The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-23

yancing in the Kitchen; coffee is liber-
ally handed round, and amid pro-
found sensation and the firing Of guns
the horse wagon draws up. and the
wedding party alight. 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 artifi-
cial flowers and where on row of
chairs the party solemnly seat them
selves. After 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 it 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 couple Of fddlers in q
corner of the room. Bride and bride
81, y open the ball, and the floor is
49,, covered with whirling couples,
"A very ones spirits rise. The bridal
pl:g mingle freely in the throng, and
90,
o;ously as he drags his partner through
the Blue Water or "John Speri-
wig" boys shout and applaud, and the
e.jeyment 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 scraping 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 it has
L
| foot in any of the side rooms lest q
small head or hand should be crushed.
| Now, too, the busy feet have broken
| the solid coating of the floor, and a
cloud of fine dust arises that makes a
| 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 partners face is seen
through yellow mist.
At IL o'clock the bride is 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
no 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 modify in corner
of the large dancing room. His little
betrothed touched his arm.
II wish you would go and ask I.yn-
dali to dance with you," she said. "She
4 must be so tired. She has sat still the
whole evening"
II have asked her three times" re-
Il Mi oil,
| ing to be her dog and creep to her feet,
just to give her the pleasure of kicking
me-nOt for you, EN-. nor for anybody
else"
ooh, didn't know you had asked
her, Greg" said his little betrothed
humbly, and she went away to pour
out coffee
Nevertheless some time after Greg
Ory found he had shifted so far round
the room as to be close to the door
where Lyndall sat. After standing
for some time he inquired whether he
might not bring her cup Of coffee.
She declined, but still he stood on (why
should he not stand there as well as
anywhere else?, and then he stepped
into the bedroom.
MAY not bring you stove, Miss
Lyndall, to put your feet onY'
Thank you"
He sought for one and put it under
her feet
"There is draft from that broken
window. Shall ! stuff something ir
the pane?"
"No; we want air."
Gregory looked round; but, nothing
else suggesting itself, he sat down on d
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 ne2t
room. After a time he thought she haG
entirely forgotten his proximity, anG
he dared to inspect the little hands ani
neck as he never dared when he was in
momentary dread Of the eyes being
turned upon him. She was dressed il
black, which seemed to take her yet
farther from the white clad gewgawet
oIo ~, Il,