Connecticut western news., 1880-01-14
My Wedding Gift.

.s-a, My Wedding Gift. Since the time when our primeval parents must first have regretted the fact of spectacles, wigs, etc., not grow ing, like their traditional fg-leaf ward robes, upon trees, old age and eccen- stricity have gone hand-in-h hand suppose. The human brain fthough not always the human heart) undergoes hardening process at certain period of its exist -ence, by means of which ideas are fossil ized into the most adamantine preiudices; and the mind shuts itself up, like an oys- ter at the approach of filmed invaders, against the generally received doctrines of modern life. .,es.-...-.. zs .....1
 I might. tell you many old-fashioned "queernesses about Grandmamma .Pendleton pecuiarities and crochets that made her very difficult person to get. along with, and often turned the visits which used to give her at that fine country house in Roxbury into any, thing rather than amusement or relaxa- lion. But, somehow, people were in- clined, as general rule, to indulge grandmother's worst whims and oddi- ties, for the simple reason that she could afford to despise their resentment at them. s.-.---.,
 Grandmamma Pendleton was very rich; and although she had more than once publicly announced her intention of leaving her whole fortune to a certain charitable asylum, I, her favorite graEd- child, received this statement cHns gra'so salis, or, in other words, didn't be- ievs bit of it.
 Not that I wanted her to die, that I might become an heiress and give up school teaching, and wear fine clothes, and all that sort of thing. By no means; for,s besides her being very close in money matters toward her numerous poor relatives, loved my grandmamma dearly, and would not have objected 8 particle if she had taken 1t into her head to outIive all of us. Ineyer grum- bled over her parsimonious conduct but once in my life, although the family were never tired of doing so. The time I did gfumble was on the occasion of my marriage with Matthew Mayland.
 "Of course, fused to say for weeks before the marriage took. place, some thing to Matthew, and more often to my own expectant self" of course grand mamma will give me something superb for a. wedding present. True, she knows I am marrying well, and shall not stand in any particular need-of her doing the munifcent but, then, have always been her favorite, and believe her only reason for not giving me many a handsome present before now has been a fear of causing jealousy among her other relatives.
 I can remember very distinctly in what futter of excitement was on the evening grandmamma's present was ex- pected to arrive. Not even my wedding was an affair of sufficient importance to permit of her leaving Roxbury, and I had lately received very genial, con- gratulatory letter, written in her tremu- lous seventy -year-old sort of hand, promising to send the bridal gift, so that it might reach me before my we'd ding took place.
 The bridal gift! l am afraid that Matthew found me 8 very inattentive listener that evening, as we sat together in the back parlor of our shabbily- furnished little house in Thirty seventh street, and talked about the future. "No more school teaching, Helen, Matthew was saying in his fond way t'no more struggling to keep up ap pearances, and getting miserably pale and worn out with the effort. Thank God. have enough money to keep my little wife, that is to be, comfortable and happy for the rest of her days. Nc more-"
 You don't mind telling me what time it is, do you, dear ?" interrupted "I think it rather strange that grand mammals present has not arrived"
 Just then there was ring at the hal bell. rushed excitedly to answer i myself, Matthew following, with an ir ritable expression of 'sPshaw, Helen what folly this is P
 Folly or not, I gave 8 little scream O delight as large package was hande< me by nan at the door. "for Mis-, Helen Pendleton."
 Large, and very heavy, I opened i with esger, trembling hands, and found shall I ever forget the feelings tha came over me as found-a ponderou family Bible ~-
 Accompanying the gift was shor note in grandma's handwriting
 " My DEAR HELEN-I trust that vol may learn rightly to value the wedding gift which I send. The Bible, man passages of which I have marked wit ny own hand, you will read and prize