The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-12-12
UNCLE JEHORAM;
Mrs. Monte:th's Wedding Glft.

"Open itr' cried Nelly Pinkham,
who was my first bridesmaid.
..Do let us hear what he saysr'
chimed in Alice Eden, my second.
So / sat down on the big canvas-cov-
cred travelling trunk. with my hair all
down my back. Fhad just unfastened
it for Nelly to experiment little with
the bridal wreath-and with the bevy
of girls clustering eagerly around me l
broke the seal of Uncle Jehoram's letter,
and read it aloud with all the elocution-
airy airs and graces that had learned
at Madame Benton Institute.
Dear Niece. tit sad, in queer little cramped
hand like the cha acters on q Chinese tea
chest yours OF 2lst instant duly received Am
glad TO hear that you are TO be married to a
worthy young man who is able to support you.
Accept my good wishes BY this days ex-
press L send n present which hope you may
md useful, and no more ut present from your
JEHoRAN JOHNSON.
"Therer' cried 1. "what do you
think of hat9"
Alice Eden clapped her dimpled
hands.
1.-The old darIingr' cried she. "It's
real Cashmere shawl, Nanny, you
may be very certain"
"Or perhaps a Persian rug" said
Nelly Pinkham, "all dim blues and
greens and delicious blotches of yel-
low"
1.-The deed of a house and lot," said
Mary Moxley.
= Diamonds, most likely" interposed
Juliet Grayson, cor real Oriental pears,
each one as big as a tear-drop."
Hes very rich, isn't hep" said
Alice.
.-Of course he is" said 1. ''or at least
1've always heard so.
"And an old bachelor?''
F" Yes, an old bachelor"
"But he doesn't say whether or not
he's coming to the wedding"
=. Oh, of course he'll come" said /.
What is he Gke?" asked Nelly,
thoue htfully.
= burst out laughing.
lido you know, girls" said /. ''that
! never saw him in my life"
And then Harry came in with a deli.
ciGus little bouquet of white rosebuds,
and uf course that put everything else
out of our heads. For my hair had to be
twisted up in hurry, and Harry would
insist on eing the wedding wreath and
veil on, and an exquisite tete-a-tete set OF
real pink Sevres came in from Mrs. Mon
ta yu Jackyll, and we never thought OF
Uncle Jehoram until the next day, when
there was a prodigious peal at the door
bell, Just as we were all sitting down to
a gypsy sort of tea in the old school
room-the parlors and dining-room
were in the hands of the confectioner's s
men aud Betty, the maid, made her
appearance with a puzzled expression
of face.
Its bundle, ma'am," said she,
.'came by express. with Mr.. Jehoram
Johnson>s compliments on a card"
1 jumped up, oversetting a cup of tea
and plate of peaches and cream in my
excitement.
Bring it here, Betty" cried, Eat
once.
BLESS your dear heart. miss" said
Betty, s-it 'ud take four men to lift it.
The e&pressman he swore awful when
he lifted it up the steps, and said as il
ought to be paid double rates"
locke at each other in a sort OF
delightful bew .lderment.
=. Ii must be something Gerry valua-
bic" said Juliet, breathlessly.
"a sewing-machine, perhaps" sug.
gested Harry.
a. Nonsenseln cried Alice. GAS If a
rich o'd uncle would send anything as
commonplace and poky as Lhdt!n
swell, perhaps it mi !! hit help to solve
the riddle somewhat" said Harry,
gravely. ''if we were to go out and
look at it,
At this suggestion we all rushed out
en- masse.
There, in the middle of the marble.
paved hall. stood a huge, oblong bun.
die, some three feet high and wide in
proportion
.'No wonder the expressman sworeI''
said Harry. with a shrug O. his shoul.
ders. s'lt's earpeting."
.'0h, the dear old creature." cried
Nelly. "a real Aubusson, from Paris,
Oh. do open it, somebody"
Harry slowly produced from his vest
po ket a tortois e-shell handled knife,
and ripped the coarse covering which
enveloped the parcel. We all started
ba K.
"A rag carpetr' exclaimed my hus.
band-elect.
for dust-man's kitchenr' cried Nelly
Pinkham; while Alice Eden, who had
worked herself up into a high state oi
nervous expectation. burst into tears.
"Who ever heard of such a thing?'
said Juliet Grayson, disdainfully. THE
horrid, mean old miseri'
.sGirls, " cried /, recovering myself as
best could, ''you must not talk so
| Uncle Jehoram meant it all in kindness
i dare say he thought / could make il
useful-and | mean to aceept it in the
same spirit in which it was offered"
Harry stopped down and gave me 6
kiss.
you're a dear, sensible little thing y
said he, sand Uncle Jehoram has rea-
son to be proud of his niece
..But you'll never put it on exhibition
with the other presents, said Alice, in
credulous'y.
..Of course shall" said /.
And did. And the girls never knt VI
of the little private cry had all by
myself when they thought was select
ing the prettie flowers to decorate the
b 2 bride-cake; for had expected some.
thing very nice from the rich old bache
lor uncle whom / had never seen, and
somehow the bundle of striped red ar.
peting was disappointment.
But the eyentful day came, with its
white satin bows and odor of hot-house
flowers and rustic of silks and laces and
Uncle Jehoram's rag carpet occupied O
place of honor among the silver teapots
and china services and embroidered
sofa pillows and countless pretty GIN
cracks that burdened the ''present ta-
hle."