The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-03-24
Written for THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER.l
A PICTURE.

we're allowed TO look mo q small
quantity furnished room on the first
floor, you would see a pale faced, sad
eyed, gray-haired woman of about
forty years, standing with locked
hands and upturned face gazing at a
neatly framed picture hanging on the
wall. The picture is that of a young
man, clean shaver, with a broad white
forehead and curling golden locks. The
mouth is most ~delicately shaped and
the plump rosy lips look feminine. The
big plain blue eyes reveal an honest
easy going character. A smile covers
the whole face. The sad-eyed woman
stands and looks a long time. A kind
of moa comes from her lips and she
walks slowly to the CRATE where a lit.
tie warm fire is blazing, from that place
to a broad window, with head bent
down, thence with a slower and more
noisiess step back to the picture and
raises her sad eyes to it. No wonder
she looks SO long at that handsome face
but it is not for its beauty that she
locks altogether, and thus looking she
sees more. Then if you were pres
ent your heart would fill With pity for
the shguGken faced creature standing
there and you would seek to learn her
story.
Louise Diener, now the sad eyed wo,
man, was once young and very pretty.
She had soft brown eyes and smooth
dark hair cliuging in soft wavy mass s
over her dainty ears. Her ekin had q
warm olive tinted coloring which
! cha~racterizes those born in the South
land, and her fl 5uTe was exquisite. She
lived alone with her parents at D.ener
place near the city called Minersburg.
She had a gallant lover. His name
was Grant Lynnehurst. He was a
wealthy young mar OF the city and his
looks and manner were such as would
captivate all, young and old, Of both
sexes. Louise's parents liked him al
right and for their beloved daughter
they thought there was none better.
AS for Louise, she loved him like the
flowers love light. Grant Lynnehurst
had but one desire, and that was to
marry Louise Diener and make her a
happy woman, for he loved her.
They we're to be married in the
month of weddings-June. When the
day dawned it was sunny and quiet,
and the scent of roses was every where
The church was g~orgeously decorated,
the windows were blinded and pink
shaded lamps Illuminated the church
with a strange delicate brightness that
seemed divine. IC touched the h)wers
and the altar with a tenderness that
would make an onlooker hold his
breath. All the pews were crowded
with young ard old 70 see the mated
couple. The pipe organ pc led out the
rich flowing notes Cf the wedding
march. The bridal procession came
down the aisle and every person with
sound mind was stunned at the lowell
ness Of the bride and the handsome
ness Of the groom, and still more at the
strange uncommon fitness they each
seemed TO bear for the other. Louise
with a bouquet of white roses looked
like q dazzling Object Of angelic white.
ness all the more lovely for the dark
dropping eyes and olive tinted skin
The groom dressed IN the exchanging
black looked all the more handsome
for the fairness of his skin and the vel
low color of his hair. That strange
pinkIsh light threw the same curious
CLEAN about the young couple as they
stood at the altar together and, as it
seemed 10 all there, gathered about
them liBe a halo. When the ceremony
was repeated and they said the words
that bound them before heaven, the echo
of the sacred words 1oated through
the church with a weird faintnees then
died away and there followed d silence
short but like the hush of death When
the silence was broken and the bride
aud groom were departing down
the aisle together many of the
people questioned their minds
whether it was a real wed
ding they had witnessed or was it a
visionary one after all. There was a
wedding feast awaiting them al the
home of the Dieners The great house
was filed with guests and the music
was rendered by the best musicians OBJ
tainaole. The decorations were mostly
roses for they were the brides favorite
flower. Every one present who wore
any flowers at all wore roses, and their
perfume was in all the rooms. The af-