Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-07-17

brOldereu with SOld, ana Oh DIS breast
glittered a star The bride, who knelt
near him. was most carefully and even
sumptuously attired. A dress Of sky
blue satin, embroidered with silver. en-
veloped her slender form, and hung in
large folds of drapery over her graceful
limbs A diadem, blazing with magnifi-
cent diamonds, adorned her golden hair.
The highest grace and beauty coulu be
traced in her face, d1stigured as it was
by terror Her bloodless features
seemed immovably fixed; her pale lips
appearing death-like-her eyes half
closed and her powerless arms dropped
helpless on her haltsinking body. So
she knelt, picture of death, an hides
cribable fear and paralyzing horror ap-
pearing to freeze both life and cOnsci-
business into the semblanee of deep
sleep.
The pastor then, for the first time,
perceived a hateful-looking old woman,
dressed in a fantastcal costume, and
her head covered with a red turban,
who grimly and even scornfully regard
ed the Eneeling pair. Behind the bride
groom, man of gigantic stature and
dark, forbidding countenance had
placed himself, who standing there i'm
movable as a statue, glanced around
him in fixed and earnest manner.
The pastor paralyzed with fright, re-
manned for some time as if struck dumb,
until a savage glance from the bride
groom woke him from his trance.
What now puzzled him was the uncer-
tainty whether the bridal pair could un-
derstand his language This appeared
to him improbable, however, COM
posing himself, he ventured to ask
the names of the bride and bride
groom.
"Neander, Fedora" answered the
latter III a rough voice.
The pastor now begins to read the
form of the marriage ceremony, and as
his voice faltered and he made many
plumbers in the reading, which the
bridal pair did not seem to remark, his
suspicion was confirmed that they did
not under stand his language. But
when he asked "Neander. wilt thou
take Fedora, now kneeling beside thee,
for thy welded wife," and he doubted
whether the bridegroom, ignorant of his
language, could answer him, to his
Yes" in an almost screaming tone,
which resounded through the church.
Deep sobs bursting out simultaneously
from the crowd accompanied this ex-
clamation and visible emotion, tran
silent as the distant lightning flash, APP
peared to pass over the almost emotion
less features of the bride The old
man then turned himself, speaking
louder, to the bride, as if he wished to
wake her from her Ceathlike lethargy,
while he said "Wilt thou, Fedora,
take that man kneeling beside thee, for
thy husband, and honor him as such ?'
If so, answer me in the affirmative?"
Then the lifeless bride appeared to
waken up, deep and awful shudder
appeared to move her pale features,
her bloodless lip moved. and a quick
transient fire sparkled in her eyes, her
of tears extinguished the momentary
sparkle of her eyes, and the word
=" Yes" was heard like the last word of
a dying soul. and appeared to find an
echo In the unrepressed cry of sorrow
which simultaneously burst from all
present. The bride sank exhausted in
to the arms Of the old woman behind
her, and relapsed into her former stale
Of insensibility, and SO the ceremony
ended. The bridegroom rose up and
bore the lifeless form of the bride to
her former place. and the old woman
and the gigantic man followed them
The pastors first conductors then APP
peared again, and blindfolded his eyes
as before, and led him, not without
some trouble, through the crowd, and
having pushed him rudely through the
side door, they bolted it on the inside
and left him standing alone in the
churchyard.
Here be remained for some time be-
wildered and confused, uncertain wheth-
er all he had just witnessed was not
dream. But when he had torn the
bandage off his eyes, and be saw the
church before him, still lighted up, and
heard the noise Of the people within it
continue, he felt convinced of the re-
atty of the mysterious event he had
been an actor in. In order to observe
as much as possible the conclusion of
the strange scene, he concealed himself
in corner of the porch, and anxiously
listened, as every moment the noise
within became louder and louder. 1t
seemed as if warm strife had arisen;
be thought he could distinguish the.
rough voice of the bridegroom, who
loudly commanded silence. Then fol-
lowed long pause, which was succeed
ed by the piercing scream of a female
voice. After that another silence, and
then voice of loud lam entations,
which lasted nearly quarter Of all
hour. The lights were then suddenly
extinguished, the confused noise of the
crowd was again heard, and the whole
multitude came streaming out of the
church, and FASTENED noisily down to
the sea-shore. ....
After little while the pastor crept
out of his hiding place, and FASTENED
to the village. He then awoke his
friends and neighbors, and, still laboring
under the effect of his fright, related to
them all that occurred. But so peace
| full. still. and mOnOtOnOus was the usual