Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-07-26


plainly as now.
Presently she raised great bunch Of
rare roses which lay on the couch beside
her, and held them admiringy above her
eyes. These are the second you have sent
already" she said 81 understand some
thing from Them
80 much the better, he returned, bold
ly. 81 intended that you should"
She glanced at him over her flowers, and
then fastened her eyes upon them. 81 un-
derstand, " she said that you are very ex-
travagant and very young"
young !" he echoed, paying no heed to
the less shocking adjective, by that you
mean foolish, l suppose. However, the
flowers pleased you, didn't they :"
"Yes bat they did not please papa"
All here was mention Of that bete noire
at last He had almost forgotten its exist
ence. 'YOur father-is-hard TO please,
is he not p he said haltingly. 81 think !
have heard that he was not always quite
amicably disposed toward such as l. "
She covered her face completely with the
roses at this, but when she spoke he could
divine nothing from her manner Papa
likes to have his own way she said, half
alphabetically. Then seeming to cast con
cealment TO the winds, He has high tenn
per, she confessed. ''You know some peo-
Pile have, but his is something quite terri
BILE, the storming, raving kind; not towerd
me--he is the dearest, most devoted father
in the world but toward young men, es.
pecially young men who send me flowers,
he is quite violent sometimes"
He nodded seriously, thinking of Rad
fords fate at least that fate should not be
his. 81 shall meet Mr. Howard at dinner,
shall | not p he asked, wishing the flowers
L. LII
face II suppose that if man conducts
himself like a gentleman in his presence he
is treated like one"
ooh, certainly-thatis, sometimes-near-
ly always. Bdt he has been asking great
many questions about you since these came.
He says that he has known your father all
his life, and has always admired him. Still,
papa is hard to please although he likes
your father he may not Ike you. You are
not your father, you know"
"And you are not yours, thank Heaven
so let us dismiss the subject, and defer the
evil hour as long as possible. Will you put
down those roses, or shall take them :" he
stretched forth hand toward them, but
she avoided it.
"You have not told me word about the
wedding" she said hastily 81 am dying
to hear about it. Begin at once"
ooh, certainly" he acquiesced, with
reckless gayety The spinster and the
bachelor will now discuss the wedding. As
you know, was one of the ushers, and if
you have ever been glad that you are
young lady, continue to rejoice, for no one
can turn you into an usher"
"Is it hard work ~ she asked.
"Do not tell me that you have ever at
tended a wedding without seeing that it
must be drudgery Imagine fellow-shall
| start there, or 20 back to the very begin
ming
'''The beginning of your existence, doyou
mean - she asked, laughing.
THE beginning of the wedding, " he an
swered, with lofty majesty. 81 am too
young to have past"
80 you are The wedding, then and
do your very best this afternoon be enter
tanning for lying still for so long inclines
one to blue dragons of the hluest kind, and
| want you to fight them off for me-
''St. George for England ~ he cried,
laughing. "The fight begins Imagine a
church, large, gray, trihe damp perhaps,
lights turned low, but over all gala air.
The chancel is decorated in white garments,
and forty million roses throw their fra
GRANGE over all together with potted
things, of course, palms and hydrangeas,
tall lilies, and miles of smilax."
''Sm''ax in pots !"
'No, not in pots, but everywhere else.
Enormous candelabra stand about, lighted
and festooned with greenery, and high
above everything is great crescent made
with twinkling lights like little stars. Now
Enter eight conspirators | am one The
sexton is there to admit us the organist
and a few favored friends are already in
the loft. A mob beseges every one of the
doors That is the stuffing of the assem-
bly,, so to speak without it the hooks and
crannies which one could not fill with in
vited guests would be vacant, and give the
church a cheerless look which lights and
flowers could not soften. Now we admit
this stuffng, and it tears its component
parts to shreds trying for places from which
to see. Good The hooks and crannies
are filled, and still they come. They are
vandals They stand up in the seats they
walk up on each others skirts. These are
ladies, you understand at least they were
ladies until the rumor of wedding turned
them centuries back into barbarians.
Splendid !" interrupted his audience,
laughing. "Why do you not report for the
papers ? u
must have experience first
81 am blighted by your sarcasm ~ she
cried, continuing to laugh. please excuse
me for living, and go on with the story"
Listen, then, for the plot thickens. Now
arrive the least important of the guests
how they can be so foolish as to be on time
| cannot imagine. The organst begins to
play, and the stuflng mashes itself to paste
| | give my stalwart arm TO forty stranded
danes and damsels-no not all at once
one after another, and they go at all sorts
/ I,fs p,rt ha I
share of the witnesses, | could keep step
with any animal in a menagerie. There
are tall ones who stalk like the stately deer
only it is not the deer who does the stalk
ing but never mind there are short ones
who chat amiably up at me, trying to ap-
pear unconscious of the gaping crowd, and
these trot like little foxes then there are
some unaccustomed, half -hedged ones who
are frightened, and get over the ground
like pair of dividers. But am up with
them, neck and neck, so to speak, as | turn
them into their places and stroll unconcern-
edly back for another victim in my manly
gait. And now they are all shown up
and very comfortable, gaudy gathering
they are-with fans waving and jewels
scintillating How am getting along :"
mot at all at present"
"But how was y
/ OIdnull W q ndu JuSJ dITlNtu db Jnt
interesting part | was standing on tiptoe,
ankle and ALL to see the bride come i'm
He nodded. "Remain in that position, if
you please" he said. THE organist is
playing and leaving off at his pleasure, and
any ingredient of the stutiing would, at this
moment of excitement, be willing to stand
upon the forehead of its fainting neighbor
| to get a better view. Presently we are
summoned to the vestibule The bride has
arrived. Miss Waldron has eight brides
maids in green, and a special (your substi-
tute) in pink, who walks in beside her.
They all have bouquets as large as hay
stacks, and are positively silent with fright.
Now-wraps off Here we go boo
doc dy-doo = That is the wedding march
as performed upon the organ it must go
through that once, and then the doors are
thrown back All the people in the church
turn wrong side before, and those at the
sides sway forward, giving an appearance
of the walls falling in. We leave four pews
between each two of us, and six between
the last pair of bridesmaids and the bride
and special. No one comes after the bride,
which is fortunate, as her dress is no less
than a mile long behind. We reach the
chancel steps the eight maids in green
slide before us eight youths in black. The
bride and her special are next the rail- as
per rehearsal Miller and young Waldron
are there ready to receive them. 'Wur-r-r ?
that is the service
"Don't be Aippant," said the audience,
reprovingly.
81 give you my word that was all that |
heard of il. The organ continues TO play
softly the bride gives her hay stack to the
special, and 'wur-r-r' on it goes, There is
some juggling with the ring, and the brides
brother, in-law nearly dies of stage fright
as he gives her away Now they kneel
Well done see the benediction Up again !
Good The organ roars its loudest, and
the bride faces about without turning her
train under side up, which is the master
| strnkR of the narfnrmanca and snils hnMn