devonshire was
volunteered on my part, and I had
been quickly driven back by my aunt
to musty law papers and anticipar
tions Of briefs, because I had fallen
head over heels in love with Caroline
in her own family, was a goddess:
'seraPh-an angel upon earth, fit to
be queen, and sure to be a countess.
Other peoples opinion of her was
not quite so exalted. Like many an:
other beautiful girl-and Caroline
Dashingly was beautiful-she held so
preposterous a notion Of the infalli-
hility of her own charms that. she
had little over.played her cards.
Her whole life and energies had been
devoted to the triumph of making
conquests. Fifty times might .he
have married, and been we'll settled :.
but that unfortunate propensity for
Irritation had invariably dampened
the swain's ardor beforethe time came
for popping the question. Everybody
at first sight was sure to fall in love:
with Caroline. /, a young fellow.
newly :Aedged from Cambridge, and
unused to woman's society, WAS nearly.
mad after her, and would gladly have;
asked her to share my fortune
which was nothing year, and find
myself, like that of. many another:
embryo barrister-only my aunt got
an inkling Of the matter, and sent
me and my portmanteau off together.
AS to Carry, she cared about as
much for my own sweet self as she
did for the stately old butler, who
was propped up every day against
the sideboard. Her Irritation with
me was carried on pretty strongly
She must have seen how earnest I
was, and that what was sport to her
night not be to me no matter, I
managed to outlive it all, save the re-
collection. And Caroline, now one
and-thirty, was ready to catch at
straws.
Well; twelve months had not elaps-
ed since my summary election from
Dashingly-house when I was startled
by a satin-faced, musk.scented, gilt
ed ged envelope from the general
morning delivery. 1t enclosed a
note from my aunt, as cordial as if I
had owned all the banks in London,
and were about to lay them at the
feet of Caroline, conveying a pressing
invitation to Dashingly, there and
then. So, cramming my old books
and papers on the top shelf of the
cupboard, and my gown and wig in
to the bottom, 1 turned the key of it
and started.
The rail conveyed me to within
six miles Of Dashingly-house. I
bargained for a return yellew chaise-
and-four, which had just conveyed
an old gentleman two-mile stage
up a mountain, jumped into it and
was whirled away toward Dashingly.
Who should be standing at the lodge
gates, talking to the gardeners wife,
but the cherrycheeked housemaid,
| my special favorite of all the family,
Caroline excepted. So checked the
positions and leaned from the win
dow.
Il say, Nancy, what's up? Why
am I sent for p
"Miss Caroline's wedding, SIR"
miss Caroline's wedding! Why
how-how long has this been about" :"
1.-TWO or three months, sir, it has
been talked of. Quite a 6rst-rate
! match, and such a handsome man
Captain Fitz-." The rest was lost
in the roll of the chaise the impa-
tient post-boys, or perhaps the horses,
declining to wait longer.
They were dressed for dinner, and
came to the drawing-room windows
to stare at me in the chaise.and. four.
Aunt Dashingly wore her great
crimson turban and upright feathers,
which, if they had been black, might
have served for a hearse, and that
starched.out old amber.satin gown
Caroline was in pink, with some
brown ribbons bobbed oddly about
her hair, and the faded partings j; and
my sweet sister, Lima, wore white
muslin.
Lima was m heiress. Greatly to
the indignation Of US six portionles'
fellows, her brothers, to whom il