Smyrna times., 1882-05-24
A Lesson in Humility.


bat the telling of it, one hot May day.
frightened us all up in wonderful man.
ner
We were discussing a wedding We had
attended that morning, and were CRITICS
ing the appearance of the bride, when
Aunt Gratia who had been busy at her
sewing asked:
Did you ever hear of wedding where
no one looked at the bride?"
Such thing would not be likely to
happen, unless it was at an asylum for
the blind. only patients admitted" said
Mabel
1t might have been the couple who
were married under the window in stormy
weather. said Vira
We never heard of such Il thing. Did
you, Aunt Gratia? Was it real wed
ding. or is it only conundrum?'
The wedding to which | refer was in a
chnrch. and the seats were all filled, for it
was general invitation 1t was a floral
wedding. Being the 18th of June, there
Sabbath ScheOl scholars took the matter
of decoration in hand, there were plenty
OF helpers. The huge wooden ark of a
country meeting house was transformed
into a bower of beauty. The girls were
all dressed in white sowns looped Up with
roses, and the boys wore roses in the but
tonholes OF their vests. Every guest car
ried a bouquet, the old people and all, and
children scattered flowers in the brides
pathway as she walked from her child
hoods home near by the church They
had never seen such Il display in that
town before, and it wasn't done for style
at all, but just because every one loved
the minister's daughter, and wanted to
have finger in her marriage pic; but
after all this parade, no one looked at the
bride
Aunt Gratia smiled, and went on com
plncently with her sewing. while we all
broke in atresh:
= Did sudden darkness cover the
land
: Perhaps there was prevailing eye
distemper at the tme?''
: Did some fun loving youMgster throw
pepper in the eyes of the guests?''
"Oh, know! Something happened al
the very church door to prevent the cere
mony being performed. How romantic
Wrong all of you" said Aunt Gratia
1t was as perfect June day as evel
slipped into the abyss Of time Every ont
was open eyed with expectancy. AnC
the ceremony came off according to the
programme. | know, for / was there
myself, and heard every word
Oh, Aunt Gratia how can you be 5,
tantaliziAg?"
Do tell us, Aunt, we give it up
So the dear old lady, having threaded
her needle, took up the story again
"When the bridal party were enterin,
the church, and the organ was playing
wedding march, low clear childish vOic
piped up Oh, do just look at that nous
right on the pulpit cushionn
Everybody heard it and looked, ant
felt obliged to keep watch, for they al
knew the silly little bride was MORTAL,
afraid of 4 mouse, and they imagine,
the CONSERVATION should the bright eye
:, nibbler jump or fall upon her bare whit
shoulders and arms as she stood ther
: almost exactly beneath him. The littl
= thing behaved with all possible decerum
however, in spite of their forebodings, an
after the holy words had been spoke
8 which made the young couple one for life
the music struck up, and the mouse ra
: back along the railing and into his hole i
y the platform"
"Oh, dear me-"
How funny; and you saw it, Aunt ?
No, didn't; had something NOR
T important to attend to-.
g ooh, Aunt Gratia, it was your wedding
S was it not?"
] eyes, dears; and it was lesson
IS humility to me that | have always rt
b membered; for there, where l had ever
s reason to consider myself the centre {
II attraction, and was as self-cOnscious {
s possible, found alterward that, in tn
II most important event Of my life, Wa
e entirely eclipsed in the eyes of all m
e acquaintances by tiny, long taile
IS mouse.