The St. Johns herald., 1894-02-22
BACKED OUT AT THE ALTAR.
How a Young EngIishwoman Thwarted Her Fathers EEatrimonIal Plans.

Her Fathers Matrimonial Plans.
 If all the young women were like Miss Amy Lambert it would be train ing to parents in the way they should go. AIr. Lambert, the father of Hiss Arny, was a signalcr in the government telegraph office at Ala habad, India. Probably he had been influenced by what he saw of life in India. At any rate. he regarded his daughter much as he did the telegraph instruments in his office. With those he pressed a button and it recorded whatever he wanted it to. He ex- pected Miss Amy to do the same. Finally Mir. Passana, a dusl1y gentle man in the employ of native prince, met the daughter of the signaler, and she pleased him. She was so eminent ly satisfactory to his fancy that he forthwith announced to her father that he wished to marry her.
 The telegraph operator thought it over. Court gentlemen, even if rather swarthy ones, were not to be had every day, and it behooved the father of 8 family of daughters to allow possible
 fOOSAo u COL11S cAAeA O4CS1i. AcO he announced to Miss Amy that her future was arranged for and to pre- pare for the wedding on such and such a day. When the astonished young woman recovered from her suprise she assured her father that she liked not the rajah's brunette courier. and that to the best Of her knowledge the we'd ding would not come off. Her father pooh-poohed this cutburst, told her to draw on him for all she needed for suitable trousseau. and took himself off to drink with his future son-in-law.
 Then it was that Miss Amy Lambert made up her mind as to a course of ac- tion. During the succeeding weeks, although she repeatedly and decisive ly told her father that she could not and would not be happy with Mr. Passana, she nevertheless, finding that no heed was paid to her remonstrances, joined with interest in the prepara- tions for the wedding. At last the day of the ceremony arrived. Miss Amy Lambert, dressed in a beautiful new grown, and with pleasant CONSCIOUS ness that she had more new clothes at home than she had ever dreamed of possessing all at once, rode to the church in company with her father, who, beholding her placid and satisfied face, told himself what a wise father he had been.
 'All one needs,' said the telegraph operator to himself, ''is little firm ness. Silly girls should never be al lowed to have their own way in these matters"
 And all the time the bride-elect smiled softly to herself, as if her thoughts were peculiarly pleasant, The clergyman, Rev. Brook Deedes, thought he had never seen 9 happier looking couple and began the cere- mony with the warm expectation of 8 goodly fee. He bowled merrily along until he reached the question: ''Will you have this man to be your welded husband?" He expected faint "I will, ' but was almost paralyzed to re- ceive an emphatic negative from the young woman, who at the same time handed him a document setting forth some of her objections.
 Of course the wedding did not come off. The guests dispersed in various directions, some of them going to con- dole with the determined young wom- ans father, who was expected to be much downcast. Strange to say, how over, he was so delighted with his daughters strategy that he was quite hilarious over the affair and did not even begrudge her the fine new wardrobe she had acquired. What became of the bridegroom history Gin the shape of the Allahabad News) does not record, but after this he will probably not at tempt to marry an English girl against her will.