San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-19
FOR A FLOWER.

riage his only daughter, Yolande, to the
Marquis of Kergouet. of an old and proud
Breton family.
The ceremony was over and the church
doors were flung open, displaying the high
altar decorated with flowers and lights,
and in the garlanded doorway appeared
the young pair, while the bells pealed joy
ously. All nature seemed to be in festal
attire, for the sweet odors of spring filed
the air, the wild birds were singing merrily
and sunbeams fell like halo across the
foreheads of the bride and groom. She
was fair aud graceful, and in her white
gown and veil seemed like an angel strayed
from heaven; the bridegroom, noble and
gallant, looked with love unutterable at
the fair girl who leaned upon his arm.
The country people were dressed in their
Sunday clothes, the men wearing rosettes
in their buttonholes, the women with
lilies of the valley in their bodices, and all
waved Towering hawthorn branches and
made the air ring with reclamation
Long live Mile Yolande! Long live
the bride! God bless our sweet young
ladyp' they cried, and from time to time
they added, Long live the marQuisr'
The church of Clairville overlooked the
village, being built on a rocky eminence,
and was approached by steep winding
path and stairway; rich and poor, noble
and simple, dead and living, all must enter
the church by way of Paradise Road"
The wedding party, glittering in gold and
silk and velvet and followed by the cheer
ing crowd, walked down this rustic path
way to where the carriages were waiting,
and the bridegroom, pleased by the en-
thusiasm of the people and their evident
affection for his bride, said to her tenderly:
'You see, my love, how dear you are to
these people. They will never forget you.
| fear they owe me grudge for stealing
their good angel from them"
The bride smiled and raised her sweet
eyes to his face for moment, and then she
turned to her father, saying:
1T is such a beautiful day, papa; may
we not walk homer"
Certainly, dear, if you wish it," he re-
piled, glad of an opportunity of pleasing
his child, from whom he must soon part,
and accordingly the bridal pair and all the
young persons of the party walked through
the village to the chateau of Clairville,
which was situated at the other end, while
the dowagers and other persons followed
in their carriages.
Yolande. leaning on her husbands arm,
stopped repeatedly at the humble cottages,
where the poor old men and women, whom
age or infirmity rendered unable to go out,
were waiting in their doorways to see the
bride pass For each one she had a word
and smile, and many a trembling hand
and weak, thin voice was raised to bless
her.
The joyous procession now reached a
turn in the narrow road and came to a
standstill, being met. by funeral party
1t was a very poor affair. There was a
coronet emblazoned ON the white pail
which covered the face of young maiden
and not flower was seen there, not a sin
gle blossom, in spite of the warm spring
time. Behind the bier poorly clad man,
the only mourner, walked slowly, looking,
with his head bent and his face covered by
his hands, picture of despairing grief.
At sight of the Clairville wedding party
the men carrying the bier stopped and
would have turned out of the road, but the
mourner raised his head and gazed fiercely
at the happy throng, who, with their rich
gala clothing and smiling faces, seemed to
offer insult to his sorrow.
go ont" he said in a hoarse voice to the
porters, as if he would have liked to crush
the fine lords and ladies beneath his feet;
but the men did not stir Then the count
stepped forward, saying graveiy:
Respect the dead, friends! Fall back
and let the bier pass"
He was instantly obeyed, and the funeral
moved on past the gorgeously attired
throng, who made way reverently, the la
dies crossing themselves and the lords re
moving their hats. AS the bier passed the
bride she was filed with pity at sight of
the young, stiff form under the white pail,
and taking a sprig of orange blossom out
of her bouquet, she laid it gently upon the
bier The, stern mourner saw the act and
his expression softened a little; then cover
ing his face again he broke into low sobs.
"Who is that MANI" asked Count Clair
vile.
ii do not know, my lord" replied the
man addressed. "He is stranger. He
came to the inn few days ago with his
sister She was almost dead as any one
could see. He seemed to love her very
much, and when she died he cursed like
hereto and shook his fist at heaven. This
morning told him it was too early to have
the funeral and that he ought to give the
cure time to change his stole after the
wedding, but he would not listen to me-"
The bridal party moved on and soon the
merry peals of the church bells were
changed to mournful tolling as the bier
passed under the gay floral decorations of
the door.
who is that young lady" asked the
mourner of bystander
1.-The bride? That is Mile. Yolande de
Clairville," was the reply, and the stranger
murmured softly:
MAY she always be happyp
Then he went into the church.