The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-29
THE BRIDES ELDER SISTER
cleveland Plain Dealer

The young reporter was sent to write
up a fashionable wedding. 1t was his
first experience in the wedding line
and he determined it would be an
epoch maker.
The young reporter had a fine COM
mand of language. He had been the
crack orator of the college, and his plea
for the defendant in a certain mock
trial was considered to have touched
the very limit of forensic art.
| The young reporter determined to
fling the whole resources of his elo-
quence into the wedding article.
1t took him long time to write it,
and he got it in just in time. The city
editor and everybody else was busy on
a big sensation, and the wedding arti-
Gle slipped in unnoticed.
But everybody saw it next day.
The city editor called to the young
reporter as he passed his door.
Mr.. Blocker he said, Il greatly
fear you have mistaken your calling.
The man who can write like that" and
he tapped copy of the morning issue
lis wasting golden moments knocking
about on a morning paper. Listen to
this: No doubt the heavenly choir in
visible that sang when Adam led Eve
down Eden's flower-strewn aisle to the
| first nuptial altar, breathed again its
matchless harmony as George William
| Sawyer advanced to meet Miss Anna
Matilda Boggs at the gilded chancel of
St. Caulifiower's. Preceding that rain
bow of glorious girlhood the gentle
maiden held her stately way: match
| less ensemble, but the fairest of them
all was the brides elder sister,"
The city editor breathed hard.
It's true, every word of it, said the
young reporter, and, although he knew
he was on the brink of a discharge, he
smiled. It was such a delight to hear
a really good reader round off his mu-
steal periods
II don't doubt its veracity in the
least" said the city editor. ''Veracity
cuts no ice, however, on this occasion.
| It's the verbosity that I'm getting at.
Here's some more of it: How can a
simple layman hope to probe the witch
| ing intricacies of those idealiZed gar
ments? They were dreams, they were
visions, they We're spasms of esthetiC
delight. And the robe of the bride S
elder sister was the most enhancing
spasmodic of them ALL There" broke
off the reader, 'let me ask you if you
call that good newspaper copy"
It's little too good. isn't it?'' sug-
gested the young reporter.
The city editor -glared at him.
TOO goodl" he echoed. II should
say it was too good, 1t beats Addison,
Pope and Macaulay rolled into onei
Listen again: AS for the glimmering,
flashing, blazing display of wedding
gifts, what can be said of it? The
mines of Golconda, the caves of Ocean
us, the glitter of the everlasting stars,
the iridescent CLEAN of the dewdrops,
were all represented in that glorious
conglomeration of priceless bric-a-brac.
And among all those tokens of loving
hearts and open hands. the fairest, the
most tasteful, the most precious gift of
all came from the brides elder sister.
| There, What have you to say to that?''
Read some more" suggested the
young reporter
The city editor glared at him sus-
piciously.
That's quite enough he said short
ly. step down to the cashier and draw
what's coming to you. Good day"
And the young reporter was a report
er no longer.
1t might have been a half hour later
when tall lady swept up to the city
editors desk. She wasn't young, and
she was far from fair. but her gar
ments were of great richness and d
pleasing rustic, and a dreamy per-
fume, followed in her wake. From a
it on the editors desk.
81 stepped into your business office. -
she said, ''to order 1000 copies of your
notice of the Sawyer BoggS wedding,
and they told me you would provide me
with information regarding the where
abouts of Mr.. Archibald Blocker, a re-
porter, think.
Mr.. Blocker is no longer connected
with this paper" said the city editor.
f,1 10
II can imagine" she said. that the
work could not be congenial to per-
son of his unexceptional talents
The city editor gaSped slightly.
Here is his address," he said, after
moments rummaging through the
debris of his desk.
The lady received it with a murmur
of well-bred thanks, and swept from
the room.
The city editor picked up her card.
Then he grinned.
by Jove." he chuckled. that's GER
tainly the brides elder sisterl''
Two months later the city editor
turned to his assistant. He had
cleaned his desk and was in a CONVEX
setional mood.
of that little Blocker who was on the
paper for a week or so last spring. l
mean the chap who wrote that bowling
account of the big Boggs wedding"
Said goodby to him the other day.
replied Parker. HE was off for I,u-
rope for a two years stay
mol" said the city editor. Struck
it rich, eh2'
Married it, said Parker.
who's the LADY,"
you know her." said Parker
"Eh2 Who was she?'
Parker smiled broadly.
The brides elder sister," he said.
And the editor softly whistled.