The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-05-12
My Wedding Tour.

married me. and | wrote myself for the
first time Mrs. Charles Vail, ,Jr., and saw
the initials OF the same emhlaIoned on
the end of my new Saratoga trunk, Wher
we started on our 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
blamed imagination :" but he knows, and
| know well, that that is only one of those
convenient little loop holes through which
big masculinity can crawl on emergenc,
and the facts remaining unchanged aid
indisputable, | shall defy Charlie and
state them to the world.
Imagine then, reader or listener, who
ever YOU may be, that the last silken
train has swept itself out of Trinity
chapel. and the last note Of the newt
able "Wedding March" shuddercd itself
out of the big groaning organ, and that
Charlie and | are married, Also. that
the kissing and crying over is achieved.
and the voices of my husbands sisters
and my maiden aunts. hailing down bless
ings on our heads are happily lost in the
diStance-that the only sound we 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 me. and sweep back
into Il stream like running water. There
We sat. two blisstul young tOols-but it
isn't of our bliss or our tOOlishness 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 60, and rather liked being left in ig-
norance, knowing no more than that we
were being swept away to some little
paradise Of our own it might be to an
island Of the liesperdes or Crusoe' S
kingdom or Eden itself We stopped at
a good many stations by the way that
looked anything but paradisiacal but |
saw everything through glass rosily, as
| sat there demure and mute. by Charlie $
side. The shadows were growing short,
and it was Just noon when we stopped at
some "Ville" OF 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 tol
anything intrinsically remarkable there
was only Il good many teams and farm
wagons, and open carriages 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 pcO-
pie on the platform croWding together
for greetings and good-byes: it was Il
commonplace, every day picture enough
int irnf
raj exodus from the car, and rush din
neTWard, as we supposed, toward the
swinging sign of some "Iouse" or other
down the lazy little country street; and
Charlie, looking at his watch. said it was
twelve o'clock and didn't | want some
lunch.
OF course | didn't, but of course he
said | must have it. and Immediately
started up. He wouldn't be five minutes,
he said, and | mustn't move till he came
back. | was to guard our two seats, and
let no one come nigh them, and, above
all, WAS to sit still, and not be led astray
by any possible warning to change cars.
''We're going through" Charlie remark
ed, $50 just keep the seats, and don't pay
any attention." | 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 out of sight and mused and wonder
ed over the faces, and built up all sorts
Of dreamy speculations upon them, as
one does in a crowd when they have
nothing better to think Of Presently
the door banged open, and the voice of
some unseen tunctionary shouted" Change
cars for Boston,"
Everybody began to scramble their
bags and bundles and canes together,
remained my fellow passengers. watch
ed them 90 with emotion, and merely
settled myself more comfortably for the
solitary journey which Charlie had indi-
cated-Wondering a little where its ter
minus might be, but in no wise disturbed
or anxious thereat. | stared out at the
people for five minutes longer-at least
so SAID the lat- faced clock in the ''ladies'
room" opposite my window, though |
made 1t fifty at least by mental calcula-
tlon-and then the door swung open.
This time a head projected itself into the
ear, roared "All out" evidently at me-
and vanished again. II won't get out .
| replied, defying the empty air. "Charlie
told me to sit still. and Pm going to. oh,
Charlie why in the world don't YOU
come back 2"
But no Charlie came to answerm and
| began to stare out into the crowd with
rather more anxious eyes, and to grow a
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 At this
awful point in my meditatiOns the loco
motive gavevent to an unearthly screech,
which took for premonitory symptom
OF departure, and was so terrified that |
started up from my seat Just as the little
door swung back for the third time to
admit of a last warning, 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 q grim, not
to say irate visage.
''Change cars, miss y said the person
grut1ly. 81 told you so twice before" :"
"I'm to sit STILL" | replied meelkly.
I'm gong through tnought thls
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 Boston
train over there. This car runs back to
New York"
| simply stared at this person in a
dogged way that he seemed to take very
i'll.
Come" he exclaimed, waxing impa-
tient. "Iou can't sit here all day, you
know. Where do you want to go?"
"I-I-don't know" | stammered. 81
was told to sit still, and Il must wait
till the person comes back"
The man stared back at me now with
interest. "Where'sy your ticket" said he,
extending dirty hand.
II haven't got it, | answered in a
meek and conciliating tone. "My-Char
at least the gentleman who was with
me has got them both"