Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-07-02
WEDDING GIFTS.

"Pooh! Presentsv' said the Old Mar.
ried Man to the bridegroom. Don't
think you'll get what you want. III
tell you my experience.
"As the time for our marriage drew
near / used to call at the house every
available evening and whisper conf
dentially to the curly head which ex-
actly fitted my shoulder that was the
sion Agnes sighed and murmured
dreamily that that was just what she
felt.
THAT was on the 9Th.
ION the 10Th stopped in a minute at
noon to see if she loved me as much as
at 11.15 the night before. She replied
that she did-that love was unalterable
but that she must hurry upstairs now
or the dressmaker would get her skirt
fute-shaped instead of organ-piped.
'On the 18th the presents began to
arrive-also the relatives. 1t became
an unsettled problem which of the two
were more numerous. Aggie had
COdSlhD OuCC lClnOtCuy hld SCNCldA
uncles and aunts. All were well off; in
fact, it was a curious coincidence that
we were the only poor branches on our
respective family trees. l was In an
insurance office-fire insurance, not life
insurance-apd when / had communi-
Gated to her the news of my recent pro-
motion she had promptly declared in
the face of her family's unaccountable
preference for Henry Walker (who was
not so good fellow as by any man
ner of means) that to be Mrs. Joseph
Lounsbury and live in a small house
on very small income and bliss was
precisely her ideal Of existence. So
we were not marrying as speculation;
nevertheless, since marriage comes SO
seldom in ones life, we had hopes that
our moneyed relatives would do the
handsome thing.
'They did. First came a complete
set of knives, forks and spoons in a
polished wood case. They were from
the cousin Aggie had been named for.
Such a sensible present! said her
mother; they will last lifetime
ayes sold /, 1T will take us good
time
Don't you suppose we're ever GO
ing to entertain any company, Joe?'
asked the girl Of my affection, tapping
me on the cheek with one of the forks.
1.-THE same night / had note from
her, saying: Dearest Joe, you ought to
see the lovely after dinner coffee
spoons Second Cousin Milly has sent
no two alike. Orange plush case.
Isn't is exciting? Don't tell, dear, but
l almost wish they'd been something
else, for / think some of the girls are
going to give me spoons The rest of
this letter was not interesting-to you.
"This was the beginning of an ava
lanche of spOons-Charter Oak spoons
nutmeg spoons, soldiers monument
spoons, witch spoons, bust spoons, por-
trait spoons q called these last ouI
picture gallery, and suggested that they
should be framed in ribbons and hung
up in the parlor). One Of our friends
sent pair of salted-almond spoons
hoping that we would exchange them II
they were duplicated, but it turned out
that those were the only ones we had
The sugar spoons were all marked
There were five of them.
at is a time-honored custom in ouI
office when one of us is married for the
rest to combine and buy picture; and
you could generally tell what year q
mans wedding came off by n glance al
his parlor wall. Williams, who was
married in 'S4, had Far Away
Browns, few years later, was The
Three Fates.' Ours was, of course, the
latest thing out. 1t had silver frame
"As the days went by and pieces OF
silver piled up on us / was more thar
once reminded of the couple whose
courtship was conducted in Brown
ingese, and who were fitted out by
their admiring friends with Brown
ing tea set, with quotations around the
edge. oh, the little more, and how
much it isp The Fords had a run OF
china, but good deal of it got broker
the first year. The Smiths specially
was etchings; they had enough for ev
cry room in the house-only, they never
had home; they have boarded eve
since they were married. Finally tn,
climax came, when my old Uncle JohI
sent us n solid silver tea set. i hadn'
expected anything from him, unless
perhaps Bible or q Webster's Una
bridged, for he didn't enjoy giving any
thing away. Aggie was getting to-
tired to be very enthusiastic, but he
mother was delighted, and it was n,
use thinking that would just as sool
have had the money.
"erhis makes 103, dear-nine NOR
than Susie Fish had said her sister.
zone hundred and two,' said Aggie
"'No, dear, 103-102 came this morn
ing
"'Oh, 1 know / shall never get thi
list rightv exclaimed Aggie, diving 70
her blank book.
"Look out, or you'll be handin
that book to the .parson for prayer
oeok.' said I.