The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-08-11

pdStOl gives his nearly consent, anu SenuS
her his best wishes" And so Mrs. Kim
berley departed on her errand.
And now there came other consldera-
tions, very new and very strange to me.
Although Miss Pickett was much older
than myself, yet it seemed, my consent
to her marriage having been sought and
granted, as if she belonged to meas if,
although | was a bachelor she was my
daughter, and that surely | must do
something more for her than simply give
my consent to her being married lmust
see, OF course, that she has something of
an outfit. For the first time in my life
there came to me questions so strange
that they frightened me the questions
What will she wear? Will she come to
be married in that old fashioned bonnet
and that mtiquated shawl That must
not be. Yet |, gentleman and bach
elor, cannot attend to such things: and
yet if don't no one else will. Miss Pick
ett would never think of such things her
self, she is too humble and unworldly.
And so | came to the terrible conviction
that it would deyolve upon me in some
way to arrange for Miss Pickett's bridal
trousseau and Miss Pickett haunted me
and worried me more than ever.
Tie rest Of the day on which Mrs.
Kimberley called was spent in nervous
restlessness and utter inattention to my
duties, and that night hardly closed my
eyes in sleep. Miss Pickett was ever
moving around in the dream land be-
tween sleeping and waking. Abcrcrom-
bic, in his intellectual Philosophy, in
writing of dreams. tells us that it is a
Well-knoWn fact that when cergymen Of
the Established Church dream of cngag-
ing in the public services of their office
they are always troubled with imaginary
difficulties that they cannot ind the
right places in the Prayer book, or some
thing always interrupts the service. And
that night verified the truth Of his state
ment. Whenever for a moment | drop
ped asleep | was trying to perform the
marriage service between Miss Pickett
and Mr.. Jones, but couldn't get through
with it; and, besides, all the time Miss
Pickett in her Wedding-dress looked in
my dreams 50 strange and so unlike the
real Miss Pickett had known that was
haunted by the fear that somebody had
stolen into her place, and that | was mar
rying Mr.. Jones to the wrong woman
and so the troubled night passed on.
For a While the morning brought no
relief. rppermost in my every thought
was the distressing question, what should
do about Miss Pickett's outfit? At
length came bright thought. Why not
get the Ladies' Sewing Society to attend
to the whole matter? Here was whole
CLEAN Of sunshine The society would
l,t II, II
stated the whole matter. Never amid
the thousand and one sewing societies of
our country, was there one 50 elated
as this one at the prospect before it,
They, the lady members, had sent box
after box to poor missionaries, clothing
to China and Africa, and to the poor In
dians of our Western Wilds but never
had they experienced the rare enjoyment
OF providing wedding outfit right at
their own doors. All entered into it with
the keenest zest, and the ladies immedi-
ately took Miss Pickett under their care,
and entered at once into most secret and
confidential relations.
This sewing society was of a type rap
idly passing away The modern devcl-
opment has a great deal TO do with reso-
lutiOns and circulars and secretaries and
public meetings, etc. But this one was
a semi-monthly parish picnic on large
scale. The ladies met from house to
house, came early, and went home late.
They had supper at SIX o'clock, to which
the minister and the other gentlemen of
the parish We're invited, and the evening
was given to music and games and fun.
The gentlemen soon learned Of the new
work that was lmparting such renewed
vigor to the society, and increasing so
largely its attendance. And from week
to week we all had glimpses of some parts
of the wedding wardrobe. Article after
article was exhibited to the visitor; com
ments were made upon this or that.
Imagination was excited to the utmost as
to how Miss Pickett would look and one
evening, when the articles were nearly
completed one Of the young ladies dress
ed herself in the bridal costume, and
amid peals Of laughter pcrsonatcd Miss
Pickett.
And so, as the weeks rolled on, the in
terest increased, and expectation reached
fever heat. Rarely has marriage in high
life excited deeper interest, and hundreds
anticipated the rare pleasure of being
among the wedding guests, and priyi-
legged to behold the marriage service.
But now again new cares and anXieties
were awakened for Miss Pickett, and
once more | worried for her sake. How
frightened she would be, | thought, if
she knew Of all the excitement awakened
by her expected marriage. If all these
eager friends who had worked for her,
and enjoyed the toll, were present, Meth
er she nor her intended husband would
be able to do their part IN the marriage
service And SO | decided that notwith-
standing the disappointment it might
cause, that Miss Pickett had better be
married privately; that would 90 down
to her snug little rooms, 50 neat and home
like, and there tie the golden knot and
when | had made in my own mind this
decision, my anXieties were quieted, and
the time drew rapidly near.
At length Miss Pickett herself came to
see me- She said Mr.. Jones was too
busy to call, and she had come to make
the arrangements about the marriage.
She would like to be married at eight
o'clock on such an evening; and she had
always loved her church so much, she
would like to be married in the church.
Had Mr.. Smith any objections?
What could | say ? | could not wound
that sensitive little nature by any objec-
tions. Had she not as good a right as
any one to be married in church But"
said, my dear Miss Pickett, ! would
not mention to any one that yalr we'd
ding is to take place in church, nor would
mention the precise date to any one.
Sometimes, you know, a great many peo-
pie come at such times just out Of curl
osity, and if there should be great many
present it might provcve embarrassing
especially to Mr.. JONES'" | added. |
further especially charged the sexton to
preserve the strictest silence. And thus
in the confident assurance on my part
that everything would be quiet, and that
only two or three would be present, the
eVenttul evening arrived.
About ten minutes before the appoint
ed hour | walked around to the church.
TO my astonishment, it was all ablaze