The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-10-06
THE WEDDING MARCH.

IHE w EDDlNU MAKCHs
"No. 32s-A Wedding March" Such
was the number and name of picture
in the Academy of a certain year which
shall, for polite and personal reasons, be
left undesignated. The picture was one of
my painting and !, Reginald Tracy, had
been fortunate enough to attain three
very important ends by its production.
Firstly, it was deemed excellent enough
by the Hanging Committee to be placed
on the line, and it faced you in a very
prominent manner as you entered Room
No. 5. Secondly, this prominent po-
sition secured for my picture large
share of attention which resulted in its
finding purchaser almost as soon as the
Exhibition doors opened. But thirdly,
it served the actual purpose for which L
painted it, and which led me to choose my
subject. That purpose involved just the
least bit of romance and although the
clever critics praised the picture, and
even limited that, :" Mr.. Tracy had been
singularly fortunate IN his treatment of
a somewhatunusual and difficult theme" E"
ETC., not one of them so much as guessed
that it was picture with purpose.
As the sequel may serve to show, that
purpose sprang from and ended in what
1 am pleased to call my little romance
1t was charming day, that on which
I went to Northampton to sketch the
water meadows, and to see my old friend,
DR.. James Brooke-Jim, I generally
called him-who had settled as practi-
toner in that town. The whole place
was STEPPED in sunlight; and the deep
shadows cast by the old houses in the
narrow streets by the waterside reminded
one of nothing so much as the blackness
of the shades In some old Dutch town,
where Rembrandt must have learned the
special art that bears the impress of his
genius to-day. The old church of Rock
hampton is fine bit of Norman archi-
lecture. Rising architects declare that
there are no purer pillars of that style,
or better preserved arches, with their
queer faces squeezed into the corners
thereof. and which seem to impress the
Northampton juveniles on Sundays
quite as much as the service. Passing
through the churchyard, I found myself
at last at the church. With little hope
of finding the door open I lifted the
latch, when at once it yielded to my
touch. As I passed within the green
baize doors within the porch, I heard
the sound of the organ SO stealing
quietly into the grateful shade and cool
ness of the church, ensconced myself
in the biggest pew could find and lis
tened. How soothing was the effect of
the music and surroundings on that glo-
rious day / could not see the player,
who was concealed by the curtains in
front of the organ-loft, but intuitively
guessed it was lady who played. I
imagined that only woman's delicate
touch could have made that "Kyrie
speak in these tones and there was
more gentleness than power in the "Sta-
bat Mater into which the player glided.
Then remember the "Wedding
March " succeeded !; and after half an
hours private hearing of the masters, I
quietly slipped out of church, once again
into the glad sunlight that played around
the gravestones, and made the world SO
fair to see
After lunching at my hotel, the Red
Lion, went to see DR.. Jim. It ap-
peared that the fair player of the
church was Miss Spalding, and the
only daughter of we'll and retired
merchant who had settled at Rockhamp-
ton some eighteen months before and
Jim, found, had been paying his ad-
dresses to the young lady. Her father
had married for the second time and had
thus given Miss Spaulding step
mother. The old gentleman, as Jim
called him, was an easy-going man
kind-hearted in every way. generous to-
fault, and looked kindly enough on DIR.
Jim's suit. But as to Mrs. Spalding, Jim
pronounced decidedly unfavorable
opinion. She was an ambitious, and as
he expressed it, scheming woman, who
thought that Nelly should look some
what higher than Dr. Brooke of Rock
hampton and that she should at least
marry money-with which latter COM
modify Jim was, as young doctor of
course, by no means -burdened.
Without actually discouraging Jim's at
tentions, Mrs. Spalding made things de-
cidedly unpleasant for the lovers. Mr..
Spalding, good, easy man, was COM
pletely under the dominion of his wife.
Hence, Jim confessed, he was in some
what unsettled state of mind.
"You see. Regy," said Jim, "Nelly
will not disobey her parents in any way.
That she cares for me she has confessed
to me more than once. But when I
press her to consent to be married at
once, and to make me happy, she won't
hear of it."
"My dear Jim," responded, in my
new-found capacity of guide, counsellor
and friend, "she is not the first girl who
has had to struggle between love and
duty or at least what she conceives to
be her duty"
"She is so thoroughly conscientious, u
replied Jim, "that fear even to press
her to take the step which would make
me happy man for life. When I ask
her in my despair whether she will ever
choose between her step-mother's wishes
and my love, she i1nplores me not to
tempt her; and so," added Jim, "here
I am miserable as need be.
All this interested me exceedingly.
She was evidently a girl of sterling worth
and with high sense of the duty she
believed she owed to her parents wishes.
thought over Master Jim's love affail
as I lay in bed that night, and came to
the conclusion that the. case was diff.
cult one. You can not always mould
human minds to your own bent and pur,
pose by simply speaking. Hence | came
to the conclusion that Miss Spalding's
love for my old friend ought to be tested
and tried in some way. AS my expe
| -;...o 80 I-,oo, Dof11ra ones There