The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-05-10

THE WEDDING BONNET.
Aunt Rhoda Hemenvay was about to
be married. Having never listened IN
her young days to syllable Of love and
ma.,lmony. now, at the age of 55, abe
suddenly astonished oil her relatives by
bidding them to her marriage with Luke
Potter, shrewd, we'll to do farmer. who
had lived a neighbor to her all his life.
with all her property, and her set, par.
ticular ways; it can't be possible - we
each and all exclaimed in different KEYS,
dropping our letters of invitation.
/ bad q special call to present myself
q few days before the marriage feast.
being considered in the family . favorite
of Aunt Rhoda's. Though she had never
been quite ready to invite me to the farm
house on visit, she had said plainly within
the past five years to Job, her cousin on
the fathers side, who, if any earthly
power could be said to influence Miss
Hemenway in financial matters, was the
one, / shall leave a good piece of my
propty to Mehitable Farrar" (that is my
name); l want you all to know it, so as
to understand you won't get much, -
which was distinct if not polite, and
earned for me much disfavor in the
family.
Now to Cousin John. He was Bath
sheba's son, Aunt Rhoda's favorite sister.
who married early and went away from
the homestead with her husband to settle
in what was then the far west," now a
fourishing town in Illinois. Mr.. Feather
ston had the knack of making money,
and in few years wore himself out, but
had the pleasure of handing to his wife a
goodly amount of stocks and bonds and
some real estate She soon following
him, the property was allowed to roll up
for little John, the son, who kept pace
with it, running . race on his sturdy
legs, to find at manhood nice fortune
awaiting him, into possession of which
he came, his mind stocked by the grand
mother who had the honor of bringing
him up with his own Importance, and a
certainty that every girl he saw was after
his money.
He was handsome as q picture, the
aunts all declared, and his name and
fame went down in the family annals
carrying the idea Of a being superior to
nearly every other creature on this lower
sphere. He was now ~. 1 had always
heard of him since I could remember,
but had never seen him. That there was
q person whom I could dislike more
thoroughly than this same Cousin John,
I had never believed. Now it was q
fact, for we had met, he arriving at the
Hemenway homestead the day before the
wedding.
Aunt Rhods was to perpetrate matn-
mony on the first night of the New Year.
1t came on Tuesday, showing, and pitt
lessly cold. She had allowed me that
day to do little services for her, thus
showing her favor, so at about Z o'clock
we were none of US astonished to hear her
say: "Run, Hitty, and get my bonnet
from the spare room cupboard. It's about
time to put it on.'
I started, glad Of something to do, and
ran nimbly to the great spare room,
reached up on tiptoe and took down from
the closet shelf the precious green box
containing the wedding bonnet. Half
across the room the glare of the candles
flaming in their tall silver holders before
the mirror Of the dressing table in which
they stood reflected gave my evil genius
an idea.
"Try it on, Hitty; its good luck"
Quick a. thought drew out the we'd
ding bonnet, and threw it over my brown
braids 1t was q heavy affair of gray
shirred silk, without the scrap of bow
to enliven it, and only one dull, stiff
feather, looking for all the world like
Aunt Rhoda herself, set straight in the
center. And as pulled it into place
with the eager fingers of eighteen on q
naughty prank, the old thing settled dis
mally from its own weight over my light
crimps. laughed aloud, it was 30 ludi-
crously the opposite of . festival bonnet,
just as voice struck my ear.
"Very appropriate. Don't pray, re-
move it" I turned to see Cousin John
in the doorway.
sMuch obliged for your opinion, which
was unssked," managed to say, cody,
dashing aside the headgear, where, did
not stay to zee, and turning on him. He
bowed with that eupefcilious smile Of
his, and took himself Of. Bursting with
Indignation, l Get about picking up the
bonnet. I could not find it. Not with
dropping to my hands and knees to
search the ingram carpet could that
headgear be brought to light. It was
only when . direfal smell Of something
burning struck my olfactories that It
rushed upon me where it was. / few
back to the heavy olsw.footed dressing
table that stood "on bias" in the corner
Of the room How I moved it l never
could tell. At last the bonnet was in my
hand, the half feather that remained still
burning smartly. At sight oft I gave .
cry before could control myself That
I had broken up the marriage had not .
doubt. ] knew my amt well enough to
believe her willing to give up her great
est treasure rather than 70 break one of
the proprieties Of life. And to be mar
ned without \ -honnat mas, in her eyes, .
custom. only 6t for ally little things not
vet escaped from their teens. And there
those Wedding candies blinked and Jared
insirily, - n glad they had done it. Z
- To rsschh fhs village miliiner. Miss
saack, was - 1nlt hope. knew whore
her kttle .shop. va, having bean dis
patched thsgs The, day preyicus for some
extra Iustsr;ng ribbon to tie up the pieces
o8 GAIA. No time % lose. Steps sound
aloag tie entry. Even now I may be
- lstf-vj .s25 & a}i4g aa& giiHFsls :
"a 6ennsthisgs bussingT exclaimed =
vsses, - - I tsuaped3 wedding boanea
u lhssid, thrsagEas sPpQits door aad
15axaw 1fnS4n rn6 6nue. "a It led