Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-09-07


cried. Do you think l am so small.
so pitiful, as that ? 1t is nv misfor.
tune that we are here; but shall
not let it rum your life by burden
ing you with a wife you don't love.
[ don't love l answered her
heaven knows what joy in my voice;
and l told the rest in the dark upon
her dear, warm, dewy lips.
Five minutes later, Tiffany and I
had pulled and tipped and tilted the
other sleigh, with the doctor in it,
to place close beside nv own.
My dear young friends, said the
doctor, with whom l had now ex-
changed a few sentences, this is very
sudden and very surprising; but IN
deed, as the son of my old friend,
and as one who has been under nv
care, in some measure, since her
childhood, l think l may say, the
best thing. Quite the best thing un-
der the circumstances. 1 don't know
upon whose parish / may be intrud-
ing, but think l may venture; and
as the State requires no license, and
we have a witness
And here the old doctors voice
broke forth uDder the soDOrous arch
es of the wood in the music of the
Church service that he knew by
heart. We had heard it lately 10 the
midst Of flowers, light, and friends,
organ strains and bell notes; but
here in the solitude of the forest,
and the great darkness and the fall
ing snow, as the wedding prayer
rang out, it was inexpressibly sol
emn. We felt as if great spirits were
in the company before whom we gave
and pledged our troth; aud if we did
not kneel in the blessing, neverthe-
less it seemed TO fall upon our bent
heads like a tender hand, as that
voice cried out of the gloom and
shadow, "Tbe Lord mercifully with
His favor look upon you, and fill you
with all spiritual benediction and
grace, that you may so live together
in this life that in the world TO come
ye may have life everlasting"
Are you sorry, my Rose ? l whis-
pered. And for one moment two
arms thrown about me, and little,
cold cheek on mine, were more elO-
queDt than words. ......
Then Tiffany and 1 proceeded to
cut other boughs and pile them
aronud the horses and the sleighs.
Destitute of matches-for | had used
my last to look at my watch-we
could not build a fire; aud at length
we disposed ourselves among the
furs and rugs in our respective
sIeigbs, to be as merry as we could
till sunrise, with the snow still fall
ing softly round US. And very mer-
ry we were. We jested and spared
and told stories; then the old doctor
reciUed the adventures of his youth;
iovited the two to come and make
another night of it, watching the old
year out at the farm, presently; and
at length, Rose, who had been very
silent, trembling in my arms among
all the furs aud robes, as we sat side
by side, sang a sweet old German
HYMN that sOard aud went far as an
angel song through the wood. And
tbereat Mr.. Tiffany, who had once
been a chorister, began an old hymn
we all knew:
mo seas again shall sever,
No desert intervene,
No deep and flowing river
Shall roll lis tide between.
No bleak cliffs upward towering
Shall bound our eager sigh;
No tempest, darkly loweFiu~,
Shall wrap US in lis night.
Love and answered 1nion,
Of soul with those we love,
Nearness an glad communion,
Shall be our joy above.
And as he sang, the beautiful head
sank lower and lower, aud rested on
nv shoulder; and as 1 held her uu-
der the canopy of the umbrella, the
sweet soul slept through the rest OF
the long watch, white the doctor and
Tiffany aud I talked ourselves into a
fiery religious argument, and had
rousing quarrel over the political as
pect, aud grand reconciliation over
a yellow CLEAN of sunrise across the
dazzle of The snow and through The
shadow of the great pine bOughs,
with which we made haste out OF the
woods, aud found our separate roads,
and parted the best of friends.
It. had cleared off fine. The town
ship drags were breaking out the
ways. We were not long in reach
ing a station, and sending word to
the owners of our teams concerning
their whereabOut. And at noon the
farm had a mistress, the hearth had
a fire, the lamp was lighted iu my
home, never to go out while that
bright, blusbing face, half smiles,
half tears, that gentle spirit, that
sweet nature, made the days one
long regret to think they passed SC
soon.
AS for that umbrella, was it evel
going to be any but sacred thing
to us? 1t was hung up with our Lare'
and Penates, and all unholy hands
forbidden. Perhaps that is the rea
son that it never can be kept on it
hook, for DO you see the dark ob
Ssct, a sort Of ice-bOat, scudding
sI0ng over the frozen meadow yon
| der4 1t is Marcia and Wilder Fer
gusOA Aaaking sail in great stoLel M
| frolie op their runners, beneath my
silk umbreiis. Ah, what a Gnee[yi
bappv home Is this! What Oeauu,
fnI aPRy World lido do v We live in; How rosy ss:
nv children's faces aqFe! w naG a,,, . tor,
inmate thing it was, Ehft olesslls
. su1@' of heaven, that Marcia brought
me that silk umbrella!
M..ter Jaokey 0nquiFipglylz,
ssy%bv don't baby eat buns, apntyY
Amn4 Siugleton-"Because she ha
an a"'g teeth. DEAR" Master Jacke'
| 1Su5ilNy1-"Then why can't yOl
lend her yours. auntyP You ain
always ,pilsg 'em".
The High Sheriff of Richmond
\ Va, seized 3 hsSd-Organ and sold !
at auction. There not being owe
500 bidders at the sale evidences
\ sad want of musical taste anon
II rD.l...,1 Ri1t moi