Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-30
CHAPTER w.
A Little Smile; Big Wedding.

sunlight lay in shimmering luster on the
city.
The marriage was to be celebrated in Mrs.
Rossiter's church. fashionable place of
meeting or exclusive ecclesiastical club,
where the word and the world lay down
together like the lion and the lamb in the
millennium; where soft lights and short
sermons tranquilized the congregation and
assuaging oil was poured on the troubled
conscience. Once it is indeed chronicled
the rector had awakened and roared as
gently as any sucking dove, but the sermon
Gccasioned so much disapproval that he i'm
mediately relaxed to moderation, and the
poppy and mandragora again prevailed in
the sacred place.
Richard Strong not in the strict
sense of the word, a church-goer, but he
had been prone often to repair to the great
white chapel on Brooklyn heights to listen
to Mr.. Beecher, and to become part or
that vast, democratic congregation won't to
feed, not on dscourses mild as mother s
milk, but on a more invigorating, strength
giving moral diet.
Thus it came about that because of his
friendship and admiration for Mr.. Beecher
and in his ignorance of hymeneal etiquette
Mr. Strong had the temerity to suggest that
it would be fine thing to have the cere-
mony performed by that minister. Mrs
Rossiter's face was a study. Her daughter
married in that common auditorium, where
the people surged and struggled and even
climbed on to the window-SillS; where the
children sat on the very steps of the pulpit
while the minister was preaching Mr.
Beecher was a great man, no doupt-hls
salary was evidence of that. but the KOS
siters had never taken kindly to REVEALS or
evangelists-"theolog bouffe," or religion
bouffe''-they accepted the apostles, or
course. but they had lived so long ago the
Rossiters had never been brought INTO per-
sonal contact with them!
''Of course" she said, the ceremony
could only take place in the brides church
Mr. Strong laughed and quickly apan-
doned the point. Temple, tabernacle, or
ecclesias ticaI club, 1t was really all one TO
him the result would be the same and he
was a man who sought results without
ouarreling needlessly with ways and
means.
had not assumed so festal aspect as on
that particular wedding day, and all the
street was up in arms-or rather. up III
eyes-to do honor to the occasion. windows
commanding a view of the house-especially
the windows of those residences belonging
to people that had not been invited 10 the
marriage-were at a premium among the
respective feminine members OF the various
families In fact, during all the past week,
these windows had had eyes, watching the
tradespeople coming and going.
Parcels! parcels! parcels! had muir
INJURED Mrs. Parker who was not not OF MIS- MRS:
ago no one would trust them!'
And truly the Rosster credit had scared
of late; Brown, Jones and Robinson had
not only been very glad to send up what
Mrs Rossiter selected, but had urged that
good lady to the temptation of further eX-
travagances. Even Thomas Jenkins Es-
quire, had called-this time at the back
door-and humbly solicited the continuance
of that patronage that had suddenly be-
come SO desirable.
In the reception room of the old home
stead the shabby genteel aspect of furni-
ture. draperies and carpet was overshad
owed and lost sight of in the profusion of
decoration and floral adornments. Here
were gathered the heroine of the occasion
and her bridesmaids. Did Miss Rossiter
realize the Importance of the step she was
taking? With more than usual viVacity
she was chatting with her fair bevy of as
sstants, the wilderness of her attire en-
phasizing a heightened color which gave
to her cheeks the tint of wild roses
The mother of the bride, adorned in the
splendor of green silk, trimmed with point
applique-the material from the now oblig-
ing Brown. Jones and RobinsOn-glanced
from time to time severely, almost disap-
provingly, toward her daughter.
why, the child's frivolous" she thought.
I'm my day young people looked upon mar
riage as very solemn occasion"
Obviously Miss Rossiters bridesmaids
also belonged to a newer and more volat
generation, for they were all talking at
once and futtering like so many white
pigeons around the cote at feeding time.
Oh said one of them. Familiarity known
as "Posie" Stanton. Ito get married and
then not spend the honeymoon in Paris is
like not getting married at all!'
You should have made Paris one of the
conditions Elinorl'
And then reveled in gig-top hats and
Ristori bonnetsi"
And seen the Empress Eugene at one
of the balls at the Hotel de Vile They
say her dresses are dreams,'
eS, L should certainly have insisted on
the gig-top hats and Ristori bonnets!" said
Miss Rosster with a laugh that sounded
a little forced.
How stupid they forgot the orange bios
soms!' exclaimed miss who wore small
shepherdess wreath and a string of flowers
which fell over her throat like a necklace.
Fancy a bride without orange blossoms
"Oh, Charlie Dalton has gone after them
and-here he comes!'-as the front door
opened and the servant ushered in young
man who approached without that precip-
itancy that the importance of the erraud
seemed to demand.
Tall, broad shouldered. moving with a
certain careless grace, he presented figure
any woman would have regarded twice.
And looking twice, the chances are her
glance the second time would have fingered
unduly, If not approvingly, on the well-set
head, clear-cut features and rather cynical
dark blue eyes.
short homely little man, with side whskers
and the kind brown eyes of a spaniel
whose manner betrayed considerable per-
turbation, if not positive alarm. at being
thus suddenly plunged, as it were, into
roomful of vivacious young ladies, espe-
cially as he was seized upon at once by one
of the aforesaid intimidatng personifica-
tions of piquancy Miss Posie Stanton, the
box which he carried promptly confscated
and its contents admiringly surveyed by the
whole party.
The bride turned to the first newcomer.
Her eyes were bright; above the clear deli
cate brow. her brown hair, with its tinge
of gold, fulfilled the scriptural requirement,
and was a glory to her: with a nervous
hand she pushed 1t back.
Thank you, Cousin Charlie" she said
lightly There was really no need. but
mama wanted to make sure. She is SO
afraid something will go wrong"
Don't mention it." he answered.
His glance passed over her from head to
foot. CLEAN of Involuntary admiration re-
placing the irony in his look The gown
of rich white silk sheathed her in simmer
tug folds; her figure was replete with girl
Ssh grace as she stood there, her hands
loosely clasped before her. her head very
erect above the white neck. succession
of gggles from Miss Posie and the brides
maids caused him to look away. HIS ex-
preston changed.
They are trying your orange bios
sons Elinor," he said. How they all envy
yoiIi Each LITTLE hea ri fS filed with n big