The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-03-25

would be distracted by people whisper
ing and giggling during the minister S
very prayer, What restraint can there
be in parlors where one has danced the
German a score of times, and where one
expects to dance again in few mo-
ments? Besides, the house was to be
crammed with company, and was NOR
ally certain that everything would be in
confusion. Charles family were COM
ing; they are very aristocratic; and | was
more afraid of them then than l am now,
especially of his sister Adelaide. She is
the most envious and spiteful creature
in the world, did all she could to spoil
the match, wanted Charlie to marry some
particular friend of hers. Then there
was Aunt Sue Stockstill, for whom 1 was
named. We were all very fond of her,
and our love was tempered with a re-
spectful admiration which amounted al
most to fe ar.
"The entire second floor was given up
to guests, and we were huddled in the
little bedrooms under the Mansard roof.
You and | had Bridget's room, and she
slept on pallet in the kitchen. Charlie
had cot in the hall. All of our boys
slept in the stable loft. Father swung
himself up in the hammock on the back
veranda; it was July, but he took hor-
rid cold all the same. Mother had the
trunk-room until Isabel arrived with her
two boys, when it was given up to her,
and mother camped on the lounge in the
back parlor. Now that's only the back
ground to the picture. We had no city
caterers to provide the banquet Mother
made every cake, and had her hands
quite full enough to provide handsome
table daily for her guests. / had loads
of beautiful flowers sent me, and Isabel
took the decorating of the parlors off my
hands. That was really great help,
for she has exquisite taste and rare in,
ventive genius. She rugged superb
wedding bell out of an old hoop-skirt,
and turned the old rooms into bowers of
beauty. But had all of the receiving
and entertaining of the guests upon my
hands, and all the little arrangements to
make which are always left to the last
moment. Your dress came, and had to
be altered; l sat up late into the night to
do it. Then you and your tiny grooms-
man had to rehearse your entree and your
young nephew did behave abominally.
He caught your dress out of my hand and
raced with it down stairs into the parlors.
He got himself up at the last moment
like wild Indian, instead of dressing
as he should have done. He left the
water running until = soaked through
the ceiling below; he hung the cat over
the balustrade, and made bonfire in the
wood-house; he sifted quart of salt into
the ice-cream as it was being frozen in
the cellar There was no end to the pranks
that that fellow perpetrated. The wedding
presents were displayed in the library
They were superb. 1 had not expected
anything so beautiful. But Adelaide
whispered about that with the exception
of one dozen spoons, it was all plated
ware, and that half of the porcelain and
bric-a-brac was hired for the occasion.
"Isabel repeated her remarks to me
just in time to raise my angry passions
to white heat, and to send me down
stairs inwardly raging on my wedding
morn. We were to be married at noon
precisely, in order to take the three
O. clock train for the city. | had very
elaborate and becoming travelling cos
tune, which had decided to wear, with
the addition of a real white Spanish lace
mantilla arranged as a veil. Aunt Sue
met me at breakfast. My dear child,
she said, L can't bear to think of your
not being married in white. Nothing
else is suitable for a bride. Wear the
India muslin in which you looked so
lovely Mt vOur graduation
81 did not dare displease Aunt Sue; but
the muslin was crumpled and yellow; it
would look dreadfully by daylight There
was still time; and determined to have
shutters closed, curtains drawn, and the
rooms lighted as for evening. Brother
Ned helped me arrange four dozen wax
candles on brackets among the flowers.
When they were lighted, the rooms made
me think of Victor Hugo's description of
liant and sparkling as fairy-land, and
the tumbled muslin would look very
well. l ran up stairs to dress. But
first / had your hair to curl and gloves
to fit, and then l must needs wash the
vermilion from the face of that boy
Then Charlie, who was vainly trying to
tie his cravat without a glass Che had
dressed in the bath-room). came to me
for assistance, and | saw the minister
drive up to the door before had begun
my toilette. was half dressed when
Charlie tapped at the door. 'Sue-Sue
dear! they are having council of war
down stairs, and they don't like the idea
of our being married by artificial light
in the daytime. The majority think it
an affectation, and it rather strikes me
so to. Isabel asked me to ask you to let
her take down the candles. She didn't
dare to speak to you about it herself; she
said you had had so much to fret YOU
"'Tell her to take them down. 1 re-
piled, in choked voice and then / burst
into tears. 1t was the last straw, and
Charlie and came nearer to quarreling
then and there than we ever did in our
lives, hadn't the heart to 90 on with
my dressing, but sat and boohooed until
Charlie came to the door again to say
that the company was waiting. Then /
dashed into my clothes. i had no time
to comb my hair, but Charlie pinned the
lace veil over it rather awkwardly, so
that we deluded ourselves into the idea
that it did not show, and l stood up in
my creased and second hand gown, with
unkempt hair, and face and ewes swol-