Litchfield enquirer., 1879-03-20
POMONA'S BRIDAL TRIP.
From Scribner's Magazine.

know. We couldn't afford to take no big trip, and yet we wanted to do the thing up jus as right as we could, seein' as you had set your heart on it, an as we had, too, for that matter. Niagery Fall was what wanted, but he said that it cost so much to see the sights there that he hadn't money to spare to take us there an pay for all the sight seein, too. We might go, he said, without seein' the sights, or, if there was any way of seein' the sights with out goin', that might do, but he couldn't dc both. So we give that up, and after thinkin good deal, we agreed to go to some other falls, which might come cheaper, an maybe be jus as good to begin on. Sc we thought of Passaic Falls, up to Paterson, an we went there, an took room at little hotel, an walked over to the falls. But they wasn't nc good, after all, for there wasn't no water run, min ever 'em. There was rocks and preci. picers, an direful depths, and everything fol good falls, except water, and that was all bein' used at the mills. Well, Miguel says 1, this is about as nice place for falls al ever 1 see.' My husbands given name is Jonas, but hated to call him Jonas an on a bridal trip, too. He might jus as we'll have had more romantic-er name, if his parents had "a thought of it. So 1 determined I'd give him a better one, while we was on ouI journey, anyhow, an 1 changed his name te Miguel, which was the name of Spanish count. He wanted me te call him Jiguel, be- cause, he said, that would have a kind of a floating smell of his old name, but 1 didn't never do it. Well, neither of us didn't care tc stay about no dry falls so we went back te the hotel and got our supper, and begun tc wonder what we should do the next day. He said we'd better put it off and dream about it. and make up our minds neA' mornin', whicf l agreed to, an, that evenin', as we was sittin in our room asked Miguel to tell me the story of his life. He said, at first, it hadn't none but when. seemed kinder put out at this, he told me I mustn't mind an he would revea tho ,~holo- So ho told me this story
 My grandfather, said he, was rich ane powerful Portugee, a-livin' on the island oi Jamaica. He had heaps O slaves, an owned black brigantine, that he sailed in on secret voyages, an, when he come back, the decks an the gunnels was often bloody, but nobody knew why or wherefore. He was big mar with black hair an worry violent. Ho oould never-have kept no help, ii he hadn't owned 'em, but he was so rich, that people respected him, in spite of all his crimes. My grand mother was a native O the Isle O Wight. She was frail an tender woman, with yeller hair and deep blue eyes, an gentle, an soft, an good to the poor. She used to take baskits ei vttles aroun' to sick folks, an set down on the side O their beds an read The Shepherd O Salisbury Plains to 'em. She hardly ever spcaked above her breath, an always wore white gowns with silk kerchief a-folded placidy aroun' her neck. Them was awful different kind O people, 1 says to hlm, I wonder how they ever come to be married. They never was married, says he. Never married! ]! l hollers a-jumpin' up from my chair, and you sit there carmly an look me in the eye.' Yes says he, they never was married. They never met; one was my mothers father, and the other one my fathers mother. Twas we'll they did not we'd I good uv tellin' me thing like that?'
 '' It's about as near the mark as most of the stories of peoples lives, reckon, says he, an besides I'd only jus begun it.
 We'll, l don't want no more, says l, an jus tell this story of his to show what kind uv stories he told about that time. He said they was pleasant Actions, but told him that eff he didn't look out he'd hear lem called by good deal of worse kind of name than that. The nex' mornin' he asked me my dream, an tole him l didn't have exactly no dream about it, but my idea was to have somethin' real To- mantle for the rest of our bridal days.
 We'll says he, what would you like? 1 had dream, but it wasn't no ways romantic, and I'll jus fall in with whatever you'd like best
 "'All right, says I, 'an' the most romantic est thing that 1 can think of is for us to jus for the rest of this trip. We can make-believe we're anything we please, an if we think so in real earnest it will be pretty much the same thing as if we really was. We amt likely to have no chance ag'in of being jus what we've g mind to, an so let's try it now
 "'What would you have a mind to be ? says he.
 We'll says I, let's be an earl an earl- ess.'
 'Earl-ess?' says he, there aint no such a person.
 Why, yes there is, of course,' says to him. Whats a she-earl if she isn't a earl ess ?
 "'Well, don't know, says he, never hay in lived with any of em but we'll let it go at that. An how dc you want to work the thing out
 This way says I. "You, Miguel---'
 "'Jiguel, says he.
 "'The earl, says I, not mindin' his inter- to some good place or other-it don't matter much jus where, and whatever house we live ID we'll call our castle, an we'll consider it's got w-bridges an portculisses an meats an secrik dungeons, an we'll remember our noble ancestors, an behave accordin' An the peo- pie we meet we can make into counts and dukes and princes, without their knowin' any thing about it; an we can think our clothes is silk an satin an velvet all covered with di- nuns an' precious stones, jus as we'll as not ,
 Jus as well, says he.
 An then, l went on we kin go an have chi-UGI-rous adventures make believe we're havin' 'em, -an' build up atmosphere uv romanticness aroun' us that Il carry us back---'
 :. To ole Virginny, says he.
 "'1o, says 1, for thousands of years, or at least enough back for the times of tournaments and chioak-ry.'
 "'An' so your idea is that we jus make be- lieve all these things, an don't pay for none of lem, is it ? says he. |.
 "'Yes, says 1; 'an' you, Miguel---'
 "Jiguel, says he.
 Kin jus ask me, eff you don't know what chi-cal-ric or romantic thing you ought to do or to say 80 as to feel yourself truly an reely a earl, for I've read lot about these people, an know jus what ought to be did,
 "'Well, he set hisself down, an thought a while, an then he says, All right We'll do that, an we'll begin to-morrer mornin', for I've got little business to do in the city which wouldn't be exactly the right thing for me to stoop to after Pm an earl, so I'll go in an do it while Pm common person, an come back this afternoon, an you kin jus walk about an look at the dry falls, an amuse yourself gen. rally, till come back.
 All right says 1, an off he goes.
 ''He come back afore dark, an the nex' mornin' we got ready to start of.
 "'Have you any particular place to go l? says he.
 "'No,' says I, one place is as likely to be as good as another for our style O thing. If it don't suit, we can imagine it does
 "'That'll do,' says he, an we had our trunk sent to the station, and walked ourselves. When we got there, he says to me,
 (Which number will you have, five or sevenT
 ".Either one will suit me, Earl Miguel, saysI
 Jiguel, says he, 'an' we'll make it seven. An now I'll go an look at the timetable, an we'll buy tickets for the seventh station from here, The seventh station, says he, comin back, is Pokus. We'll ge to Pokus.'
 50 when the train come we got in an get out at Fokus It was pretty sort of a place, out in the country, with the houses scattered a long ways apart. like stingy chicken-feed.
 . Let's walk down this road, says he, til