Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-04-21
brance.

air, held last years almanac in her
hand and figured as the officiating
clergyman, while Polly, with piece
of mosquito netting over her head and
a bouquet Of bachelor buttons in her
hand, was the bride.
The most impressive part of the
ceremony, to their minds, was the
throwing of rice and old shoes after
the departing couple, and the insur-
mouutable difficulty of introducing
this feature into their reproduction
caused them much distress.
A bride, Polly complained, couldn't
very well throw rice at herself, and as
Pauline thought it needed a hack or
some kind of a conveyance to make the
thing complete, it was at last reluc
family decided to omit this most inter
esting part of the marriage.
The wedding procession, conspicu-
Gus for triiing oversight in the mat
ter of bridegroom, was on the point
OF starting down the barn, where the
event was taking place, when Il young
man drove into the yard and, hitching
his horse, rang the bell to inquire for
the twins grown up sister.
For a minute the children gazed at
each other as the door opened to re-
ceive him, then brilliant idea struck
them simultaneously. OF came Polly j
veil and down went Pauline's book
That's Charley Bingham come to
take sister to ride" gasped Polly,
dancing up and down in delight.
II know it," said Pauline excited
ly, land we haven't minute to lose.
You run right up to the house and get
all the rice You can, and TIL borrow
some of the neighbors.
ooh, Mrs. Herrick," she painted
breathlessly few seconds later, as
she rushed into that ladys door,
won't you please let me have some
rice?"
why, child, what do you want of
rice? You are not having wedding
at your house, are you?"
Eyes, ma'am, and please hurry, OF
it will be too late.
But who is it for?"
''For sister Sue," shouted Pauline
who was in too much of hurry tc
stop for elaborate explanations. and
raced back to meet Polly, who hat
had the good luck to find bag of the
stuff which the grocer had left on the
kitchen table.
well, haven't they kept that pretty
quiet?" inquired Mrs. Herrick of he
caller, Mrs. Smith, as she picked NJ
her knitting, and both ladies drew
their chairs to the windows on tn,
side next the Peters's house to watcl
the course of events more closely.
There goes Parson Hildreth'' ex
claimed Mrs. Smith; and sure enough
that reverend gentleman was seei
coming down the steps next door, hav
ing made call upon the twins
father.
81 thought that would be a mattel
sometime; but what are those children
doing now?"
Pauline and Polly, in their stockin
feet, were tying white hair ribbons t
the horses foretops, and two pairs 0
small shoes were seen dangling undo
the carriage. There had been IL
time to hunt up cast-off symbols c
good luck, so the twins had hastily Iii
vested themselves Of their own foot
gear, and only mourned that Their
weren't centipedes when they We've
the smallness of the collection.
The little girls had barely tnishe
tying the last knot and skipped int
the barn after their bags of rice whe
Mr.. Bingham came out to get hi
team. He was desperately sh
young man and not especially obser,
ing. Being slightly agitated, too,
is doubtful whether he would hay
noticed had his horse turned into
prancing zebra during his absence
and it is not strange that the ribbon
and other decorations failed to attra
his attention.
Pretty Miss Susie Peters next al
peared to take her place in the CO,
riage, and Mr.. Bingham had ju
gathered up the. reins preparatory
start when a cloud-burst of rice Ell
veloped them, the carriage, the hors
and good share of the people on Il
street.
The horse, q nervous animal, star
ed with a jump, and further irritat'
by the futtering ribbons before b
eyes, swept down the street at TIL
away pace. The shoes swung ba
and forth under the carriage for sor
distance, but finally dropped off
front of the Office of The Srowvi
Clipper. country weekly whose for