The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-12-25
A DEATHBED MARRIAGE
Confidential Revelation of Miss
Briggs Strange Illness

Yes, miss, certainly. / lived with
Mrs Birch-Miss Grigg that was he
fore she married Mr.. Birch I knew
all about that affair. 1t was very singu-
lar indeed-vcry. I'm not sure that i
ought to mention il, for If Il lady's maid
can't hold her tongue she can't find
good places Dear me, I'm no talf5er
I'm as mum as n mouse. Bushels of
pearl powder and quarts of rouge have
i applied with my own hands, and
never SO much rs binted 1t. AS for
cotton, bless your heart I've never
breathed about it, and | did live with a
lady once that took arsenic regularly
for her complexion. That's no secret,
for she took too much one day by ,acci-
dent and died.
There was an inquest and II all
came out It's well it did for suspicion
pointed to her husband Somehow, it
always seems to strike a jury that
husband is the likeliest person To wish
his wife out of the way. But this isn't
anything about paint. Miss ,Griggs.
being on the stage. made no secret OF
that. She played queens and SUCH miss
I've often had tickets given me and
gone with my young man t0 see her
act And when she was naughty and
curled her nose like, miss, and looked
at other folks over her shoulder. and
talked away down in her throat like a
pigeon gurgling, she was splendid.
miss 1t made think how nice it would
be to be a queen and to take airs over
every ybody.
well, Miss Gri@g was en~-nored 70 he
married. Mr.. Birch had fallen in love
with her when she was playing Ham
let's ma. Perhaps you have seen the
play, miss? The young man objects tc
his ma getting married the second
time, so / seemed to make out, and act
ed most impertinent, giving sass to his
ma and his step-pa, and carrying on
awful. And there was a poor young
lady quite out of her mind that after
ward got drowred.
well, she was playing Hamlet's
ma and Mr.. Birch fell in love with her
and sent her n letter and called and
made an offer all i'll no time. She ac-
copied him, of course. and the prep
arations for the wedding began
don't think any lady ever had so many
,Iresses before. Silks and satins and
velvcts and laces. Dear me, Nine.
IS whole establishment was hard at
work for month. and if I'd had TWEEN
ty fingers, instead of ten, Id have had
use for them all.
AT last everything was finished The
trunks were packed. fifteen OF -eIn,
miss, and fourteen were To go on that
afternoon, and one-the one with the
wedding and travelling dresses-was,
of course, TO be left and 20 with the
bride when she started next day She
was to be married at ten o'clock in
church and then drive home. have
splendid breakfast, change her dress
and catch the three o'clock train. OF
course / saw to the trunks, and was
rery careful; but just when | was
needed most, just as the trunks was
going downstairs, Miss Grigg called
ne
Miss Grigg was a lady who didn't
like TO wait. / went to her at once,
miss, as was my duty, and / said &c
Bridget Duster, the cham bermaid:
- Bridget, watch that black trunk
and see that the men don't carry il
off
Bridget understood with her ell
bows, of course. miss. and after / had
been to the lands end for two yards of
blue ribbon of exactly such a shade as
she wanted and got back ! found that
she had sent off the black trunk first
or all. and was very proud of having
been so careful. The trunks were all
miles away by that time There was
nothing for ii but to tell Miss Grigg.
She flew at me, miss / don't blame
her for being angry. / would forgive
her in such a case. She flew at me
violent, miss; and then, miss, she had
spaSmS. She beat the sofa, she tore
her hair she screeched and me all the
while saying:
Remember your eyes, miss. Think
how you'll look. Your nose is swelling
dreadful miss
Finally she came to and bathed her
face. And says she:
"'Flora, what-shall-Id do?'
'''I don't know, miss, said I, unless
you put off the wedding until you tel
egraph for the trunk.
"'No. said she, that's unlucl1y; be-
sides, one never knows. None amt to
be depended on
"'You might borrow dress said I.
LAS if I'd be married in one that
didn't fit me, said she. stop, don't
speak word I've an idea
-'She sat with one finger on her lip
for awhile. Then she said:
".My embroidered dressing-gown-
The white one! That's here?
lin the bureau, miss said I.
Very we'll said she. IN be mar
ried in that Telegraph for the trunk,
Flora
- The white dressing-gown. miss?
said /. nearly astonished out Of my
senses.
Yes said She, the white dressing
gown, goose; you don't think I'm going