Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-01
NV Wedding Tour.

MY WeddlnB TOUT.
WAS only seventeen WREN Charlie
married me, and l wrote myself for the
first time Mrs. Charles Vail, Jr., ami
saw the initials of the same blazoned
on the cid OF my new Saratoga trunk,
when we started on our wedding jour
ney. My wedding journey! can
speak of it calmly now, but the time
was when it narrowed up my inmost
soul. To this day. Charlie becomes
wroth when it is mentioned, and says it
is my confounded Imagination but
he knows, and I know we'll, that that
is only one of these convenient little
loopholes through which big mascu-
Unity can crawl on emergency; and the
facts remaining unchanged and indis-
putable, shall defy Charlie and state
them to the world.
Imagine then, reader or listener,
whoever you may be, that the last silk
en- traiu has swept itself out of Trinity
Chapel, and the last note Of the inevita-
BILE Wedding March" shuddered it
self out Of the big grooming organ, and
that Charlie and I are married. Alas,
that the kissing and crying over is
achieved, and the voices OF my hus-
bands sisters and my maiden aunts,
hailipg down blessings on our heads,
are happily lost in distance-that the
only sound VIC hear is the rattle and
roar of an express train laundering
eastward, and am looking out into the
golden MONDAY. watching the fields
and roads and villages and woodlands
race past US, and sweep back into a
stream like running water. There We
sat, two blissful young fools-but it
isn't of our bliss or our foolishness
either, that I am going to tell you
only of tho single adventure Of our
wedding tour.
Charlie hadn't told me where we were
to go, and rather liked being left in
ignorance, knowing no mere than that
we we're being swept away to some
little Paradise OF our own--it might be
an island Of the Hesperides, or Crusoe's
kingdom, or Eden itself. We stepped
at good many stations by the way,
that looked anything but Paradisaical;
but / saw everything through glass,
rosily, as sat there aemure ard mute,
by Charles side. The shadows were
growing short, and it was just noon,
when we stepped at some "ville " or
other, whose long, low, struggling
buildings, crowding close upon the
track, and the broad, dusty village
street. branching off at right angles,
are photographed upon my memory.
Not for anything intrinsiaally remark
able; there were only q good many
teams and farm-wagons, and open car
riages, and light carryalls standing
about, with the lazy horses rubbing
their noses against old worm. eaten
pests, under he row Of dropping green
trees, and plenty of peosle on the plat
form, crowding together for greetings
and good byes; it was commonplace
every day picture enough, and not even
q pretty one, except in fragments
There was general exodus from the
car, and rush dinnerward, as we sup
posed, toward the swinging sign of
soEae i" House " or other down the lazy
little country street; and Charlie, look
ing at his watch, said it was twelve
o'clock-and didn't 1 want some
lunca?
Of course didn't, but of course he
said must have it, and Immediately
started up. He wouldn't he five min
utes, be said, end mustn't move till he
came back. I was to gnar9 our two
seats. and let no one come nigh them,
and, above all, I was to sit still, and
not be led astray by any possible warn
ipgs to change cars. We're going
through" Charlie remarked, 80 just
keep the seats and don't pay sny at
tention' | nodded obedience, and
Mr.. Vail marched out of the car,
leaving me to peer after him in the
crowd and catch the last glimpse OF his
straw hat vanishing down the street.
watched the crowd, when Charlie
was ont of sight, and unused and
wondered ever ;be faces, and built up
all sorts OF dreamy speculatioDs upon
them, as one does in crowd when
they have nothing better to think of.
Presently the door banged open, and
the voice of some unseen furctionary
shouted, "Change cars for Bos-ton!
Everybody began to scramble their
bags and bundles and cares together,
and there was rush among the few
who remained my fellow passengers. I
watched them 60 without en- ttion, and
merely settled myself more c0mforta-
bly, for the solitary journey through
which Charlie had gdicatcd--woLder-
ing little where its tcr,ainus nj Is ht be
but in no wise disturbed or anxious
thereat. / stared out at the people for
FIVE inmates longer--at least SO said the
fat-faced clock in he "'aaies room
opposite II y window, though made it
fifty at least by mental calculation