Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-06-07
as merely ridden through the plains


many shades of steeds appear from
all directions and add their saddles to
the long rows against the walls, shake
hands. drink coffee and stand about
outside In groups to watch the arriv-
Ing carts and OK wagons as they are
unburdened OF their heavy freight of
massive Tautes and cOmely daughters,
followed by swarms Of children Of all
sizes. dressed in all manner of print
and molcskin. who are taken care of
by Hottentot, Kalfir and half caste
nurses. whose many shaded complex
ions. ranging from light yellow up to
ebony black. add variety to the AMI
mated scene. Everywhere are excite
ment and hustle, which gradually in
crease as the time for the return of
the wedding party approaches. Prep
arations for the feast are actively ad-
vanclng In the kitchen; coffee Is liber-
ally handed round and amid q pro
found sensation and the firing OF guns
the horse wagon draws up, and the
wedding party allght. Bride and bride
| groom, with their attendants march
solemnly to the marriage chamber,
where bed and box are decked out In
white with ends OF ribbon and artif-
| clal flowers and where on row Of
| chairs the party solemnly seat them
selves. After a time bridesmaid and
best man rise and conduct In with
ceremony each individual guest to wish
success and to kiss bride and bride
groom. Then the feast is set on the
| table, and II is almost sunset before
| the dishes are cleared away and the
pleasure of the day begins
Everything Is removed from the
great front room. and the mud floor
well rubbed with bullock's blood, glis-
| tens like polished mahogany. The fe
male portion OF the assembly flock
into the side rooms to attire them
| selves for the evening and reissue clad
| In white muslin and gay with bright
| ribbons and brass jewelry. The dane
| Ing begins as the first tallow candles
| are stuck up about the walls, the music
| coming from a couple Of fiddlePs In
| corner of the room. Bride and bride
groom open the ball, and the floor is
| soon covered with whirling couples,
and every ones spirits rise. The bridal
| pair mlngle freely in the throng, and
| here and there musical man sings Wig
| orously as he drags his partner through
| the blue Water or John Speri-
| wig" boys shout and applaud, and the
| enjoyment and confusion are intense
| till II O'Clock comes. BY this time the
| children who swarm In the side rooms
are not to be kept quiet longer, even
| by lunches of bread and cake. There Is
| a general howl and wall that rises yet
| higher than the scraplng OF fiddles, and
| mothers rush from their partners to
| knock small heads together and cuff
| little nursemaids and force the walters
down into unoccupied corners Of beds,
under tables and behind boxes. In
| half an hour every variety Of childish
| snore is heard on all sides, and II has
| become perilous to raise or set down
| foot In any of the side rooms lest
| small head or hand should be crushed.
| Now, too, the busy feet have broken
the solid coating Of the floor, and
| cloud of fine dust arises that makes
| yellow halo round the candles and sets
| asthmatic people coughing and grows
denser till to recognize any one on the
opposite side of the room becomes I'M
| possible, and a partners face is seen
through yellow mist.
At u o'clock the bride il led to the
marriage chamber and undressed. The
| lights are blown out, and the bride
| groom is brought to the door by the
best man, who gives him the key.
| Then the door is shut and locked, and
the revels rise higher than ever. There
is no thought OF sleep till morning and
mo unoccupied spot where sleep may
be found.
1t was at this stage OF the proceed
ings on the night Of Tant SaDnie's
wedding that Lyndall sat near the
| doorway In one OF the side rooms to
! watch the dancers as they appeared
and disappeared in the yellow cloud Of
dust. Gregory sat moodily in n corner
! Of the large dancing room. His littlo
betrothed touched his arm.
81 wish you would go and ask Lyn-
dali to dance with YOU" she said. "Sho
must be so tired. She has sat still the
whole evening"
| II have asked her three times re
| piled her lover shortly. "Pm not go
|
| Just to give her the pleasure Of kicking
me-not for you, EN-, nor for anybody
| else"
"Oh, | didn't know you had asked
her, Greg" said his little betrothcd
| humbly, and she went away to pour
out coffee.
| Nevertheless some time after Greg
ory found he had shifted so far round
J the room as to be close to the door
where Lyndall sat. After stanaing
for some time he inquired whether he
might not bring her n cup Of coffee.
She declined but still he stood on (why
should he not stand there as well as
anywhere elseD, and then he stepped
into the bedroom.
"May | not bring you n stove, Miss
Lyndall, to put your feet on"
"Thank you"
He sought for one and put 1t under
her feet.
"There Is n draft from that broken
window. Shall | stuff something in
the panep
mo; we want air"
Gregory looked round; but, nothing
else suggesting itself, he sat down on n
box on the opposite side OF the door.
| Lyndall sat before him, her chin rest
ing in her hand. Her eyes, steel gray
by day, but black by night, looked
through the doorway into the next
room. After n time he thought she had
entirely forgotten his proximity, and
he dared to inspect the little hands and
neck as he never dared when he was in
momentary dread Of the eyes being
| turned upon him. She was dressed In
black, which seemed to take her yet
farther from the white clad gewgawed
women about her, and the little hands
were white, and the diamond ring gilt
tered Where had she got that ring?
He bent forward n little and tried to
| dcciphcr the letters but the candlellght
was too faint. When he looked up,
her eyes were fixed on him She was
| looking Mt him-not, Gregory felt, as
she had ever looked at him before;
not as though he were n stump or a
stone that chance had thrown I'm her
way. Tonight, whether II were critic
ally or kindly or unkindly, he could
not tell. but she looked at him, at the
! man, Gregory Rose, with attention. \
| vague clatiOn filled him. He clinched
his fist tight to think OF some good
idea he might express to her, but Of all