The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-07-18
A BRIDAL PRESENT.

Alice Dupre spoke little repiningly,
she was Nannic's first bridesmaid, and
was treading the borders of that Debateable
Land where girlhood has died out and
sage middle age has hardly yet COM
menced.
Mamie was very pretty, aud Roseanetta
BeltoN, the other bridesmaid, was hand
some brunette of twenty.
Mamie, you are doing remarkably
well, " said Mrs. Creswick, complacently
surveying the table spread with wedding
gifts That silver tea service OF your
Cousin Dubley's is really splendid"
eyes, and the pearls Miss Aubrey sent, )"
added Alice.
''Iour present is very neat, too my
dear said the old lady kindly "but |
wonder your Uncle .Jared's has not come.
He asked me about the wedding week
ago, and he said he should send some
remembrance
rapidly darkening winter afternoon, the
bell pealed, and fresh presents were brought
in.
But where is Uncle Jared's present."
Mamie kept repeating; and nobody could
tell.
Not until nine O'Clock at night did the
nauch looked for testimonial arrive, when
John Navasor, the young bridegroom that
was to be, was in the drawingroom admir-
ing the various presents.
''From Uncle Jared! know his cramp-
ed handwriting, exclaimed Mamie, as
the servant brought in IA square, solid look
ing package, wrapped in brown paper and
directed to Miss Anna Creswick." What
can it be-"
"a st of gold spoons, perhaps" sur-
gested Alice
The girls held their breath as John re-
moved the brown paper wrappings. Alas
for the vanity of human expectations it is
no spice breathing casket-no velvet or
morocco case, satin lined and filled with
gold and silver it was only quarto
volume bound in sober brown, and appar
emily well used.
"A Bible calculated Alice, disdain-
fully.
"Nes, and an old one at that" said
Ro1eanetta
"Here is note, - said John, ''let us see
what he saws"
my DEAR NIECE At this important
iuncture of your life, | cannot give you a
more fitting Offering than the Bible which
was your grand-mother's You will prob
ably have trinkets and iewelIy in abund-
ancc, but this book will be more precious
than all
Your affectionate uncle,
JARED LEE
Mamie had burst into tears of mortif-
cation
"oh, John, rusty old secondhand
Bible.
I'VE can never put that on the table,
said Alice scornfully. what an idea.
And Uncle Jared present, long looked
for and loudly heralded, was put in an
obscure corner, where IA pair of statuettes
concealed it from view.
"1he mean Old mser," was Mrs. Cres
wick's indication comment, while Mamie,
who was really fond Of her old uncle,
cried.
And here we close the volume of
Nannic's life, to he opened ten years after
words
There are few homes in which the lapse
of ten years does not make "A wide differ
encc-and in that of Mr. and Mrs. Navasor
the change was greater than the average
They have lived too fast common mis-
take-and when once they began to re-
trench, i'll luck seemed to follow Them
Mamie, the spoiled daughter ola luxurious
home, was learning all the bitterness of
proverty now. And John-nobody exactly
knew how-had refrigerated in the world
until the humble situation of bank clerk
at a salary pitifully small, was all the
dread winter left to him.
And then they brought him home one
night with his arm fractured from a fall on
the icy pavement Mamie felt that her
cup of bitterness was indeed full.
"Don't mind the pain for myself John
had said, 'but TO lie still for nobody
knows how long, and my wife and little
ones with not cent ahead. The rent must
be paid, aud the grocer's bill. and the chill
dren must wear clothes, God help us. !
don't know what the end of all this will
be-
But Mamie knew-and towards twilight
when John had fallen into a troubled slum-
Der, and little Annie sat watching beside
his pillow she put on her bonnet and stole
unseen to an employment bureau.
When she returned, it was with bundle
under her arm-sewing which she had
obtained.
ooh, Mamie have we come to this?" her
husband asked, sadly, as she sat down by
his bedside to commence her task.
1--WE cannot starve, dear-and there is
lust dollar and half in your PURSE"
81 know it, but"