Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-30
A LEAP YEAR BRIDEGROOM.
d" Do YOU believe it ?"
4" Yes. What ?"


Yes. What?"
Why, that Belle Houston is going to
marry youth barely out of his teens
and she about leaving her twenties It's
in everybody's mouth, and they say you
started the report, Miss Newsmore, so I
ask"
II don't believe, but know it, Mrs.
Littledo. Cousin Kate lives at Fairbay,
and yesterday l got letter from her that
says, Its a match between your Miss
Houston and our Mr.. Weld-that boy !
And Peregrine is ticIlled to death. We
suspicioned them, says Kate, while the
lady was spending vacation here. She
went to Washington for the holidays, and
he made trip there, and it has Just
come out that they will be married this
spring"
Amazing She's had half dozen suit
able offers. He better spell his name Peri-g-
r-een, for verdant he must be-"
"Oh, it's leap year, you know, and she
evidently began to fear she was overstand-
ing her market. Weld only graduated
last summer When | visited Kate a
year ago, we went to Sunday School, and
after we came out | inquired who the as
Sistant librarian was, slender young man
with eyeglasses 'Peregrine Weld she
said, and | remembered the name"
as it true that he's fisherman's son ?"
"Indeed it is. Folks nowadays are am
bilious about their children's education
cpr roeborrou,o,,1c Jouubto,
make music teacher, and there's fisher
mans son been through college. Well,
he's making it pay already-it's given him
hoist to where he will marry some
money and get a start in life. But how
ridiculous it is for both of them ~
This is a sample of the note and COM
ment that ran through the village where
for three or four years Miss ArabelIa
Houston had led an independent kind of
life, maintaining an establishment, when
she did not choose to shut it up for the
time and take an outing. Though under
stood not to be very rich. she was benevo-
lent, she had progressing person and
agreeable manners, and from the first en-
joyed the esteem of the towns people.
But they said now, Alas for poor hui
man nature! The best have their weak
points. Many doubted if she would have
the face to bring her boy bridegroom home :;
more likely they would travel till his
beard was grown and the neighbors had
got used to the absurdity of the situation.
1t soon appeared that the lady was more
proud than ashamed of her matrimonial
speculation. Miss Newsmore one day fol-
lowed her into a florists, to see what she
on,1lH Mic Innr4o,, l
glove to arrange bouquet, and if she did
not take pains to display her engagement
ring, an elegant diamond, affair, at least
she did not try to hide it.
The curious spectator carried the news
to Mrs. Littledo and the rest, and gossip
and guessing put on more color. Ger
tainly the elect laddie would not have
change in his pocket for the purchase of
diamonds. Did the other, in the exercise
Of leap-year privileges, provide for both
Or, perhaps now, suggested a W litter one.
the old fisherman has hooked fish that,
like the New Testament one had gold
within.
Ere the nine days wonder began to sub
side, Miss Houston's young man idly APP
peared on the scene. He was rc.uglizcl
from Miss Newsmore's descriptions as he
left the train on a Saturday afternoon, and
was followed by curious ewes every step of
the way up the street to the ornate cottage.
AT the foot of the steps its mistress vel
coined him with extended hand. The
neighbors all saw it.
Later, the oddly-matched pair were seen
promenading on the piazza till the chill
of the evening made it wise for them to
take their tender plants of love inside. A
lively tinSling of the piano succeeded
scarcely proper prelude for Sunday-and
more than one in the village could testify
that it was well on to midnight when
Miss Houston's parlor lights were extin-
gushed.
Not since the ng-to-be-remembered
funeral of Deacon Dey and his wife, who
were asphyxiated one night by coal gas.
had there been so large an attendance at
church as on that Sunday when Miss
Houston's intended was expected to ex-
hibit himself to his future townsmen. All
the congregation seemed looking anxiouslv
out OF the back of their heads when. lust
as the choir rose to sing the first hymn, the
couple entered. A minute more and the
universal gaze was conferred on Miss Hous-
tons pew, where they took their places
side by side, standing through hymn al d
PRAYER as unconcerned as statues.
In opening his sermon the preacher
asked the prayers of the people that he
might expound the text Alright; but it is
extremely doubtful if they followed him
enough to be in any case either harmed or
benefited. The exceptions were the two
who listened attentively in Miss Houston's
pew. In one thing they were alike; this
was the perfect Inconsistencies with which
they bore their critical inspection. In all
else the contrast was striking-she, brill
liant and bordering on the robust, he, with
his classic head and boyish figure. At the
close of the service before leaving the
church, Miss Houston introduced Mr..
Weld to the minister, the doctor and the
squire, with their wives, and nodded pleas
antly right and left in pressing through
the crowd outside the door.
This was the last seen of the lovers that
day. The next, which was ideally spring
like, they were reported out for walk.
and seated on messy bank, he basking in
the sun while lying at full length, his head
resting on her lap, she plucking forget-me-
nots and resetting them in the coils of his
"-ONh haA. OhldSStlOLdDIN lHSg were
supremely happy, and as foolish as young
persons in similar circumstances usually
are.
The same afternoon his visit ended. the
other party walking to the station with
him and seeing him Off
Soon the marriage was on the tapis. and
upon the word going abroad that the cere-
mony would be in church, with general
invitation-no pasteboard, no white ribbon,
no red tape at all-the people could have
given three cheers for Miss Houston.
whom, however, Miss Newsmore and her
clique continued to maintain, was making
herself ridiculous in marrying g that boy
Once more the church was crowded to
the utmost, or rather its capacity had
never been so extraordinarily tested before.
1t was Monday the pair had chosen to
start into married life early in the week.
Women regularly orthodox, who would
wash on Monday if they knew the world
was coming to an end on Tuesday, got UP
early; and those who had brought them
selves to put over the days task, on com
ing into the open air and finding what
magnificent weather it was for drying, felt
guilty. Farmers, like their predecessors
in fhe time of tho revOlutiop ssIaf, ,lo;.