Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-04-29
NY WEDDING TOUR.

IIldGfltI 1I1c dIlu NiOIC III 71Il WI tli1
first time Mrs. Charles Vail, Jr., and saw
the initials 0f the same emblazoned on
tie end Nj my new Saratoga trunk,
when We started on our wedding Jour
ney. Ny wedding journey. | can
speak Of ii calmly now, but the time
vas when it narrowed up my inmost
soul TO this day Charlie becomes
wroth when it is mentioned, and says
ii IN lily "blamcd lmagInation;0 but he
knows, and | know well, that that is
only one Of those convenient little
loopholes through which big mascu-
Unity can crawl on emergency, and
the facts remaining unchanged and in
di4putable, ! shall defy Charlie and
statc them To tire world
Imagine then, reader or Listener,
whoever you may be, that the last silk
III train has swept itself out Of Trinity
chapel, and tile lastnotc Of the newt
able "Wedding March" shuddered
itself ont Of the big grooming organ,
md that Charlie and ! are married.
Also, that the kissing and cgying over
il achieved, and the voices Of my hus-
bands sisters and Inv maiden aunts,
hailing down blessings on our heads,
IRE happily lost in distancc-that the
only sound We hear is the rattle and
roar Of III express train laundering
eastward, and | am looking out III the
golden MONDAY, Watching the fields
and roads and villages and woodlands
race past rs, and sweep back into Il
stream like running water. There we
SIT, two bissful young fools but it
isn't of orr bliss or our foolishness
either, that ! am going To tell you
only Of the singular adventure Of our
wedding tour.
Charlie hadn't told me where we
were to 90, and | rather liked being
left in ignorance, knowing no more
than that we were being swept away to
some little paradise Of our own-it
might be to IN island Of the Hesperides
Or Crusoc's kingdom or Eden itself
We stopped at good many stations by
the way that looked anything but par
adisical, but saw everything through
il glass, rosily, IS ! sat there demure
and mute, by Charities side. The shad-
ows were growing short, and it was
just noon when we stopped 1T some
vile" or other, whose long, low, strag-
Cling buildings, crowding close upon
tie track, and the broad, dusty village
street, branching of ut right angles,
are photographed upon my memory.
Not for anything intrlnsically remark
able; there were only Il good many
teams and farm-wagons, and open car
riagcs. and light carryalls standing
about, with the lazy horses rubbing
their noses against old worm-eaten
posts, under the row of dropping green
trees, and plenty Of people on the plat
form, crowding together for greetings
and good-bycs; it was commonplace,
everyday picture enough, and not even
il pretty one, except iii fragments.
There was il general exodus from the
car, and rush dinnerward, rs we sup
posed toward the swinging sign Of
some House Or other down the lazy
little country street; and Charlie, look
ing III his watch, said it was twelve
oelocl, and didn't | want some lunch2
OF course didn't, but of course he
SAID must have it, and Immediately
started up. lie wouldn't be five min
utes, lie said, and | mustn't move till
he came back. ! was to guard our two
seats, and let no one come nigh them,
and. above MI, | was to sit still, and
not bc led astray by any possible warn
mgs 10 change ears. Were going
through, Charlie remarked, so just
keep the seats, and don't pay any at
tention | nodded obedience, and
Nh Nnii ,,,araI,nJ l,,t ,f tl.y .,or LAW,
ing me 10 peer after him iii the crowd,
and catch the last glimpse Of his straw
hat vanishing down the street.
| watched the crowd when Charlie
was out Of sight. and unused and won
dered over the faces, and built up all
sorts IL dreamy speculations upon
them, MS one does III Il crowd when
they have nothing better to think Of
Presently the door banged open, and
tie voice If some unseen functionary
shouted, Change cars for BoS toni"
Everybody began To scramble their
bags and bundles and canes together,
and there was rush among the few
Who'rcmained ofmy fellow passengers.
| watched them 20 without emotion,
and merely settled myself more COM
fortahlv for the solitary journey
through which Charley had indicated
wondering little where its terminus
might he, but III no wise disturbed or
anxious thereat. stared out ut the
people for five minutes long at least
50 said the fat-faccd clock IN the IA
dies room" opposite my window.
though | made it fifty at least by
mental calcula ion-and then the door
swung open again. This time Il head
projected itself into the car, reared
All out, evidently 1T me and van
ishcd again. I won't get out, re-
piled, defyins the empty air. Charlie,
told me 10 sit still, and I'm going to.
oh Charlie. why III the world don't You
come back"
But no Charlie came to answer me,
and | began TO stare out in the crowd
with rather more anxious eyes. and to
grow i little hot and uneasy. and to
think, with certain unpleasant thrills
running down my back, what would
become of me If the train should start
and Charlie shouldn't come back at all
AZ this awful point in my meditations
the locomotive gave vent to an I'M
earthly screech. which | took for a
premonetory symptom of departure,
and was 50 terrified that started up
from my seat just rs the little door
swung back for the third time, and adj
init Of last warming, like that Of Friar
Bacon's brazen head This time the
face reappeared on big, shaggy suit
Of clothes some six feet high, and was
4 grim. not to say rate, viSage.
Change cars, miss = said the person,
grufiiy. Il told you so twice before ~
I'm to sit slll," | replied, meekly.
I'm going through" i thought this
was the right thing to say, because
Charlie had said it; but it didn't have
the right effect.
Change cars, then-there's the Bos-
ton train over there. This car runs
back to New York.
4 r. -.