Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-02-27
MY WEDDING,

could find ont; but that is between
themselves, and is none of my bus
mess. 4 man good enough for
Elizabeth and Janet, and all such
ornaments to their sex, to lay his
honest heart at my foolish little
feet. Town that for a day or two
the honor almost turned my head.
Then began to consider. | had
loved Norman Strong ever since |
could remember, and Norman had
been my friend when no one said a
kind word to me. The case stood
/ thus: | was an orphan, left to the
care of an uncle and aunt remarka-
ble for that kind of propriety that
wins our admiration and awakcns
our hearty desire to get away from
/ it. had a small fortune Of S2j,-
600; that is, l was to have it if |
remained unmarried until | was
thirty-hye, or if I married before,
with my uncle's approval.
Now, uncle did not approve Of
Norman. In fact, uncle never ap.
proved Of any one that liked
But with Stephen Barker disap.
proyal was ont Of the question.
Stephen was The grcatman and the
good man Of our small town. TO
have insinuated that Stephen was
not worthy of a saint, a beauty and
an heiress united would have been
a heresy seriously affecting my un-
cle's social and commercial stand
ing. Stephen BarkeI'S oAer was
therefore accepted, and the next
Sunday we walked 10 church to-
gether.
After this public avOwal Of our
intentions the marriage was con-
sidered inevitable by every person
but me. / must do myself the jus.
tice to state that never regarded
my engagement to Stephen serious
ly; it was part Of a plan to secure
my happiness and rights. And as
Stephen fnliy coincided in it ! do
not expect censuro from any else.
/ think it was no later than the
third night after Stephen had spo-
ken to my uncle thatI frankly told
him that | thought / ought not to
marry him. He asked me why, and
1 said, 'All my life long, stephen,
1 have been q crushed, unhappy
girl. Ihaye been afraid to speak,
or laugh, or sing, aud no one but
Norman Strong ever said Kind
word to me until you came
and you love Norman 2 he ask
ell bluntly.
Sol answered: 'Yes, I love him,
and he loves me, and when he got
the position Of cashier in your bank
he wanted to marry me, but uncle
said we were neither of us to be
trusted with my $4,000.
80 YOU have $4,000
Papa left me that mach; but
Uncle Miles can keep it until l AN
thirty-lye, unless | marry to please
him, or unless he is SO satisfied Of
may good sense that he voluntarily
gives it up to me. lie will never
, do that
Stephen was silent n long time,
and then he said, little sadly :
'You are a good girl to be 50 hon
est with me. If your uncle could
be made to give up your little
fortune do you think you could use
il wiselyT
Il could-with Norman to help
me-
Then We had a long conversation
which it is not necessary for me to
repeat; it will be understood by
what follows. There was no change
apparently between Stephen and l.
He behaved exactly as a lover OF
his age and character would be
likely to behave. He sent aunt
presents from his hot-houses, and
he made me presents Of pretty jew
elry. He spent the evening at
Uncle Miles house, and sometimes
we were left alone together, and
sometimes we went out for a walk.
Norman came to me occasionally on
a Sunday night, and my aunt said
he had really behaved with more
good sense than she expected. !
think she thought that il l married
the banker it might not be a bad
thing for my Cousin Malvina, who
was very plain, to marry the bank
er's cashier.
Everything went on with the
greatest propriety. hadannounced
my intention to have an extrOrdi-
nary trosseau, and this being a
point aunt could feel with me, the
next four months were pleasantly
spent in shopping and sewing.
Never in our little town had there
been seen such dozens OF elegantly
trimmed undergarments, such ling.
erie, such hosiery, such morning
dresses and evening costumes, such
wonderful boots and slippers and