Year: 1863

CHAPTER I.


On fine sunny morning in the year
1850, the bells OF kensington Old Church
were ringing a merry peal in honor OF a
wedding which had been celebrated within
those ne-honored walls about ten min
utes before. The churchyard was crowd
cd with spectators, chiefly Of the humber
class; the awning was up from the church
door to the gate; cluster of handsome
carriages drawn by high-stepping horses,
waited outside; and the path down which
the happy couple were to pass was lined
with spectators as full Of eager interest as
if the great event of events had happened
to them, instead OF to total strangers
Servant girls loitercd there, regardless Of
the iniunctions as to speed and care with
which they had been charged ere they had
left their homes; nurscmaids wheeled
their charges. ami butcher boys leaned
their trays against the railings; police
men fingered on their beats; a cab or two
drew up beside the curbstone and a brass
band in the distance. that had been play
ing Annie Laurie with the greatest
diligence, suddenly changed their tune to
"Come haste to the Wedding as the
bcadle rushed from the porch in state Of
intense excitement; and the white veil and
orange flowers appeared upon the thresa-
old.


/ wonder why We all take such an ab-
sorbing interest in wedding. II We see
a funeral procession going slowly along
the street, VIC gaze at it with shlvcring
and then we 90 on our way. But If a
carriage full of white bonuets. wells, and
ties pass us the moment after, and we
have the time to spare, We generally set
off at round trot after it, to get to the
church in time to see the bride 90 in or
come out, as the case may be. The bride
alone for it is an understood thing that all
the interest Of the occasion centers in her.
The bridegroom may be a wonder in her
eyes, but in ours he is simply lay-igure
over whom the mantle Of her glory falls
in graceful folds. She may be young and
pretty; she may be old and plain; but
still she is the BRIDE and it is at her
we crowd to look, a, her we smile, for her
we sigh, after her We send our good wish
e.. and throw our old shoes. Why is 1t
that We feel such an absorbing interest in
her? We cannot tell. Some of u, who
have never been brides, may be admiring
and envying; some Of us who have been
brides, to our sorrow, may be plying and
fearing for her. yet the attraction IN eth
er case is nearly the same.


In the present case the bride was Meth
or very young nor very beautiful. She
was u tall, dark lady, apparently about
thirty years of age, with good teeth, hair
and eyes, and very pleasant smile. The
bridegroom was apparently about five
wears her seinor, bronzcd and bearded like
soldier, and wearing his left arm IN a
sling. 4 murmur anthrough the crowd.
Madame Rumor was whispering that the
pair mad been lovers in their earliest youth,
that circumstances had separated them,
that the lady had been forced into dis,
tasteful marriage, and the gentleman sent
to India, aud that now, after an absence
of many years he had returned with a IT,
tie, with wealth, ani honors by the score
aud laid them all at the feet OF his first
love, whom he found widow, toillng as a
coyerness for her daily bread. We ali
love bit of romance in our hearts ; and
this little tale was received SO kindly by
the crowd, that as the bells pcalei out
again, and the carriages drove away, they
were followed by ringing cheer, with the
.heartiest cries of God bless you"
.sh 5xer of old shoes and slippers, procured
uymen only knows where, but which we
verify believe were taken by enthusiastic
servant girls of their own feet, in the
sudden excitement Of the moment.


All was over. The bells rang o1t then
last exultant peal, the bride and bride
groom had driven away into their Fool''
Paradise" accompanied by their rejoicing
friends, and the eager crowd went to then
several tasks once more in the work-a
day world.


But one Of their number remained, ever
after the last notes of the bells had died
away. and the red waistcoated bcadle had
gone home to his twelve o'clock dinner
lie was man apparently about twenty
six years of age, who had been watching
the progress Of events, at first somewha
contemp ptuously. He was bachelor, an(
ewas wont to pride himself upon his STATE
of single blessedness so we must own
that he watched the brides coming witt
very suspicious smile; but as that littl'
tale to which we have already alluded rar
through the sympathizing crowd, it caugh
his ear, and the expression of his face
changed. He too had had an early love
who at the entreaty of her widowed moth
er, had given him up and married mar
far better fitted to be her father than heI
husband,


k But here all resemblance between the
tvo stories came to an end, for the LADY
was still wife, the mother Of five beau
r