The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-12-23

hustle. Extra help was summoned, and
the kitchen fires roared, and the i'm
mense Dutch oven glowed and plenty
ruled triumphant, while the old deacon
was In his glory bringing supplies from
town and making himself useful as well
as most provokingly officious.
So the day passed and the night came
with everything ready for the grand
time.
Early the house began to be filled with
a merry company, and were welcomed by
father, mother and daughter, the latter
resplendant in robes of feecy white.
abundantly trimmed with soft, floating
laces and looped with artificial flowers,
while natural roses, finged with myrtle
and smilax, were halt hidden amid her
golden hair and pulsated upon her joy
ously throbbing bosom.
For an hour then appeared 20 be a
ceaseless Ginning d sleigh-bells, and
rosy, laughing loadi deposited at the
door. Indeed, so many were the teams
that Mike was frantic to know what to
do with them. But the Deacon believed
In ''the more the merrier" principle, and
kept every one busy and contented. Yet
for all the gaily dancing and singing
company, shade Of perplexity now and
then crossed his face. He had not solved
the mystery of the tabJeat, and it hung
upon him as a troublesome nightmare.
For hours the house rang and trembled
upon its strong foundation. 1t was a
veritable beehive of fun and frolic, and
many soft cheek took on deeper roses
from stolen kisses; many an innocent
heart bounded more swiftly from the en-
circling arm and many pair of ears
tingled from the slappiIg of white hands
in payment for saucy jest or pilfered
caress.
But good, buxom dame Hannah had
almost as much pride in her cooking as
in her one dear lamb, and when the
ancient clock made its huge, heavy, q.
coffin-like case throb with the ringing of
ten, she whispered to her husband, good,
prudent soul that she was, that ''the
children must be getting hungry, and
she was going to see about the tables.
In response to her suggestion, he
sought their daughter and told her they
were going to have supper, and that the
young folks had better stop romping and
cool off, or some of them would be GER
tain to take their death.
Eyes, father" she answered; "but we
must have the tdbledu first" and she
looked up, blushing more deeply than
damask rose in June into the face of Mr..
Frank Emmons, upon whose arm she
happened to be leaning.
"All right" responded the old man
with sigh of relief. for the burden would |
soon be lifted from his soul. "Do you
want me to help you?"
''No; but tell mother, pisese, want |
her" And Miss Minerva larted away
to her own private room, while the old |
man told the fiddlers to adjourn to the |
kitchen and make themselves comfortable |
until wanted again.
Evidently some of the girls understood |
what was going on, if the Deacondid not,
for they cleared one end of the hall, |
hung great patchwork bed-quib across |
and marshalled the company into some
thing like order. Then, after brief |
pause, in which there was much whis-
pering, the improvised curtain was drawn |
aside and disclosed Miss Minerva stand |
ing hand in hand with Mr. Frank EN-
mons, with young lady and gentleman
as supporters, and the old minister be- |
fore them.
Amazed, but silent, the Deacon looked |
on. He did not comprehend the affair
at all, had no practical knowledge of |
charades, but when certain words had |
been spoken and a ring passed, sud-
den light broke IN upon the darkness OF
his understanding, and he exclaimed /
with an earnestness that startled all:
''Je-ru-sa-lem 1t looks like a mar
riagel"
The hearty laugh that followed sufficed !
for full explanation and it needed not |
the assurance of the minister to convince |
him that his daughter was honestly and |
legally married to the man of her choice. |
And yet at first he was disposed to be an
cry. Then he saw the foolishness. of .
such proceeding, especially as he had |
previously given his assent to the Sc
lection of his daughter, and entered .
heartily into the laugh against him
self
''That's what you call a-Jerusalemi
can't speak the new tangled name-is
it? Yet it wasn't hardly fair to fool the
old man so, Minerva. L did expect YOU
would find something in your stockings
tonight, child, but not great. live man.
However it is all right (anything she
could have done would have been so) and |
we'll make the best of it. and your moth
er and l will have plenty to do in getting
things ready to fill the little stockings
that"
A soft white hand stopped his words,
red and ripe lips were pressed upon his
own, a silken face was laid upon his
wrinkled one, few tears of happiness
were rained down upon his broad breast,
and with faltering tongue the old man
called the young husband to his side,
gave him the hand of his darling, and
said, ''Take her and may God bless you
both, my children If I have lost
daughter I have found son and shall
have another arm to lean upon when my
eyes grow dim and steps unsteady
and"
More he would have said but a great
ringing of bells summoned them to sup
per-and such a supper. 1t would have
made grim Famine commit suicide in de-
spsir to have looked upon the tables, and
Time throw away his hour-gl and sit
down and enjoyed the feast.
The good mother had known the secret
from the first, and with her pride stimu-
lated had distanced all former efforts,
even TO produce a Christmas supper, and
the only complaint was of excessive full
ness, when again tho violins summoned
the party 10 the hall