The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-29
ON HER WEDDING DAY

Ben, Varley's cottage from the church,
and old Bon, with his daughter, tho bride,
and her cousin, Kate Fletcher, had walked
the distance. Dick Ford and his .'best
men," Reuben Greene, likewise reached
tho ancient, liclfened ediilce. The little
building was well nigh full of interested
1sherfolk, q state of repletion which the
r~ector's most learned sermons failed to
bring about on Sundays. Various ejacu-
Iations uttered in would be undertones-
Doesn't her LUX bonny?' "She's paler
nor 1 like to see, - Gray suits her, it do"
from the women, with sundry Singer
ings and rib diggings on the part Of the
men, marked the passage of the ''happy
pair" as, leaving the church, they trod
the leaf strewn path of the chTrchyard.
And SO tho little train wended down to
the Trawlers' inn, in the big up stairs
room Of which the wedding breakfast was
spread.
Tit weather since early morn had been
none of the best. A tempest lowered in
tho air. Che elms in the churchyard
creaked and bent their tops, although no
wind was astir. The hush that presaged
the coming storm was painful in its
brooding stiffness. The long drawn roar
of the ocean smote the ears of the wedding
party as they left the church. From the
hill the waves could be seen breaking far
out to sea, overlapping and licking the
Fort rocks like angry tongues of fame
round a martyr at the stake. The wind,
too, had come, at first in short, ftful gusts,
gradually prolonged, until, before the inn
was reached, the full force Of its strength
was put forth. Heavy drops of rain fell
c~o%+1r;nr ~, Tim 1rauaa oOhh1nS of the
street and,o on the gray shales of the roofs.
I'VE shall haze it moo, " muttered Reu-
ben to Kate, glanoing with puckered brow
to seaward. "There'll be no boats yentur'
out toneet, I'm thinkin."
NAY, an I hope not, was the reply.
Kate was too engrossed just then to
give moro than o laconic answer-too
much engrossed in the study of her cous-
ms gray dress, in considering what inn
provements its style, fit and texture We're
susceptible Of, anent the time when she
herself should take the foremost place in
such another procession. Besides she re-
scented the transfcrence of Rube's atten-
tons from her w pretty self to the
black, wrathful elements. What place
have storms and discord in the music OF
marriage bells? Verify, none. They might
reserve themselves at least SO Kate
thought-for a later period.
But her pique soon wore of when the
company was seated round the loaded ia
BILE at the Trawlers' inn. Here the sullen
moan of the wind, the thunder of the sea,
the patter of the rain, were forgotten in a
Aow of boisterous humor more appropriate
to the occasion. Geniality and high spirits
blotted them from the memory as etfectu-
ally as if they were nonexistent. The sea-
son was to be a season of Joy, despite all
drawbacks, and right jovially was it inau-
gurated. Mine host had catered to taste.
There were speeches, Of course-speeches
a little disjointed perhaps, but full Of
pleasant banter and of the species of Wit
denominated broad. The homely senti-
ments were received with vast applause,
and the lively sallies evoked grins and
laughter that showed a thorough apprecia-
ton of their point.
Dick rose to reply. On entering the inn
he had been in sore perplexity as to wheth-
er he should Temoye his gloves or not, his
knowledge of the usages of society not ex-
tending to certainty on the matter. In
fear lest he should violate some unknown
canon of etiquette, and probably remem-
bering the trouble he had had in getting
them on, he finally decided to retain the
lavender colored s'hand shoes' as long as
he could endure the infliction. When he
now stood up, he twisted ~nervously at
them, thereby unwittingly drawing atten-
ton te the rents between the fingers.
'F .1ends all, " he began, "for Esther an
myGen I thank you every JIG for what
you've said about wishin US both good
FORUM. We mean to pull together all
through life, as t. parson said, till death
do us part, an I hope that'n be a goodish
while yet. As fer them other things
you've a'most all spoken aboot-well, well,
you've had a go at lnc today, an welcome,
an 1 hope l shall have a chance one O.
these days o. haVin a 40 at someo' you"
Hear, hear!" brokei in Simeon Howker.
A loud burst Of merriment greeted the
interruption. Simeon's exclamation had
been simply thrown in to fill up the hiatus
caused by Dicks monentary hesitation.
A vile misconstruction had been put upon
his sympathetic encouragement, and it
only needed his wife's angry glance to
drive away for that day all poor Simeon's
enthusiasm and appetite.
ssWell,'' continued Dick as soon as the
mirth had subsidized, Il trust youlla all LUX
back o. this day wi as mich pleasure as l
allays shall, an / can't wish you better
nor that. Let me thank you again for
Esther an nysen. An now you mum a.
haze a bit o. bride cake.
The sugared pyramid in the center OF
the table had been specially ordered II
baked at Jennings of Morperland. Ad-
miring eyes made it their cynosnre. 1t
was unanimously yo3ed a real chef d'euyre
of the confectioner's art. Hardly had Kate
taken up the knife whcrewith to cut the
cake when tho landlord of the Trawlers'
inn hastily entered the ROOM. His usu-
ally placid visage was ale with agitation.
He piled his short le5s rapidly as he bur
ried across the floor TO utter a few breath
less words into the ears of Ralph Thwaites,
the smack n
II hopes you'll all excuse me" Ralph
said, rising quickly to his feet. I'm
called away sudden. There's a ship on
the Forks!''
Instantly the smack owners excitement
was communicated to the rest OF the COM
a Thwaites could have been sum
moned for one purpose only. An effort
was about to be made to save the crew of
the i'll fated vessel.
There was nc lifeboat at Port ST. Bede,
the nearest station being at Morperland,
ten miles distant. Unfortunately the alb
sence Of the means of help does not imply
absence of its need, for in clustering
weather the services of a lifeboat were
only too frequently required at Port ST.
Bede. The fishermen, however, had Or
gaDized a volunteer crew, captained by