New-York tribune., 1896-05-31
WEDDING GIFTS.
THE OLD MARRIED MANS STORY.

THE OLD MARRIED MANS STORY
pooh, Presents." said the Old Married Man TO
/ the bridegroom. Don't think youh get "hat 'ou
! want I'll tell you my experience
! "As the time for our marriage drew near used
to call at the house every available evening ana
whisper confidentally TO the curly head wh'ch eS-
actly fitted my shoulder that was the iuches.
follow on earth on one occasion Agnes signed anu
murmured dreamy that that was Just what she
felt
That the 9TH.
"On the 18th stopped in minute at noon 10 see
II she loved me much as at lllo the night oeiore
She replied that she did-that love was unaterao'e
but that .she must hurry upstairs now OF tNe
dressmaker would get her skirt nute-shaped instead
OF organ piped.
"On the i4th the presents began to arrive
also the relatives. 1t became an unsettled problem
which OF the two were more numerous. Asge hau
cousins once removed | had several unc!es ana
aunts All were well on In fact, IL was curois
coincidence that We the only poor branches
on our respective family trees. | was IN an m
suran,e office-fre insurance. not life insurance
and when had communicated 10 her the news OF
my recent promotion she had promptly declared -
the face of her famy's unaccountable preference
for Henry Walker (who was no; so good feiiow
"a by any manner Of mcans) that TO be Mrs joseph
7 rounshurv and 1--we IN a small house on very
small income and bse was precisely ner ideal Oh
existence so We were not marrying as specua-
ton: nevertheless since marriage comes so seldom
in ones life We had hopes that our moneyed rela-
tives would do the handsome thing
They did First came complete set OF Knives
forks and spoons in a polished wood case. They
werc from the cousin Agg!e had been named for.
Such A sensible present" said her mother; they
will last lifetime.
YES said l. 1t Will take US good while 10
wear all those out two at time
Don't YOU suppose we're ever gong 10 entertain
any company Joe?' asked the girl OF my affection.
tapping me on the cheek with one OF the forks
The same night had a note from her. saying:
Dcares, Joe you ought 10 see the lovely after d'n-
ner coffee SPOONS Second Cousin Mly has sent-no
two alike Orange plush case Isn't 1t exciting?
Don't tell dear but | almost wish they'd been
something else for / think some OF the girls are
going 10 give me spoons The rest OF this letter
was not interestng-to you.
This was the beginning OF an avalanche OF spoons
Charter oak spoons. nutmeg spoons. soldiers
monument spoons witch spoons. bust spoons. por-
trait spoons called these last our picture gallery
and suggested tina, they should be framed In ribbons
and hung up In the pirlorp One OF our friends sent
a pair OF saled-amond spoons. hoping that we would
exchange them II they were duplicated but II turned
ont that those the only ones we had. The
sugar spoons were all marked There were five OF
them
IT is tlme-honored custom in our Office when
one OF us il married for the rest to combine ana
buy A picture: and you could generally tell what
n
parlor wall Williams, who was married In 81 had
Far AWAY: Browns a few years later. was The
Three Fntes' Ours was. OF course, the latest thns
out. II had silver frame.
AS the DAYS went by and pieces OF silver piled
M on us was more than once reminded or the
couple whose courtship was conducted in Brown
lnge.e. and who were fitted out by their admring
friends with II Browning tea set. with quotations
around the edge. oh. the little more. and how much
II is. The Forls had a run on china. but good
deal OF IL got broken the first year. The Smiths
speciality was etchings; they had enough for every
room In the house-only, they never had house;
they have boarded since they were married.
FINALLY the climax came. when my old Uncle John
sent us A solid silver tea set hadn't expected any
thing from him. unless perhaps Bible or Web
ster's Inabridgei for he didn't enjoy giving any
thing away Aggie was getting TOO tired to be very
enthusiastic but her mother was delighted. and II
was no use thinking that would just as soon have
had the money.
" This makes l03, dear-nne more than susie Fish
had said her sister.
Zone hundred and two said Agge.
"'No dear l03-i02 came this morning.
"'Oh I know never shall get this list rghtr ex-
claimed Aggie, diving for her blank book.
Look out or you'll be handing that book to the
parson for prayer-book,' said |.
Wouldn't be bit surprised she answered,
smiling: Aggie could smile when she was tired
"Well. married. man breathes easier
when It's with BUT, Agge, 1 Said as the
carriage door slammed on ue n II ever happens TO
us again let's cave out the heather supersttons'
81 know IT,. said Aggie. 4 begged them not. but
they would smuggle some in. See any In my hair?
" Some In your hat brim.' / brushed her or. and
she seized the newspaper | had carefully brought
along to look like an Old married man. and conjured
with IT minute holding II out by an mprovseI
handle Here. she said, the very children in kim
dergarten know how 10 make paper dustpans-now
brush the carriage seat When We got out gave
the haclSman n dustpanful OF rice with a bill on
top. There burn IT, said l.
Ibid you see him chorte In his joy? said Aggie.
glgglng; Joe. do you feel like married couplc?'
Lots said l.
"Our ten days In Washington had only one boyle
the blank book Aggie said she must finish
her notes. All l could do to sit by and
fret and put the stamps; and she told me I
hindered her than I helped and she
awfuly glad to have around It made her feel
better.
I'VE began housekeeping In cheerful way in a
little house on a new street. II was something Ike
to come home TO ones own dinner table. We had so
much silver that It looked funny with our plain
chna-nobody had given us a lot of ice-cream sets
and things. I tell you, me rriare IL lottery when
IL comes to wedding presents liked seeing Aggics
face In the sugar bowl though. Every night the
little maid Imported. 10 live up to the spoons)
brought them and all the rest upstairs a tray !
and We packed them away In the chest We had made
and IA pretty penny Ii cost. with its combination
lock, which went into the end Of the closet where
nobody could get at II. One night We home at
to wake the sleeping handmaden Aggie 80 sleepy
herself that she tripped on her wedding gown and
had to hold her. We came upon the whole array on
the moor outside our door,
" Isn't 1t imposing? safev said !. but Agsie |
said desperately, I sha'nt care anything about |