The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-29

ton Doolittle lisped his responses, and the two
were man and wife together. Breakfast, as
] said, went off we'll Little Mr.. Brent pro-
posed bride and bridegroom, to which, with
many blush and litter, and hand sided to
his mouth, Egerton responded He thanked
them all. He believed that he trds a very
fortunate man Here came q long pause
Fact s-confidentially-it had been his
great aim in life to find a Tremendously
clever woman--a woman who would be able
to point out whether any given work was
erroneous or not He did not like erroneous
works He might read an erroneous work
without knowing it, and get his mind upset
He had married wife who could and would
tell him if a given work was erroneous, and
he was very happy He thanked everybody,
and wished everybody in the room would
soon be married like himself, except those
who were married already. There was
no need to wish them married, because
with a sly expression-they were married al
ready. Here champagne effects became
slightly prominently He believed he had
married a tremendously clever girl--woman
he Ineant-wife he meant-and he was very
thankful He hoped his wife would try to
make him happy-he meant he hoped he
would try to make her happy-no, be meapt
that he ,eouid try to make her happy, and
be hoped he would do it. Man was strong
Woman was weak The man should use his
strength to make the woman comfortable
and happy, you know. As the poethad said,
il was tyrannous TO have giants strength,
but it was excellent to-no, that was not it
exactly. He forgot which came first. He
would look it up, and ssnd them the exact
quotation by post Anyhow. whatever the
poet had said, il it was manly act, he
pledged himself 10 do it, but not otherwise
and he believed that was the safest way to
leave it. Here he sat down with a kind Of
movement as if he were going to pieces, and
we all applauded heartily
Sibyrs wedding came fortnight later,
more sedate, and even more splendid. Archi-
bald Goldmore loaded his young bride with
presents so costly that, i think, to have had
them, some of the girls would have married
Methuselah- Goldmore looked dignified
enough during the service, and not old; and
he walked down the aisle with vigorous
tread, SO that, on the whole, the disparity in
years did not appear so great as we expected.
Sophia had been chief bridesmaid, of course;
and, in spite of her sisters faultless beauty,
in my eyes she looked the lovelier of the two.
While they were kneeling, sunbeam fell on
her, and when it touched her head, heaven
seemed choosing her as bride at the same
moment. Wonderful it was how the posture
Of prayer became that girl-the warmth and
seriousness of her face seemed framed for
worship, or for pure exalted love. But are
the two sentiments alien.
No blunder about Goldmore's speech, you
may be sure All sober, proper, truly ele.
phantine and thoroughly Great British The
language in which his revered friend had
proposed the health of himself and his wife
was in the highest sense gratifying. On hi,
wife's part and bis own he thanked them sin
cerely. He felt, indeed, that the lady who
had that morning bestowed her hand upor
him was all, and more than all, that his rev
cred friend had called her. He felt the honor
she had conferred upon him He could as
sure his wife, and her friends, that whateve,
lay in his power should be done to make hel
the return which she deserved. 1t was a sat
isfaction to them both to know that marriage
would not part them from their friends, mol
from that locality. 1t would not be long be
fore they should be among them as neighbors
and he could only say, as one of the pleasant
est incidents in that propinquity, that hi:
wife and himself looked forward to seeing
the present company gathered round theil
own table.
One thing was noticed at the wedding
feast; little Mr. Brent, usually the loudesi
Laughter in every company, appeared grave
and distracted; indeed, more than one per
son remarked a strange pallor about hin
which suggested a suspicion that he was
struck with illness. Percival, happy with
his Sophia, and with a thousand tender
thoughts awakened by the ceremony of thu
| day stirring in his breast, was not likely t.
| observe anything except what enforced at
| tention; and no cloud dimned the brigh tness
of the lovers joy. Had Percival noticed hi
| fathers face he-used to its expression
| would have perceived that it was not Hines
which was impending. But Fate was kind Il
these loving two 1t was for them day Of
tender and undimmed delight-not cloud
not breath, not doubt-only playful
| railery, soft looks, gentle touches, signs ant
all the train of lovers little pleasures. Theil
| love increased wonderfully that happy day
and it was well, for trouble was at hand.