The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-08-06
A WEDDING PRESENT.

ing IN our little society paper an ac-
count of the wedding of two young
people whom l both knew and adj
mired. / could not but feel friendly
interest in this pretty wedding, for 1
had seen them grow from childhood to
youth and had often thought what
truly ideal pair they were.
In compliance with the usual foolish
custom, a long list of handsome we'd
ding presents made an important feat
ure of the wedding report Many were
elegant and ornamental, while not a
few were useful as we'll. One item in
the list, however, struck me as being
neither lovely nor good; that was
wine set, and feeling sure that this
young couple were too high principled
to allow wine glasses to figure con-
spicuously on their side-board or din
ing table, l determined to trace the
history of those things and see Just
what did happen. Will you listen to
the story?
Well, on bright, sweet morning
when these young people had returned
from their wedding trip, there was
great stir and merriment in the pretty
new cottage home as the furniture was
put to rights, dainty bric-a-brac taste
fully arranged and the bare little
rooms gradually made to assume an
air of comfort and loneliness.
Out in the dining-room the little mis-
tress was polishing up the pretty silver
and glassware, and giving little
shrlekS of delight over the shining
beauties. Suddenly she came to the
wine set, and the least little bit of a
frown ruffied her happy brow. "See
here, love-" she called to her liege
lord, who was perched on a step-lad-
der in the adjoining room, ''we don't
need wine glasses in our home, for we
are not going to begin our life in any
such way. What shall we do with
themp"
Thus questioned, her adviser bound
ed off the step-ladder and appeared in
the doorway with several yards of
picture wire trailing about his features,
but still with an eye to business.
TRADE 'em off for something else,
he said. Folks are always expected
to exchange wedding presents when
they please. Don't you remember
when Bess married and fourteen pickle
castors graced her board, how she
changed them for spoons and-and
thingsP Well, my dear, these came
from Hartman's no doubt, and I'll Just
Slip on my coat and see if / can't ex-
change them for a set of finger bowls"
and behold! in Il twinkling he was
back with the finger bowls and the
little lady of the house never saw the
dainty things on her table, all filled with
sparkling water and aglow with pink or
fairy green where the sunlight touched
them, that she didn't rejoice at the
change.
But what of the wine set? To fol-
low it, we must say goodbye to the
happy and wise young couple and only
be sure, that like the good people in
the fairy tale, "they lived happily ever
after. "
Before the summer was over the re-
jected wine glasses were adjoining an
other slde-board in another part Of the
city, and were not infrequontly in use
on the table or in the pretty parlor |
don't think they felt very proud of
their mission in life In fact, I'm pref
ty sure that any one of the dozen would
have changed places with the shiny tin
dipper in the kitchen; for, strange as
it may seem, they knew what evils fol-
lowed in their trail, and shivered
through all their little glass anatomies
when the sparkling drops were in them.
One night something unusual hap
pened There had been little com
pany in the evening, some music and
gayety, and then the young wife, with
her own hands, filled the wine glasses
and passed them laughingly to her
guests. The servants in their little
aprons served the fruits and cake, but
the hostess, with merry eyes, declared
that only che blue blood of an autocrat
must flow near to the purple blood of
the grape; and so, with pretty
mods and smiles, presented each
glass, glad that the variety of the
wine called forth praise from even her
handsome young husband, who, to
make good his words, drained many
glasses. When the guests had left,
and the maids were hurriedly gather
ing up china and sorting silver, the
head of the house still fingered near
the sideboard, slipping the wine, till his
wife, coming in for a moment, was
Mortified at the unnatural light in his
eyes, and his trembling hands filling
and refillinp the glasses.
Frank" she exclaimed, in alarm,
''come away. Come with me. I'm
afraid you'll give yourself a headache;"
but it was not until every drop in the
decanter had vanished that, with un-
certain step, he left the dining room,
his wife, all fearful, following.
Our little wine-glasses spent dis
NAL night, and were not surprised
when, in the morning, Frank appeared
with heavy eyes, and answered his
wife's greetings sullenly, in a manner
quite unlike his CHEEKY one.
Days passed. Oftener Frank tasted
the wire on the side-board, and now
here was less gladness in his young
wife's eyes when he Landed the rare
Did wine. Often he came home, show
ng plainly by his bearing that other
vine glasses than those in his own
nome had touched his lips.
And now the sad wife began herself |
% refuse to taste the lovely poison so
surely changing her beloved Frank, |
md making him now wildly gay, now
ow-spirited and dull.
Another night came when guests |
again assembled in the luxurious little |
1arlors. And when, in the course of
ne evening, Frank (who had been |
Thinking heavily with some frien Is at |
lis club) called for the wine, Ruth, his |
wife, replied in low tones: mo, Frank,
ct US have no wine tonight. / have |
delicious coffee, fruits and ice; truly |
he wine is not needed