The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-03-01
POOR LITTLE EMILY.
Ihe History of a Prudent
Marriage.
BY MISS SIULOCK.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER
Well, nm glad it has come off at last
Tor never was there n wedding SO talked
about" sail Nrs. Smiles.
=, 1t hasn't con.e: o.. Y t." replied Mrs.
hnowle, shaking her head .mysterionsIv.
And, for my part, even though we sit rere.
IN the very church, with the clerk arranging
the cushions, and poor John Bowerbanko
>. me looks nervous, doesn't he3 even though
-rvv hn ofder1i man and a Alower-walk-
ing up and down the aisle before our very
syes-; say, Mrs. Smiles. shall never
believe, till l see the rng OF: her finger, that
they are really married. How strange it
seems! Poor Emily Kendal-John Bow
erbnnks wife,"
Why do you say poor Emily Kendall
poor John Bowerbank,' when it is such
a suitable match-exccpt in years, perhaps;
but mans ago is Of no consequence? And
then Miss Kendall looks so much older than
she really is, and is such grave. sedato
sort OF person-grown old maidish already.
I'm sure, when looked at her Mt their
farewell dinner-par y last week in Queen
Anne street, couid hardly believe it was
only two years since the ball there, when
she came Of age. Such q splendid af-
fair! Do you remember it?"
Indeed I dol" said abruptly the other
lady, who had not been paying much at
tention to Mrs. Smiles conversation. Her
broad, honest. regular featured Lanca-
shire face-she had been ono of the fair
Lancashire witches" till she developed into
coarsenesS OF color and size-was fixed
earnestly upon the church door, where
John Dowcrbank had just entered, and
where his wife to DO was expected every
moment 10 enter. But Mrs. Knowle care
fully hid herself-the good woman
was usually not at all given to surrepti-
tious proceedings - behind the curtains
Of the pew, which was in that gloomy
old church, 80 noted for fashionable we'd
dings, ST. Georges, Hanover Square. BY
the number and style Of the guests, this was
evidently fashionable wedding, too; and
Mrs. Smiles-a bright, dapper, shallow lit
tie IIondoner- evidently longing to see moro
of the fine dresses, proposed that they
should change their places, and get little
nearer to the altar.
mo, don't want her to SEQ me. She
mightn't like it," said Mrs. Knowlc.
why not?- your husband is apart-
ner in John Bowerbanks firm, and they
have always been such friends? I'm sure
] fully expected you would have been asked
to the wedding!"
$50 Twas, but declined to 60. Icouldnt
somehow: Twas certain it would be very
bad for her, poor thing" added Mrs.
Knowle to herself.
But her little mystery, whatever it was,
escaped Mrs. Smiles penetration, for just
then that lady's whole attention was en-
crossed by the primary object of this sight,
gazed at by all assembled in church with
the fervid eagerness of women over we'd
dings--tho bride
John Bowerbanks wife-or to be made
such in fifteen minutes-was q little lady,
fragile and white, whom you could hardly
distinguish clearly under her mass Of snowy
silk, her clouds of lace, and her tremuleus
wreaths of orange blossoms.
WSbo 10 bol n o,ond Iao1 ,,oor 1o,,,hoD
said Mrs. knowle, half in soliloduy.
And how tightly she holds her fathers
arm!"
"Mr. Kendall has been good father. peo-
pie say; though he won't stand thwarting-,
he always will have his own wav. Perhaps
she was sorry to leave him, being the only
child"
HUM" again soliloquized Mrs. Knowle,
"Hush! the service is beginning"
1t was soon begun-soon euded-the SOL
emn words which made Emily Kendall
John Bowerbank's wife. She rose up from
her knees. and he rose up, too-that graveJ
gray-hairod, commonplace, and yet not ill
looking bride2room-thirty years Mt least
her senior. No longer nervous now, he
gave her his arm, and led her away to thd
vestry, through the open door of which the
two ladies observed him stop, formally and
in businesS-like way he was thorough
her the first conjugal kiss.
well, it's all over; but never thought
/ should see this day." said Mrs Knowles.
her broad, honest breast relieving itself Of
much pent-up feeling with great sigh.
Poor dear girl! poor little Emily!'
"Why will you call her 'poor?" per-
sisted Mrs. Smiles. I'm sure I should be
delighted to see any one of my girls make
SO good marriage; and to such thor
oughly respectable husband John Bow
erbank IL Co., Merchants, Liverpool
Why, their name is as good ns the bank; as
you ought to know, who have been in tho
firm SO many years. And as for the gen.
tleman himself. though l never saw him
before to-day, he seems really quite the
gentleman; and /, for one, would far rather
give daughter to an elderly man--even a
widower OF good means and unimpeachable
character - than to any harem- scarem
young fellow. who would soon make ducks
and brakes of her money-and Miss Ken.
dal has a great deal of money, l under
stand?"
es-mores the pity. Fifty thousand
pounds"
"Was it so much?" said Mrs. Smiles, in
great awe.
"Yes; for she said to me one day she
wished she could change it into fifty thou
Band pence"
"She must have been out of her senses"
Perhaps she was, poor dear, for the