Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-08-02

Curr8Q, eIOeSG OIL three Oau. ht0rS
: Philips Curran. We took the hous,
| hold by surprise, but not their hospita
: ity. The girls met with Babel of we
come and l was not forgotten. Whe
J they went up stairs I was taken into th
parlor and very soon reinforced with
decanter of brandy and the necessar
! water and sugar. I was soaked wit
, rain and stained with mud. However
, [ al once drank to the health of the en-
gineer and then again to Uncle Jaspe
and to the old engine, and was proceed
, ing by easy stages to drink my Owl
ly, when was interrupted by the en-
trance of Miss Bena Grand, refreshe,
} by the hands of her maid. She inform
ed me that the bride of to morrow, VIII,
in Difference 4. to the Virginia custom
could not appear again until she wa
married, desired to speak to nae. I wa
taken into the hall or rotunda and from
the circular stairway above descended
smile of welcome, as was presented a
long range like piece of artillery.
Are you Major Blank, formerly o
General is staff? If so, Captain
Coleridge has written two letters for you
and vowed he would not get married
iuntifhe found YOU" came down il
musical tones.
II am the man, Miss Curran, anil a
your united service" II offer you nly
hand of welcome" She held tempt
ingly over the banisters two little white
bands, but were out of my reach and
tried to take Miss Bena Grands g.:
proxies.
The next morning Coleridge an.
nounced his early arrival by pulling ine
out of bed. He took me into council
and we arranged the programme of Ger
emODies. Night came ard the wedding
guests arrived-General Longstreet and
some of his staff, several distinguished
cavalry officers, and as many others as
the house would hold, with an army
band to furnish the music. The wed.
| ding was a brilliant and merry one.
| There were thirteen officers in uniform
as groomsmen and as many bridesmaids
l was first groomsman and the regal
looking Bena Grand was my brides
maid. L did not see the face of the
bride until she lifted her veil, an old
family relic, after the wedding service
was done. She was fascinating beyond
my feeble words. I never saw her after
that night, but remember as a sacred
thing of my life that was permitted to
kiss the bride that happy hour. 1t was
| privilege allowed me at the request of
all my bridesmaids. Then regarded it
as the contamination of my adventure,
but now that she is gone, like so many
others who were there that night, the
memory OF that pure kiss gives pause to
my pen and feel that should like to
stoop over her grave in tender rev erence
and touch with my lips the lilies that
grow there.
-Four O'Clock in the morning and the
dance still went on. At that hour left
and went out again in the darkness on
| horseback, with the same facetious little
darkey on a mule carrying my hand
trunk. [ rode back to the station and
took the train at daylight for another
wedding. The whole day was spent in
| riding sixty miles or less and [ reached
the village beyond the Blue Ridge about
7 o'clock. The marriage was to be at 8
The bridegroom, Captain o. Malley, met
me at the train and hurried me to my
quarters. A glass of something, speedy
supper and Confederate toilet soon got
me ready for the business of the occs~
sion. O'Malley was handsome, frank
and manly young fellow and Sallie
Gray, the bride, a sweet, affectionats
and pretty girl. I had known them
both for many days. My bridesmaid,
Miss Mary Asche. was nothing like the
one OF the day before. She was as tall,
but not so handsome; she was fuller in
figure, very fair, with soft, low voice,
and manner Of infinite gentIeness. 1t
was not ceremOnious wedding, but full
of dash and laughter, as suited the par
ties and became cavalryman who rode
with Rosser. AS the night waned OBJ
served that my bridesmaid was getting
very pale and quiet, and after midnight,
When took her home, she complained
of maddenlng headache. I tried to
persuade her 1T was merely nervous ex-
| cltement, and she said if being brides
| maid had that fleet she would never
stand thus at the altar again. Her beauti-
| full white hand vas trembling and thrill
ed me with apprehension as took it to
say good by. I made an engagement to
| call at her home in Charlottesville on
my return, and gave her a flower to
wear until then.
The next morning I left for Staunto q
to go down the Valley of Virginia into
| the debatable border, to be at another
| wedding, that of Captain William Shell
and the onyx eyed beauty, Amilia Nal
lory, the most stately and graceful ra-
| ven.haired trunette that ever went as a
bride from that historic Valley. But
| when [ reached Staunton. Major Harry
Gilmore informed me that Sheridan had
advanced his outposts, and his cavalry
| had Indicated an intention of being
present at the wedding unlimited, and
that the bridal party was compelled to
make a hasty retreat in sections on par
allel lines until they had crossed the
Massanuttan and Blue Ridge moun-
tains. There, with the aid of the par.
son, the bride and groom had made a
stand and united their forces for life
Not knowing in what direction to go for
this runaway couple regretfully aban-
doned the pursuit. Having exacted a
promise from Harry Gilmore, who was
about to start on a raid into West Vir>
glnia, that he would enter Romney and
send by secret agent we had there to
Baltimore for some harp strings / had
promised to get for Bena Grand, re-
traced my steps towards Richmond.
Oh, that harp! Do you remember,
my dear dandy Philip, when Sheridan
broke our lines on the right and you
were sent by your cavalry chief with a
squadron to take Mrs. Grand and Miss
Bena away from the shifting seat of war
and out of the reach of danger, how she
insisted upon taking her harp tied upon
the top of the ambulance, and how by
the delay the Federal cavalry gained
upon you and furiously engaged the es-
cort until the inmates of the ambulance
became wild with excitement, and the
driver lashed his horses and sought safe
ty from the storm of bullets in desperate
flight, and the wind whistling through
the tossing harp strings seemed to play
melancholy dirge for the men who
were shot defending it's fair mistress ?
But, Philip, you were not in love with
Miss Bena and you may be pardoned
for the unmusical oaths you have given
vent to anent that old harp.
AS had promised I stopped at Char.
lottesville to see Miss Asche. Death
had been before me and had taken my
bridesmaid away. That day she had
been buried, plucked from the stock and
gone like the flower had given her.
In few days Captain O'Malley, gal
liant and rash trooper, fell while leading
his company in a charge and died with
spurs and sabre on. Quickly were the
orange blossoms of that wedding ex-
changed for cVDreSS-the bridal wreath