Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-07-11
The Wedding Bell.
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Iorlginal.l

where the young girls have fair COM
plexions, light hair and blue eyes. there
lived man named jacobson. He had
gathered some means by hard work.
which would descend at his death to
his son John. Old Jacobson was espe-
cially DESTROYS that his son should at
his marriage enhance the family pos
sessions by taking wife with dowry
equal to the Jacobson inheritance,
but John sadly lnterfered with his
fathers plans for him by falling in
love with Lucy Peterson. one Of the
blue eyed, light haired, fair complex
Toned maidens before mentioned. Lucy
had no fortune In prospect. and. as for a
dowry, there was no one to give her
one, for her parents and all here rela-
tives were poor as church mice.
Nevertheless young Jacobson inter-
viewed his father on the subject. only
TO receive the alternative of giving up
Lucy or being disinherited. John
would have chosen the latter had It
not been for Lucy, who would not con-
sent to the sacrifice. Her lover pleaded
with her, but without effect. She said
that dowry was necessary. and If she
could not get one there must be no
marriage.
Old Jacobson was very much inter-
ested In new church, the only edifice
for religious worship for miles around.
There had been subscriptions and fairs
and all manner OF devices whereby to
raise money for its building. and when
1t was finished every one was tired Of
the struggle. The consequence was
that the church remained without a
bell, and everybody knows that a
church without bell is like a clock
without hands, One day when young
Jacobson was trying to induce his
father to relent and permit him to
marry Lucy the young man said
"How much Of dowry do you re-
qulre, father?"
1t happened that the old mans mind
was at that very moment on the def
Client church bell. "You may marry
Lucy" he said. ''lf she will provide a
bell for the church. 1t must be the size
to ill the tower prov ided for it and
must have 20 per cent of silver in it's
composition
John turned away dlsheartened. He
knew very well that Lucy had no mon
ey for such a purpose and that the re-
quirement was equivalent to saying
that he could not marry Lucy at all.
When he saw his sweetheart again he
told her what his father had said. She
made no remark at the time, but the
next time she saw John she said:
do you love me well enough to wait
for me for a long whlleT'
II will never marry any one else"
John replied.
Very well. Go to the crossroads
just beyond the church There in a de-
serted garden you will find a corn
stalk growing. Pluck the ears, which
are ripe, and bring them to me-"
John, wondering, brought her the
ears Lucy put them away and the
next spring planted them at one end Of
her fathers garden. When the autumn
came she gathered so much seed that
there was not room for even a small
portion OF 1t in the garden. She took a
measure to one farmer, another meas
ure to another, and so on. until she had
exhausted her seed, asking them to
plant the kernels and telling them that
the crop was to so to buying a bell for
the church. They were all interested
and gladly did as she suggested.
The next autumn there were num-
Der of farmers who had seed to spare,
and Lucy gave the surplus to others,
and the next spring there was not a
farmer interested in the church who
did not plant portion of his ground
with corn for the church bell. But
long before this all knew that they
would not only get the bell for the
church, but that Lucy, whom they all
loved, would get her lover for a hus.
band. Another year passed. and the
crop was so large that it was with
difficulty enough prepared ground was
found to plant It, but there were rea.
sons why every one should help to the
utmost, and every kernel was planted.
And so the increase went ON till at
the end Of the ffth year the whole
crop was sold, and there was plenty OF
money to buy bell large enough to
at the tower and with greater per
centage Of silver in its composition
than had been stipulated.
Old man Jacobson was 50 delighted
with Lucy's plan that he willingly full.
filled his promise, though so great was
the interest In the matter among the
farmers that If he had not they would
have turned him out of the church.
But 1t was decided that the marriage
should not come of till the bell had
been cast and put into the tower and
that Its first strokes should celebrate
the wedding Of the one whose plan had
resulted In its procurement. So com.
mittce went to the city. contracted for
the casting, and In due time It was fin.
ished. There was a dispute about the
Inscription to be put on It. some wish
ing to call il the corn bell. while others
wished II to be inscribed as the wed.
i dtnrs hall The In fRoY nyNvailed