The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-04
TUE PRESS.
[Chambers's Journal
The Wedding March.
An Artists Story.

III.
naintiug. and I. Reginald Tracy, had been
fortunate enough to attain three very impor-
tant ends by its production. Firstly, IL was
deemed excellent enough by the hanging
committee to be placed on the line, anu IL
faced you in very prominent manner, as
won entered Room No. V. Secondly, thls
prominent position secured tor my picture
large share of attention, which resulted IN
its finding purchaser almost as soon as Une
axhibition doors opened. But thirdly, it
served the actual purpose for which paint
ed it. and which led me to choose my sub
iect. 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 singulariy fortu-
nate in his treatment of somewhat unusur
al a, d difficult theme" etc., not one OF
them so much as guessed that IL was PIC
ture with purpose. AS the sequel may
serve to show, that purpose sprang Iron
and ended in what am pleased to call my
little romance.
n was charming day, that on when
went to Rockhampton to sketch the water
meadows, aud to see my old friend Dr. James
Rrooke-Jim, generally called hlm-wno
had settled as a practitioner in that town.
The whole place was stepped IN sunllgnt;
and the deep shadows cast by the ola houses
in the narrow streets by the Water-slue
reminded one of nothing so much as Inc
blackness of the shades in some old Dutcn
town. where Rembrandt must have learned
the special art that bears the impress OF ms
penirs today. The old church OF Rock
hampton is a fine bit of Norman architect
ure. Rising architects declare that there
are no purer pillars of that style, or Detter
preserved arches with their queer races
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, L tound
myself at last at the church. With little
hope of finding the door open, lifted the
latch. when at once it yielded to my touch.
ASH passed within the green baize doors
within the porch, heard the sound OF the
organ: so stealing quietly into the grateIul
shade and GOODNESS of the church, ensc ono
ed myself in the biggest pew could ma
and listened. How soothing was the erect
of the music and surroundings on tnaI
glorious day. could not see the player, VINO
was concealed by the curtains IN 'front.' Oh
the organ-loft, but intuitively l guessed IL
was lady who played. imagined that
oulv woman's delicate touch could have
made the ssKyrie'' speak in these tones; and
there was more gentleness than power IN the
stStabat Mater into which the player glided.
Then / remember the "Wedding March,
succeeding: and after half an hour s
.private hearing of the masters, quietly
Slipped out of the church, once again into
the glad sunlight that played around the
gravestones, and made the world so talr TO
see.
After lunching at my hotel, the Red Lion,
went to see DIR. Jim. II appeared that the
fair PLAYER of the church was Miss Spald-
ing. and the only daughter of well-to-do
and retired merchant who had settled at
Rockhampton some eighteen months before,
and Jim. I found. had been paying his
addresses to the young lady. Her father
had married for the second time aud had
thus given Miss Spalding step-motner.
The old gentleman, as Jim called MN,
was an easy-going man, kind-hearted IN
every way, generous to 1auls, ana LOOK
ed kindly enough on DR.. Jim's suit. But as
to Mrs. Spalding, Jim pronouced deci ded-
lv unfayorable opinion. She was an amblt-
ious. and. as he expressed it, scheming wo-
man. who thought that Nelly should look
somewhat higher than DIR. Brooke OF Rock
hampton and thai she should at least
marry money-with which latter commodity
Jim was, as young doctor, OF course by no
means over burdened. Without actually
discouraging Jim's attentions, Mrs. Spaid-
ing made things decidedly unpleasant for
tbe lovers. Mr.. Spalding, good easy man,
was completely under the dominion OF his
wife. Hence, Jim confessed, he was in
somewhat unsettled state of mind. -.
"You see, Regy," sail 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 press her to
consent to be married at once, and to make
me happy, she won't hear Of it."
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, re-
piled Jim "that fear even to press her to
take the step which would make nae happy
man for life. When l ask her in despair
whether she will ever choose between her
stepmotherS wishes and my love, she i'm
pores me not to tempt her; and So" added
Jim, there am I; 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 affair as / lay in bed
that night, and came to the conclusion that
Miss Spalding's love for my old friend ought
to be tested and tried in some other way.
As my experience of human nature goes,
there seems nothing like putting love, OF all
human emotions, to some rigid test. But
how the test could be applied to the case in
which 1 had thus been led to feel special
interest knew not.
/ confessed as rolled over to sleep that
| did not see my way clear to help them.
Little did think that the morrow was 10
bring the means and the man. The man
was Josiah Blagden, Esquire, iron founder
of the firm of Blagden, Bilge & Co., OF
Birmingham and elsewhere; the means was
my humble self.
81 The day after nv arrival at Rockhampton
Jim proposed that should drive with him
on his morning round, and added he:
"We'l call at Mount Grove on our way
home" Mount Grove was the reside nee of
Mr.. Spalding; and o'clock found us at the
gate of very nice villa residence, overlook
Ing the river, and standing within its own
nicely kept grounds.
We were ushered into the drawing-room,
where we found assembled certain persons
whom Jim had not expected to see. Mr..
Spalding received me courteously, and also
did Mrs. Spalding. Miss Nelly greeted me
most cordially, adding that she was much
pleased to make the acquaintance of Dr.
Brooke's old friend, of whom he so often
spoke. In addition to the family-circle of
three, it was clear there were strangers pres
ent. These latter were Mr.. Josiah Blagden
and his sister, Mr.. Blagden did not impress
me favorably. He was a stout, forid-com
plexioned man, remarkable for the extreme
breadth OF his Wnlte WalSJcOab ana IOr Ine
profusion of jewelry displayed thereon.
ga safe man, my dear sir; a very safe
man." said Mr.. Spalding to me at lunch.
'sWhy, suppose his turnover is about half
a million a year-the iron trade, you know"
added the old gentleman by way of explain
ing that Mr.. Blagden was one of the metal
kings of England.
ssSelf-made man, too said Mr.. Spalding,
s'began life as foundry-boy."
From what saw of Mr.. Blagden within
the next few weeks, his origin could have
been pretty accurately guessed from the
manner in which he imported the foundry
boys" manners into the sphere in which his
industry and success had led him. He was
essentially vulgar man, who bullied his
sister, meek, silent little woman, with
good heart and a kindly nature, as discover
ed later on.
As we drove home from lunch that day
Jim was strangely depressed. / guessed his
thoughts pretty accurately, for he burst out
into TRADE against Mrs. Spalding on our
arrival at home.
'I shouldn't wonder, Regy," said he, ''if
that fellow Blagden has been invited down
here as sutton for Nelly. He's friend of
Mrs. Spalding's know, because she herself
comes from the "Black Country"
Jim's state of mind from the moment he
preached this theory may be better imagined
than described For the next three weeks l