Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-31

I choose but you-I choose but you.
No king that's seated his lofty throne
No humble peasant in his lowly cot
Could know the rapture that would be my own,
If had you-If had you.
No peasant maid princess of degree
With fairest form and loving heart must true,
Could fill my soul with this rapt ecstacy,
Since she's not you, since she's not you
1t therefore matters not how fair she be,
Nor what her lot for her I'd never sue
For she can neer be fair or fond to me
Because I've you--Because I've you.
There was deep hush the song died away,
merging into the strains of the wedding march.
Through the partially open doorway | saw
heeding the long array of ushers and groomsmen
followed by the bridesmaids walking with meas
ured stately tread up the aisle, and Following a
few PAGES behind, my dear Dorothy In purest
white of silken sheen, flmy, diaphanous as
cloud with sweet June lilies concealed among the
draperies About her neck my mother had clasped
the parure of pearls worn by her at her own we'd
ding, and over all was thrown the feecy veil which
covered but did not conceal my sweet Dorothy
from my longing eyes as went forth to meet
and receive this precious gift from her father
With her hand in mine listened as in dream
to the holy words that made one for all through
were running the minor chords:
If I could pray for what my heart most longs,
OF heavenly joys and earthly transports too,
All, this would be the burden of my song:
choose but you-I choose but you.
1t was all over. She was mine, and we walked
as in a dream out of the church and into the car
riage where I held her in my arms for mo-
lnent her lips pressed to mine.
"At last | have in you. sweet Dorothy, all that
life holds dear, while life shall last" Then
hand in hand sat silent as was her custom
when greatly moved.
And time ras not and all the aoorld stood STILL"
Arrived at the house, saw her pressed to her
fathers and mothers breasts and have dim rec
objection of seeing her return to them again and
fbpn a
kiss as If assuring them of the love that was still
theirs superseded by no other. And she kissed
the Mater too
SO street. aoas my Dorothy!
Then came the hurry and hustle of departure
We were going away a little wedding journey;
we did not know where, nor did we care. Chi
cago was the objective point whittier we started
that night
There were jests and laughter and tender good
byes
While Dorothy was with her parents, their arms
about her. each holding hand, Nanny Chloe,
her eyes shining with unshed tears, was handing
over to me few little parcels for Dorothys COM
fort along with sundry bits of good advice.
"Take good keer of my baby, Marse Pearcy,"
she implored. "She amt nothin but baby; she
DON kno how to do nothin fur hersef; but she's
Iearnin | dun no how she's gwine ter git long
widout her Nanny Chloe!
I assured Mann Chloe that the one object and
ambition of my life would henceforth be- to take
good of my precious Dorothy.
'.Dese here her CONS and breshes, handing me
a fiat case. "She amt never been uster com'in her
own har, but she'll learn; she mly quick 'Dout
learnin tings.
"An' here's sumpfn ter eat De po' chile she
bin so 'stracted all day she amt eat bite Mos
like she'll be hungry, fore she goes ter bald, or
yerly in de mornin'; an she'll want bite NV
sumpfn her Mann Chloe's dun fix fur her, hand
ing me neat little package.
"An' Marsa Pearcy," taking me still further
aside-and Whispering" have ter help her
bout buttenin' her WASTES; she can butten all
but three buttens, an she can't reich em;-an