The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-08-17
ALOSTWEDDING RING


you couldn't possibly Know, anyway glris
don't know about travelling"
lie was boy Of eight year. spoiled By con-
slanl pc,iing, aud the girl was two years
older. She had been forced to give ny to this
little brother all his life. simply because he
happened " be a boy. II was Very hard
sonastiInes when she knew he was wrong.
but She had bccome uEed 20 doing jus, "a
Dick wished, and the last thing their father
had said when he put them on the train was:
Margaret. your brother knows The beat
way to settle any little questioa that may
come w, and you are 10 permit him to de-
clde--hc Is little man"
IL vas IN this way. practsccd many times
over, that his parents had spoiled whAt
would have otherwise been pleasant little
boy. Having had his own way practically
~ u his lew years Of life he would ouun.
tcnangc no objection 10 the diciaics Of hls
vail, aud bis poor sister found that she was
Uuly uaed for the brothers amusement. Ia
everything that was proposed she had 10
give 10 20 his d!ctstlons, and accept bis YER
sion Of every stop told. IL maticrsd not
whether Ahe absolutely knew better way,
1t vas the little man" Who ruled, and TO
whom hia parents listened when there vas
story to tell. In this way he had found u an
easy matter 10 lay all his ON IA misdssds upon
his sister. aud she had found that !. was beat
10 take them "a they came without any al
tempt to rciu,e the false evidence against
her.
The little man proceeded 20 have every.
tldng hA own WY, aud when his sister
wanted the window down because Of tho
c!ndeTa, he ordered the porter TO put Il up.
And ~ u Went On, until they finally
rSached their destination, which was Rich.
mond. Va. They wCre going TO spcsl the
whole year, while their father was in En-.
rUpe, with Aunt Louise. Thew was 10 DO
e wedding In the family, too, very souu,
anu they were looking forward 10 az. cope.
cialiy when letter came from Cousin Agnes.
the bridc.l0-be, saying that Dick was 20 az
t.st a. ring bearer, 70 his father bad bought
him beautiful little white hr0adcloth suit
In New York, and his dearest Possession was
! pair Of patent leather shoes.
The train stopped and some one came bur
Ding through the car, looking over the high
backs Of the sleeping berth seats.
All. herr they are! You dear little
lamba All tlrSd and dusty, exclaimed the
sweet voice VI Aunt Louise.
I'm not dusty" said Dick, "but Mar
garet probly Is because since we waahcd the
last time she would keep putting her nose
on the window"
Aunt Louise laughed and kisscd them,
hurrying them on 10 a quaint old family
carviagc where an old whisewoo.cd darby
stood holding the re.ns. lie face was GOV.
cred with smiles and he kept ducldng hiA
head as bis mistress approached with the
Cluldren.
Uncle Rastus, these are our two little
mothcrlesz ones, and yOu mus, lake great
care Of them"
"lss, miss, yas. Would dc 81 sen, like &
rlde vii INC Kastus!'
Dick accepted the invitation and away
they went through the dear old town Of
Richmond. !, Is full Of hills, aud the ride
out to the edge Of the town where Aunt
Louise's beautiful home lay was great iun
indeed.
Neither OF these children had ever seen
real southern darkics before aud they found
them vcry different from those 10 the hotel
where they lived ~ New York. The time Of
tina little story was long after the war
which gave freedom 10 the slaves, but on
many ui The Plantations where they had
h,ou we'll treated the slaves stayed, aud
were paid Tor their work. Al OF the darkics
that belonged 10 the Old Darcy plantation
begged 60 be- allowed to stay. when told
iHyJ wCfc free, because, you -ce. they didn't
know where 10 81 ur IS hat 70 DO, as they
bad always lived right there. The little
pilkauiuuica we're always ready with somcr.
saults or other icats 10 amusc Dick and
Margaret.
The great day Of The wedding came at last,
and the pretty little procession formed 10
the vcstibuic OF the Episcopal churrh where
the family attended. The ushcu first, two
by two, and then the maid OF honor the four
bridesmaids. aud finally just ahead ui the
BEAUTIFUL bride came Dick, al in white, bold
Ing dear little satin cushion with the gold
wedding ring IN the middle Of it. lie walked
very slowly, and held his head up ycp high,
indeed, ~ high that when be reached the
chanccl stops he did not see them, and
stumbled ~ that the ring fell oil ON the
soft carpet No one saw It, not even Dick
himself, who was very much mortified he.
cause he had nearly fallen. When the min.
lister came to the place where he tells the
groom 10 put the rng on the brides finger
they turned TO poor little Dick, who had
just discovered that the ring was gone. Ills
lace was very red as he stood holding the
little empty cushion, aud he was ready
10 cry. What do you think they did! Why,
the groom took a ring that bad belonged to
his mother of bic little iingrs, and, turn.
ing to the bride, slipped II over her wedding
finger. They smiled into each Others faces.
though Cousin Agnes did have tears in her
soit brown eyes.
When the procession vent down out Of the
church Dick carried tho little cushion, but
he just kept his head down, he was so
ashamed. His poor little heart was bursting
TO think he had done such a dreadful thing,
but whcn Cousin Agnes stopped down and
krssed him Just before she went away, and
ted him not TO care, and that che iorvave
him, lac Just sobbcd on her shoulder.
What a wonderful change the los, Of that
little ring made ia Dick. IL seemed TO show
He knew that II be had not been 20 lordly
in hts bearing and had paid more at.
tcntion to where be was going instead Of
trying to show oil to the friends Of the fam.
iiy gathered at the church be would no,
have stumbled, and Of course would not
have lost the ring. 1t wa> the very best
thing that could have possibly happcaed to
him, both for his o<n sake aud the welfare
and happiness 81 bis long abused sister
While the lister was sorry for the accident,
and especially sorry for the brother. yet she
fully the change for the better
IN him, and after that really got some com.
fort out Of her young life.
Dick VIVA a different boy from that day.
fic bad lnss confidence in himself, and did
not think his way vas always the best. lie
was nicer 10 Margaret. too. and people got
20 loving him, not because be was beautiful
little boy and wore nice clothes. bat because
he was agreeable and kind.
When the bride and groom drove Of the
day Of tho wedding Agnes looked 81 her
h'ss,and and Aaid. smiling through her
tears; "it ia good thing. dear, that we
are not supentitioas, ish's it,"
Yea dearest, our love is prnof sgssyst
such 3 little thing ss the dronnsnS Of a