THE SYMBOLIZED WEDDING-DAY.
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��"Ah, my mother, alone? A penny for your thoughts ! What," he said, as she turned her love-lit eyes upon him, glis- tening like sun-rays through the drops of a clearing up shower, "what, sad, and a tear upon your blessed cheek? Do you not think I have chosen wisely, my dar- ling mother?"
"Aye, wisely, my own Harry!" But do you not see the dark, heavy clouds, and hear the rain drops already falling? You know the old adage — 'As your wed- ding day, so will your life be ;" and some- how, as I listen to the tiny drops patting on the window-pane, they seem to whis- per to my heart of coming shadows ; and their sad echoes seem permeating my whole being with a threatening fear! I can but feel that the beautiful sunshine and the gathering clouds are but sym- bols of your own future life !"
"Ah! let me kiss away these tears," he said, bending over her chair. "I can not endure a shadow on your face my wedding day! Cheer up, and bind our nuptials by your smiles, precious mother ! I hope, my beautiful mother" (as he was wont to call her) "will not harbor any suspicious intruders at our wedding!" and he cast a loving smile upon her. "We must not lose our trust in the Fa- ther, if we do, our anchor of hope sinks to the bottom. But here comes Kittie — do not cloud her sky — rather let me intro- duce her as your youngest daughter !" he said, while a merry laugh followed his words.
In a moment the great strength of her nature had subdued every trace of sad- ness, and, rising, she pressed the rosy lips of the lovely being before her ; and then, placing their right hands together, she held them within her own, while, with her beautiful eyes lifted heaven- ward, she asked God "to bless and keep them."
��The church looked very lovely in its festive dress of many-colored bloom. Trailing little vines and lovely bouquets peeped from every nook and corner; while in front of the chancel stood up proudly, arches of evergreens, dotted hereand there with half-laughing rose- buds. Long before the appointed hour
��every seat and standing place had been filled with auxious hearts and eager eyes to witness the marriage of her whose winning ways and sunny smiles had en- deared her to the many in the church she was wont to worship.
The ushers had been busy the last hour in seating the invited guests — her friends to the right, his to the left ; and every- body seemed brimful of happiness, as their smiling faces attested, — but one lit- tle shadow, and that rested upon the serene face of his "beautiful mother!" But no one took note of this, for scarce a true mother who does not feel a sharp pang in giving away her son, to whom she has been all the world, and who knows in her heart of hearts that she can never be quite the same to him again, as this other must needs fill the dearest nook in his existence. However, the shadows reached no farther than her own sweet face, and everything went on as "merry as a marriage bell," spite the drizzling rain outside.
By and by the organ began to peal forth the marriage march, announcing that the bridal party were waiting in the vestibule. Hushed as midnight air was the vast assembly, whose very heart- beatings you could hear as the bridal party entered. First, the bridemaids, looking like fairy queens in their floating airy dresses, scattering, as they came, tiny flowers to be crushed by the feet of the bride as she approached the altar to seal her troth-plight ; then the blushing bride, pure as a lily, with no color to mar its sweetness, leaning upon her father's arm ; after which the mother, who was seated by the happy bridegroom, who, politely bowing, passed on and knelt be- fore the altar beside her he had chosen, and under the marriage bell, which had been twined and hung by loving hands above them.
During the ceremony the rain drops had ceased their gentle pattings — the dark, heavy clouds, as if half-ashamed of their intrusion, had secreted themselves behind those silvery and floating ; while the day-queen came forth from her deep blue hidings, dressed in all her brilliancy. Just as the good rector was pronouncing them "husband and wife," she sent her
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