Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-11-21
THE BRTDAL VEIL.

a lIttll' utIh-tytu BlTl DeBdu 10 WOfh II,
whose lover was over the sea. She was
French girl, and came of family of lace
makers.
I'm work my own bridal veil in my leis-
ure time she said. so when Walter
comes to marry me, l shall be q gay bride"
But she never finished her veil. Walter
came too soon. She married her English
lover-as poor as hersef-and went with
him to London and the half-finished veil
went along, carefully folded away at the bot
tom Of trunk, and for time being quite
forgotten.
1t may have been forgotten in earnest dur
ing twelve years, for aught know-certan-
ly it lay that long unnoticed. lovely little
ten years old girl was the fairy that broke its
long sleep at last She had dark eyes, like
the little peasant of twelve years ago, but
Walters golden hair.
"Oh, the charming lace :" she cried clap
ping her hands and dancing delightedly, as
Elise shook it out Of the folds Dear man.
ma, what is it and who made it and why
is it half done Can l have it for a dress for
my doll, mamma =
The pretty, dark eyed matron laughed and
shook her head, and half sighed as she press
cd the delicate fabric to her lips Then she
told her child the history of its making
But it shall not be hidden so long from
the light again" she said tenderly. Il will
finish it, and when the time comes for my
little Adele to be a bride she will have veil
to be proud of. ~
Again the little taper fingers toiled merrily
and busly over the delicate lace, and fairy
like ferns and masses of graceful flowers
grew steadily under them. Adele watched
the progress of the work with interest.
Mamma, teach me to work it," she said
one day. MY fingers are much finer and
timer than yours.
After that she would bring her little work
basket to her mothers side and work at
veil for her doll The facility with which
she learned the graceful art was astonishing.
At the age of fifteen so expert was she that
Elise did not fear to let her take part in the
creation of the bridal veil itself, but they
worked at it now and then as the fancy seized
them.
Louis Riyiere was from France, like Adele's
mother-tluI Ind been bond between them
| from the frst-for Adele loved her mother
country for her mothers sake. though she
herself was proud OF being called English,
and she also loved the young Frenchman.
Louis came of noble blood, and was we'll
to-do. He had some money-not enough to
live upon in idle luxury, but plenty to secure
| him fair start in business life. Unwilling
| to enter upon this course in Paris, where his
noble relatives would not scruple to oppose
him, he had chosen London as the scene of
his future efforts, and embarked in business
as a merchant there.
The happy weeks and months grew into
years Adele was now seventeen; it was
| agreed and promised that when the spring
time came, she should be Riviere's bride
| ''We must finish the bridal veil, " cried Elsie
| eagerly. Il tell you, Monsieur Louis, no Ia
| ly of your proud house ever wore a lace more
exquisite and rich. All, shall not be proud
when look at my beautiful child in her
marriage robes, and think of the poor little
peasant girl of long ago who toiled at the
! lace to earn coarse bread so far away over the
sea :"
Louis turned quickly at these words, a look
of displeased surprise in his dark eyes
what peasant girl, madame?" he ques-
toned uneasiy.
Myself" she answered happily, not mark
| ing the look or the tone. What was but
poor laee-maker when my generous young
lover married me, the father of Adele p
He answered nothing, and Elise went mer-
rily chatting on but Adele noted his sud
denly downcast air and gloomy eyes, though
she was far from suspecting the cause of
! either.
His naughty family pride had received a
blow
"A lace-maker," he said to himself. "a
peasant girl If I had but known it."
All that night and for days and nights af-
terwards the thought of his brides humble
extraction tortured him. the sting to his
pride would not be removed.
Unconsciously to himself his annoyance af-
fected his temper, he became irritable, fret
| full impatient sometimes to the verge of i'm
| politeness even above all, he conceived an
absurd but violent dislike to the bridal veil.
Il detast the sight of it, he cried one
evening in a moment of forgetfulness, and
when be and Adele were alone. "If indeed
You love me, never work at it in my pres
| ence, Adele: and if l dared ask one special
favor of you, it should be"
He paused suddenly-she was listening in
great surprise.
"Well, she said 'It should be"
well, any other veil in the world but
that to be married in"
She folded up her work and let her fail
hands fall upon it in her lap one could SEE
those little hands were trembling.
She was greatly surprised at his manner
and request, and also vaguely hurt, she scarce
knew how or why. Indeed, she had won
dered often lately at a subtle and unpleasant
change in Louis Could it be possible thai
she was about to discover its cause?
'You ask singular favor, she said will
forced quietness Are you aware that my
dear mother worked this veil ?"
The hot impulsive temper answered in
stanty, without thought
''It is for that very reason that | hate it.
And then she understood him. This daugh
ter of England had been slow to suspect ol
comprehend the pride of the French aristo
crat, but she would not marry the man who
thought he stopped to take her.
She folded up the veil and gently but firm
ly said
"You did not know when first you sough
me for a bride, that mamma was a lace
worker in France if you had, perhaps yol
would not have loved me- Since you Learned
this fact you have regretted our engagement
You need not speak l have seen chang
in you-I feel that it is so. But there is NJ
harm done" she went on with simple digni
ty, ''snoe have learned the truth before i
is too late and so"-she held out to him
little, trembling hand, which he took mechan
ically-,'and so l will grant you the fayo
YOU coyet, my friend. Your bride shall no
wear my darling mothers veil here h,
kissed the hand, and she drew it quickl!
away-"but that is because l shall not b.
your bride"
No need to dwell upon what followed. Hi
prayers, his protestatiOns-humble at first
then angry-hs tears that had no power il
them to sap the strength of her resolution
They parted coldly at last-lovers still IL
heart, for love dies not so easily but out
wardly seeming scarcely friends
, She stood proudly as he left the room
when the street door closing after him strucl