The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-06-10
The Wedding Bell.

III,
where the young girls have fair COM
plexions, light hair and blue eyes, there
lived a 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 sou should at
his marriage enhance the family pos
sessions by taking wife with dowry
equal to the Jacobson Inheritance.
but John sadly interfered 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
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
10 receive the alternative of giving I'D
Lucy or being disinherted. John
would have chosen the latter had II
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
bell. and everybody knows that
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, fatherY
1t happened that the Old mans mind
was at that very moment on the def
cient church bell. "You may marry
Lucy" he said, "if she will provide a
bell for the church. 1t must he the size
to fill the tower provided for it and
must have 20 per cent of silver in its
composition.
John turned away dlsheartened. He
knew very well that Lucy had no mon
ey for such 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 long while2"
II will never marry any one else"
John replied.
VERY well. Go to the crossroads
just beyond the church. There in 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
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 go TO buying bell for
the church. They were all interested
| and gladly did as she suggested.
The next autumn there were a 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 a 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 hus-
band. Another year passed, and the
crop was so large that 1t 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 fifth year the whole
crop was sold, and there was plenty Of
money to buy bell large enough to
fit the tower and with a greater per-
centage of silver in its composition
than had been stipulated.
Old man Jacobson was so delighted
with Lucy's plan that he willingly full
/ filed 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 off 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
mittee went to the city, contracted for
the casting, and In due time 1t was fin
fohA n I'M