The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-01-17

New YORK, Sept. 5. 1877.
My DEAR HELEN: Now that l have
returned to America. l will comply
with your request and give YOU some OF
the particulars of nv wedding; but
must first give you bit of history that
necessarily goes before.
You knew of my engagement to Mr..
Clifford before you went away, which
was the year previous to mamma 5
death. Nothing could have been fairer
than our prospects. We had the APP
proval of all connected with us. NV
trousseau was in the hands of the best
modi>te in the city. The house we
were to occupy. and the ground sur
rounding it. We're undergoing COM
plete transformation. The architects
and landscape gardeners We're urged to
put forth their skill to the utmost in
rendering the whole place most beau
tiful. The upholsterers, too, had their
orders to spare no pains or expense in
the interior adornments. Everything
looked so bright to me. 1t was more
like some fairy tale than anything in
real life. 1t reminded me of some love-
~ dream, the awakening from which
came all to soon One morning man.
ma was in her usual health: the next,
she was coffined for her burial. You
who have lost dear mother can tell
how hard the blow fell upon me, so
suddenly and Unexpectedly it came.
Being an only child, too. like your
self. | had no one to go to for sympa-
thy but my father, and he could give
me none. Indeed. it was l who gave
him the boon l sought. never saw
man SO cast down, so utterly over
whelmed by grief. Every hope seemed
crushed, every ray of light had van
ished forever, leaving the future dark
and gloomy. Mamma had been his
first and only love. They had grown
up from childhood together. She had
been all in all to him. Now death had
come and robbed him of his treasure.
The soft brown eyes that had lighted
up so often at his homecoming were
closed forever. The beautiful lips that
had spoken so many endearing words
were cold and motionless. Mr.. Cliff
ford, who was absent on business at the
time. was hastily summoned, and with
all the affection of son he entreated
papa for my sake to be more recon-
ciled, but his efforts were vain. Our
old pastor, who had been papa's spir-
itual guide from boyhood, came, and
with prayers and tears besought him to
bear this his first atfiiction with more
of Christians fortitude and resigna-
tion. At first he would not listen to
even him, but gradually he grew
calmer, and after time tried to say,
"Thy will be done'
will pass over the funeral, with its
Grape and flowers, the long procession
of mourners, the consignment to the
tomb of her who was always far less of
earth than of heaven, and of the terri
BILE gloom that settled down upon our
once happy home. The year which
followed was one of such extreme
misery to me, that | can scarcely en-
dure even the recital of some of the
events. My father sent to Philadel-
phia for some distant relatives of man.
mas, a widow lady with two daughters,
to come and remain with us for time,
thinking thereby to tighten my load of
responsibility, and also as means of
lessening my grief, which was preying
upon me fearfully. tried to tell him
that greatly objected to their coming,
but he would not listen to me, think
ing, no doubt, that was in too morbid
state to reason on any subject. They
came, and from that hour l date my
unhappiness. Mammals death was
nothing in comparison.
Mrs. Sedgewick was q scheming,
hypocritical woman, with an Unsuitable
ambition, and her daughters were not
a whit behind her in anything, not
even in beauty, for they were all three
remarkably handsome women.
Kate, the older of the daughters, was
queenly being, who had her mother s
black hair, and even blacker ewes. and
whose every motion was command.
Ella, the younger, who, they said, re-
sembled her father, was little, kitten
ish thing, pretending to be much
younger than she real y was, and pur-
ring around every one who came in her
way. Why is it that when we meet
some persons we lose ourselves, so to
speak? 1 have known those who pos
sessed more than an ordinary share OF
self-reliance; but let them come into the
presence of certain persons and they
were stripped Of their individuality,
putting on such meekness and conde.
scension that they were most pitiful to
see. just SO it was with myself when
came before these women. They
saw at a glance the power they had
over me, and they never lost an oppor.
tunity while they remained to let me
feel it. OF course our wedding was
postponed for time, and l afterward
learned they had intended it to be for.
ever.
Mr.. Clifford was obliged to be absen,
on business in the South for several
months, and during that time they
tried every means in their power to &C.
complish their purpose. They had
learned of his wealth and position long
before they came to us, and they had
looked well as to the future. Kate was
better fitted for his wife than 1, they
had said, and his wife she should be, 1
strategy were of any avail. Their frs
move was to invite young gentlemen