The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-22


TO me! This was a long speech from Hal
ana l knew to have made it ne must have
peen Keeling deeply; so 1 tried to answer
but could only kiss him and cry foolishIy
| He seemed to be satisfied however, end this
was all he told us of his plans.
Though Hal did not mention when his
/ marriage was to be, we knew the date, as
families do know those things by instinct
| we learned afterwards that at Halls re-
quest none of the Schroders were present
| az the ceremony either. In all but the one
vital point he proved unusually careful.
MS only witnesses were our clergyman S
Wlte, the sexton, and-whom do you think?
our old, old coachman, who taught Hal
| 10 ride, and his father, too, for that mat
! ter He has been like a member CT the
10 divine the day and hour of our boy s
| marriage There he was when Hal reGcled
| the church, wedding favor in lis button
HoIe, a nosegay in his hand; ready to open
| the. door, bow his young master through,
and respectfully follow him and Wilhelmlna
up the aisle. My husband said that Hal
! this. We were all touched by II. But to
think that our eldest son should have had
as groomsman only faithful servant fol-
lowing him!
Still, it was best so. We could not go to
Inat wedding, and Rowland would not He
he had yet another reason cas- for this than
| FAMILY pride alone. He had trampled out
mat same fire, and believed his brother
| don't know myself. Hal mas few roots;
those are strong and go, deep
rowland was married before the half year
| was out; such satisfactory marriage in
| every way. 1t was great comfort to US
IN our trouble to have this JOY come break
| selves unhappy before Halls wedding. it was
| after its accomplishment that the real trials
| began; How were we to meet Wilhelmina
| anu she us? Remember, my dear sister,
my last parting with her had been at my
kitchen door.
Fortunately, I had little time to think of
the meeting. A short while before the mar
| rage my husband had bought q little cot
tage some miles down the road which pass
| es our farm He asked me to help him in
| furnishing it from garnet to cellar l knew,
| OF course, without asking, why this cottage
| was bought and for whom; hut Tly nus
| hand said nothing, and ] could not bring
myself to open speech. We used to call
| the place the little cottage" when we
| talked over the arrangements.
| l think if | had not had the furnishing
| of that cottage to distract me should have
! lost my mind during the interval between
| Halls confession and his wedding Perhaps
my dear husband knew this; he Understands
most of those things taught by tenderness.
1t was hard work to have all in order by
| the date my husband set-HaPS wedding
| day-but we did; and when it was done,
| tired as | was, l wished / had it all to do
over ELECTROMAGNETIC furnishing, FAINT
The last nail was driven, the last curtain
| hung, the morning of the marriage; and
that night, for the first time, my husband
called the little cottage" by its true name.
| l could see that he, too, was somewhat
! restless, walking from window to window
|
Come. he said at last, turning to ne;
its as bright as day outside. Suppose we
have the colt harnessed to the buggy and
drive down to Halls cottage TO meet them,
| get it over, and go to sleep IN peace.
We did not talk much during Turing that drive
The colt always behaved badly in harness 15s
band had selected the colt intentionally
1 don't like to dwell on that meeting, my
| dear. We were received by my boy and
his wife, and, though it was their home, it
was we who showed them through it, open
| ing every room and cupboard. When we
| came to the store closet, which l had filled
| with preserves and groceries from my own
| stores, Wihelmina turned gratefully TO me
| she was about to speak, but either [ shranll
| back or she faltered. so not one direct word
| passed between us that night. My husband
and Hal talked for four.
| When / dared look at Wilhelmina l could
see that she had been crying. Her eyelids
| still kept swelling with unshed tears when
she would not let fall. She showed great
| self-control was quiet and subdued IN man
| ner vet not without dignity. 1t was try
| ing half hour to us all
When we left them at last, my husband
| laid his hand on Wlhelmina's shoulder.
saying what 1 had been trying to say all
| the while.
us my child. May you be very happy here
| and Coo bless you
WilheImina broke down then and covered
! her face with her hands l liked her Tor IL,
| but it was none the less bitterly hard % see
my boy, so undemonstrative with his very
| own, comforting this stranger as l never
would have dreamed he could
I found that my husband felt this also
Hal will make her good husband ..e,I ne
! said with q sigh, on the way home. she
understands him; per- arg we have Leen to
| blame that we never G1Ne.
Yes" 1 said, bitterly we nave not peen
| Schroders, and our friends are not Of that
Our friends" repeated my husband;
thoughtfully. II had not considered them -
NO" / answered, Il suppose not. But
there is not a woman in this county who is
not tonight considering whether she shall
or shall not call on Wilhelmina.'
1T IS for US to settle that said my hus-
band. still more thoughtfully. And then
wished heartily that fhad held my tongue;
| But if 1 wished so then, l wished 1t again
and more strongly the next DAY, when was
| Hal was married on a Saturday afternoon,
and on Sunday morning, about sunrise, l
| was awakened by hearing some one NOV
| ing stealthly in my room opening my
| ewes | saw my husband standing by my
! bed ! was startled for moment thinking
| he must be ILL., until he said, There IS noth-
ing and added: 81 4 ibe so 0eeh d yg
| ton YOU mentioned last night. ! am now
| about to ride down TO Hals cottage; Phd
| if you approve, tell him we Wlsn MN 10
! bring his wife to our pew to-day l think
| that will settle everything IN the eyes Oh
| the neighborhood, :. 49,.
| wicked old heart, that l did not want mat
! ters so settled 1 suppose | think entirely
| 1t seemed to me that l could forehear the
| whispers and see the smiles OF our pest
| friends-for best friends will do that-When
| calling upon poor Wilhelmina, whose man
| nerS were nil, and whose EnSASh "e'9 l0
markable at times 80. it,.
| did not urge my husband against dong
| what he suggested, simply because knew
| If woul1 be useless if he had lain awake
and decided that it was right Also, knew
| his deferring the question to me was put q
| matter Of courtesy which he never for
gels or omits Then, too if it were really
Tight T suDpose I wanted it done. But, On .
dear sister when WilhelInina ana Hdl
| walked up the aisle to our pew that sun
day morning, and l. saw tne puhlIe o 'ua o ip-
| ing and moving and meeting IN every Pc"
| in the church, | thought L should ole.
T noticed gratefully that W1lhelmlna was
| dressed simply. She was quiet ana Stately
! in anpearance looking rather pale ana
| nroud with her lowered lids. she mas
| pprettv white eyeIids. l don't think out
| siderS would have suspected anythlnS
| wrong hut YOU know there are no outsiders
| in a country congregation ,4.ou
NV dear husband knew the world Detter
| the old county families called on VII
| helmina during the following week, ana II
Wilhelmina told me of these calls sim
nlv She astonished me, too, by saying,
| biimbly. that she had refused herSen 10
| every one of her VlSltoIS' do 0He "iu 0'
Tonching was it not? 1 felt so sorry for
| her and grateful, too. She did, indeed,
| have much to learn before receiving any
one or returning calls either All tnat
| could wait Wilhelmna was fine sensl5
hIe woman in many ways. | think | should
have admired her Immensely haC Sn L peen
| married to somebody else's boy. she was
| cIever too and determined. When she
| found that she was nttle Ola 70 unledIh
| she deliberately dropped into really
nre++v German accent literally translated