Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1903-08-22
AFTER THE WEDDING.


The wedding WAS over. The bride
and groom had driven away 10 nnl-
uhued shower % confetti With Light
words Of cOngratulasion fresh on their
Lips the guests In their turn bad de-
parted from the jenkins mansion.
leaving In their hosts breasts an Az
fui emptiness suggestive o. lonely To-
EiorroWs and next days.
Silently the BRIDEGROOM . father and I
mother got into their waiting carriage /
Both we're deep IA thought What the
occasion meant for them. however.
neither Nj nor Mrs. Ellsry had
EraSped. The ceremony occupied their
minds as a preesnt fact. not as fore
runner % the future Their son Was
stu their only son. his wife VAS ne
girl whom he had Just married win
ostentation that had broken In upon
the sober routine which The Eilsrys
had come Of late ysArs - regard Is
life
A. they went homcward through
streets that looked strange under the
fickering CLEAN of The arc lights the
, mother tried b. words 90 grope her
way through the feeling Of change that
was beginning 20 oppress her.
1t seems a. II Willie vas baby
only yesterday" she said "Fr~ hair
: looks like his used 20. soft and ysliov.
Z I've got his curls put away IN box
somewhere"
The old nan spoke In turn. but not
20 answer. his speech went out 20
meet the worldly vision In his own
mind: Its a good thing for fhe boy.
Maria. Mnnie's nice girl. and old
Jenkins Is millionaire
Both slipped back into silence There
was nothing more 20 say They fei'
themselves explained and the mouo-
syllable habit % tired old age re.
strained them Inevitably they driftet
into the rcveries FOR which experience
prepared them. The father scanues
anew the ambitions Of his youth which
lack OF money had hindcred
They seemed "a him within eas'
reach % his son. more fortunate. Thl
mother lived again through the hope
OF her young womanhood. From 90
the display OF the evening. the bril-
liant crush Of guests. the magnlacenc
OF the background one form stood be
fore hsr-the brides. all white excep
the bright head that crowned a. A
, the woman looked the years fell ava
| from her own slight shoulders. Ths
other scene. long since crown dim upo
her sight. grew clear again She 50
herself a bride with al The promiss
DO OF love fresh In her heart She hei
her head MP proudly beneath her ol
ange blossoms Happy and tremuiou
she looked With young eyes throus
her veil upon a familiar world that y
was new
The haunting swestness OF her ey'
grew sorrowfui. In her husbands FAC
lined with care. heavy because OF
settled features. In the dropping lin
OF his form. she saw herself "a Ia
mirror. she was old despits her dreai
ing
Slowly they walked up tho slippe
pathway together. each stesdying {
other while her husband fumbl
for his latchkey Mrs Bliery look
about her. her lips tightening =
scene before her doorstep. humble
ms itself but rich with associate
soothed her loneliness BY It's fAmil
aspect How often she had stood tn
waiting for her husbands homeco
ing. How often she had watched
boy on 90 school. coming forward
a. the edge Of the porch 40 that
- climbing vines should not obstruct
view OF him az ne trudged whist
I down the road. swinging his boz
recklesrly about his heels How %
: in more recent years she had purs
with yearning tenderness his retr'
no ing fgure Before her. In winter '
40 ture lay the little garden she