The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-10-09
A WONDERFUL INSTRUMENT

e The sun shone delightfully."- on tn
d wedding day of Miriam Brooks. TIL
friends who offered congratulations o,
t the suspicious occasion had less nee,
= than usual to reconcile truth and goo,
!. manners; for that she was pretty and
good as she was beautiful was fac
, generally conceded, even on days whel
she was not necessarily the objectiv,
point OF all compliments; and that tn,
character OF Tom, her husband, bott
financially and morally, was such as i.
supposed to form a firm basis for the
construction of prosperous life, was
equally evident.
AS If this were not enough, the happy
pair had been fitted out for their new
career by the BRIDES parents with every
reasonable material continuance for
comfort and pleasure which good, but
not eXtravagant architect could devise
and first-class furnishing warehouse
could further.
The first suggestion of the imperfec-
ton which characterizes every mortal
state and puts its mark on every human
endeavor, came into this new joint life
| when Aunt Cecilia-Tom's aunt, or his
fairy godmother, as lie called her
made her first morning visit to the
bride and tour of inspection of the
house.
Look at my beautiful new piano,
Mrs.-I mean Aunt Cecilia said
Miriam, as she led the way into pleas
ant room with wide outlook towards the
south, supposed to be devoted more in
timately to family purposes than the
general reception-room. I'm afraid it
was extravagant to buy it just now, but
you know I,Want to do all can to make
home attractive to Tom--and little
music now and then adds SO much"
And Miriam looked to the older woman
for the approval which perhaps her own
conscience did not wholly give. Size |
was little disappointed.
"Yes," said Aunt Cecilia, quietly; "a
home without music is worse than a
flower without fragrance; but have
not been accustomed to look upon a
piano as an essential TO that end. IN
my old home there was another instru-
ment which was thought much more
to well-ordered house, and
each little gi11 was carefully taught the
With her into her husbands home it
vas very important part of her outfit.
The spell its music exercised was
powerful one, little understood here,
tut quite as useful in driving away the
'lues and other family pests as was the
amous pipe which freed the town of
Iamlin from rats"
Miriam was not yet sufficiently posted
n her husbands family history to
now where the "old home" was which
lunt Cecilia referred to, though it
'as evident, from the infection and :
uality of her voice, if from nothing
lse, that she was native-born Ameri
an. But before the bride could sat :
fly her curiosity on this point, or as
, the strangely seductive fiddle or /,
orn which was in vogue there, other
lllers interrupted the conversation :
hich was not destined to be taken E
p again for many long day. =
And some of the days which followed a
ere all too long for the mistress of .
rows Nest, as the pretty home was .,
lied. Not, that things went wrong; q
tragedy would not have been so duly :,
Tom did not take to drink; :,
came home punctiliously to dinner 4,
cry day, and showed his wife that ~
ference and courtesy which a self ~
specting man never omits except be- n
use he does not understand its sig n,
fcance. Y,
It was after dinner that the rub came
1T the hour when her youthful imagi-
ton had depicted the cheerful glow h,
lamp and freight falling upon a 81
eet of music they two should be IN
inning together, or on the book 81,
ich she should read aloud to her 10
airy but contented lord. These pic ne
'es had remained fancy sketches for m
, most part through the accumulat- Ia,
years Of married life. m,
'om grew more and more inclined tn
excuse himself for q quiet hour in DO
den. The children seemed to find st,
'se's grooming voice better prepare 70,