Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-11-17

! and declared that the tout ensemble
was perfect when Claude's bouquet o
Christmas roses and maiden-hair wa
brought upstairs-he had arranged i
himself, and would not admit an,
other flower
For few minutes she was lef
alone; then, when the last party o.
guests had started for the cathedral
she went quietly downstairs to The
! drawing-room, expecting to find heI
uncle there. The room was empty
however; she waited till the carriage
was announced, then feeling Just a lit
tie fOrlorn, she crossed the hall and
knocked al the library door.
The dean was bending over a great
dusty volume
! oh. Is it time, my dear?'' he said,
! looking up. III just finish this page,
and perhaps you would see to that"
! He held up white glove which
had lost button, and she took it
obediently, and ran to look tor her
Work-box. In spite of the hindrance
OF trembling fingers, the glove was
ready for the dean long before he was
ready for it; however, at last he did
get up, carefully placed a marker in
his book, adjusted his white tie, put
on the gloves, and turned to his niece
with little bow.
Now, my dear, I am at your SER
vice
For moment she felt an unutter-
able longing for her father, but she
would not allow herself to be really
chilled by the deans frigid manner,
knowing that he intended to be kind
She lifted up her face to be kissed.
and then allowed herself to be led in
silence to the carriage. The dean was
very absent that morning; he NUT
tered to himself about somebody's
comet which was expected, and made
numerous little calculations during
the drive. Esperance said nothing.
but held her Christmas roses tightly
and wondered whether Gaspard were
thinking of her.
Then they reached the west door OF
the cathedral, and the dean suddenly
rousfng himself gave her his arm, and
led her into the nave. The gloom was
intense, and the darkness and awe of
the building would have chilled Es-
perance, had it not been for Wagner's
beautiful march which pealed forth
from the organ as she entered. Claude
Joined them within the choir gate,
and they passed on through the crowd
of eager, curious faces, to the altar,
Cornelia, from her place at the east
end, watched anxiously, but she could
not feel otherwise than thankful and
happy when the little bride came into
sight, bright form in the surround
ing gloom. 1t could not be called an
imposing procession. Mrs. Mortlake,
indeed, was veXed by its extreme SIM
plicity, and longed for more brides
maids and more elaborate dresses, but
nevertheless there was something very
striking about it. The dean, more
erect than usual, looked quite
patriarchal, with his silvery hair and
flowing white beard; Claude was
eager-eyed and wistfully grave; while
between them was Esperance, with
awe, and her sweet, tranquil face look
ing almost as child-like as those of
her little bridesmaids.
The service proceeded, and the dark
ness grew more and more oppressive,
while the VOWS were interchanged be-
tween Claude" and "Esperance Bien-
Aimee; the voices of the choir
sounded far away in the gloom as
they chanted the psalms, and the
precentor could hardly see to read
the prayers. 1t was not till the very
end of the service, when Mendelssohn's
hymn Now thank we all our Cod
was being sung, that the light became
suddenly brighter, and as Claude led
his wife from the altar, a CLEAN of
sunshine penetrated the clear-story
windows, and the dreary, oppressive
obscurity was at once changed to
golden. melloWed brightness.
To be continued.