Year: 1875

Farm. The usual serenity which was char
teristic of that well.ordered household had
vanished, and spirit of restlessness and dis
comfort had usurped its place. 1t was not
only the hustle and excitement attendant upon
the preparations for Dolly's wedding which
caused the change The concurrence of start
ling and unexpected events which had lately
taken place had thrown every ones mind of
its balance. Even Jennie's gayety was broken
by fits ofdepression, and feeling Of anxiety
and vague apprehension reigned among them
all. For Dolly's sake, however, Edna en-
deavored to keep an appearance Of cheerful
ness, and melted others to do the same; and
Dolly, who was by no means iusensible to this
unsel6shness on her part, testified her appre-
citation of it in an interview she had with her
on the morning Of her weddiugday.


Dear Edna, she said, embracing her, "you
are as good to me as you can be, and have
always been so. 1 can't bear to 60 away and
leave you"


II shall miss you, too, dearest; but must
get used to that-one by one, you will all be
slipping out of the home nest soon."


"You are such sweet, kind sister. How l
wish"


"What? 2" asked Edna as she stopped.


II wish you could have all the happiness
you Deserve" said Dolly, with tears in her
eyes.


II am quite sure to have that" replied Ed
ma, resolved to ignore any special meaning in
the remark. "We all have as much as we
deserve, and more, too, as general rule. l
am truly thankful, my dear, that your pros
poets are SO bright"


"Oh, yes! think I am very fortunate"
said Dolly, not without some natural compla-
cency; and then her thoughts reverted to the
important ceremony of the approaching eve
ming and all the arrangements connected
Herewith; and she commenced discussion of
the respective merits of white and colored
flowers for the supper.table, which was much
pleasanter than dwelling on uncomfortable
thoughts.


Edna, with sort of feverish anxiety to get
the final wrench over as soon as possible, had
urged upon Claribel the expediency of short
engagement especially as she knew that
Hugh had been pressing for the same; but
Claribel hung back with an unconquerable
reluctance to take the decisive step. To tell
the truth, the young girl was only half happy.
She felt continually as though she were doing
her sister an injury; and all Edna's tender
ness could not eface the impression, which
was somewhat like that she had been wont to
experience, when, as child, she had grieved
over some wrong-doing of her own for which
Edna had been too forbearing to punish her.
1t must be owned that Hugh did not partake
altogether of this feeling. He rejoiced in the
consummation of his desires, which seemed to
have been so easily achieved and being a
man, and therefore gifted with less penetra-
tion than Claribel, he was more readily de-
ceived than she was by Edna's outward Sc
renity of demeanor, and fancied that, after all,
he might have made mountains out of mole
hills, and exaggerated unduly the difficulties
in his way. He was impatient to transplant
Claribel from the somewhat gloomy atmos.
phere of her present surroundings to bloom in
the sunshine of home of their own.


1t happened that he was summoned away
on business of Importance, on the very day Of
the wedding; but he deferred leaving until
after the ceremony, from which, especially as
he was to act as one of the groomsmen, he
could not we'll have absented himself. 1t
was arranged, therefore, that he should start
at eleven o'clock that night, which would just
enable him to reach his journeys end at the
right time to accomplish his purpose.


The FIRST wedding in family is usually at
tended with considerable Importance; but in
this case it had not been so. Virgilia had
been married, fortnight before, quite pri-
vately and without display, and very dole
full and unsatisfactory affair it had seemed to
them all. She had, at once, gone home to
her husbands house and since then they had
seen her but twice, and that only in Mr.. Hold
wegs company, which made their intercourse
little constrained. Of course this singular
marriage had excited universal surprise among
their friends but, as they all admitted, Vir-
gilia was so different from other people, that
it was to be expected that she should adhere
to her eccentricity now as on other occasions.
Mr.. Holdweg was regarded by most of them
as queer, good-natured, harmless sort of
man, whose ugliness and ungainly appearance
had been supposed to be sufficient antidotes
against any young lady falling in love with
him but then, as they said, peoples tastes
differed, and if Virgilas fancy overlooked
his deficiencies, of course they had no right to
find fault with her choice.


Dolly's wedding was quite different mat
matter. Everything was done that was suit
able and proper, and everybody considered it
an "excellent match" The bride looked very
beautiful and stately in her sweeping silken
draperies, and her coronet Of large, pure
pearls, the gift of her betrothed, and eomport'
ed herself with becoming presence of mind on
the occasion. The delight of the Curtis fam
ity was unequivocal. The doctor overAowed
with hilarity, and Mrs. Curtis was repeatedly
heard to declare her satisfaction at "my Hen
rvs" good fortune, while the two girls, Ellen
and Lucy, on the completion of the ceremony
each bestowed on their new connection most
sisterly caress of adoption, which she received
with her usual amiable placidity of demeanor
only giving furtive glance at the mirror af
terward, to assure herself that her veil was
not 3;eordered hv the ardor of their demon