Chapter XII.

Otago Witness, Issue 2287, 30 December 1897, Page 42

Chapter XII.

The Double Wadding.

Mr Tempsrley asked leave to present his bride with her wedding dress, and the Admiral, not to be outdone, did the same.

It had, of course, to be a very simple affair ; but everything was duly in order, Jane, the bride elect, taking a great part in the arrangements. Jane, indeed, was a born manager, and knew how to make the most of little, and would have done excellently for a poor man's wife instead of a rich man's.

" Which of us is to be married first ? " £sked the Admiral. . .

"I am so much older than Kitty/ said Jane, in her calm way ; " and that settles the matter."

"Yes, my dear," he exclaimed with a hearty laugh, looking at his Kitty. "We young people must just wait till these grave and reverend seniors clear eff the boards."

And so the affair was settled.

But a farther honour still awaited the Featherstone family. The Bishop of the Diocese, a quiet, kindly old man, was a personal friend of Mr Temperley, and he expreßsed a wish to be present at the ceremony — nay, in fact, to perform it. Such a wish could not be ignored. Mrs Featberstone's cup of * prosperity seemed full to the brim, and the ghrls that many of the villagers had sneered at were now regarded with special honour^

" I* have always said what Jane wa?," remarked Mrs Dawson, the doctor's wife — " a clever, managing girl, and you see what she's done for herself." ■

"She certainly did nothing for herself," retorted Mrs Featherstone sharply. "Mr Temperley wrote to her father and asked to be allowed to pay his addresses to her because he had noticed her kindness to little children."

It was but human nature that there should be some envy at Euch great good luck, and the invitations to the weddings Mrs Featherstone considered masterpieces. They were as follows : —

"The Rev. John Featheratone and Mrs Featberstone request the pleasure of Mr and Mrs So-and-so's company at the marriage of their eldest daughter, Jane, with Mr Temperley, of Temperley Park, at 11 o'clock on Tuesday morning. Also to the marriage of their third daughter, Kitty, to Admiral Dundas, at the same hour and time. Both ceremonies to be performed by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese."

The Admiral had a hearty laugh over these compositions, but they impressed the village With a' new sense of the importance of the vicar.

"We cannot tell where it may end," thought Mrs Featherstone, though she did toot venture to say this to her reverend JJohn.

The vicar himself was subdued and quiet. He felt what a loss his two girls would be to him, and yet he was glad for their sakes they jjhould do so well. Money smooths every j3lffioulty, and there were no difficulties now Rt Fairfax vicarage. The days stole on apace. The two brides ]with tbeir modest trousseaux were nearly *eady, and both felt satisfied and happy. "We w-ill be dull without them," said J?risay to little Phcebe, who was 14. " But, bever mind, our turn will come."

Prissy was really the plain one of the family, but it is astonishing how many plain women toave such confidence in their own attractions,

It must be a provision of Nature to console them for their lack of good looks. The wedding morning dawned at last. Jane was alert and bright as usual, but Kitty was a little depressed. She -began to realise, perhaps, that she was about to marry an old man. But still she would not have given up the scheme even if she had had the choice. Then the guests began to arrive — the bishop in excellent time, for he had slept at Mr Temperley's the night before; and few who assembled in Mrs F^alherstone's drawing room had had the opportunity of being in a room with a bishop before. The two brides" both looked well— Kitty especially pretty — and each was attended by one bridesmaid. The bridesmaid that Jane Featherstone had chosen was her husband's blind little daughter Janey. It was a touching and interesting sight, and seemed to promise well for their future happiness. The tall, dignified father, the pretty little blind bridesmaid holding her future step-mother's hand, and Jane speaking gentle words to her as they went along. They crossed the churchyard, which divided thß vicarage from the church, and the sun shone brightly down on the grey old gravestones, on the modern one?, and on the assembled guests. Prissy was the other bridesmaid, and presently the ceremony began, apd Ralph Tern parley took Jane Featherstone to be his wedded wife. The Bishop then pronounced the benediction. The marriage ceremony was soon over, and of course Jane and her husband stepped aside while Kitty and the' Admiral were married, and the two brides and bridegrooms then went .back to the house, where Mrs Featherstone had everything prepared for them, and where a really handsome marriage breakfast was laid out, which was partaken of with great enjoyment and good nature l.y the assembled guests. The Admiral still affecccd to be the young one of the party, and had many jokes for the occasion. The vicar was still, however, a little subdued. He felt, though s he did not say so, that this was the first break in bis happy family circle. They had been poor, but content, and these marriages had placed the girls in a different position in life. However, everything went off very brjghtly. Then the bishop's carriage came round, which was the signal for the breaking up of the party. He had left a bridal gift with each bride, and naturally his friend's wife was the recipient of the handsomest. Then the brides went to change their dresses and assume their travelling costumes. It had been fixed that they should start together, feut go on different routes, the Admiral and his Kitty going direct to Paris. But Mr Temperley was a little weary of Paris. He had chosen the blue Italian lakes for his second wedding tour. The Temperleys only intended to remain abroad a fortnight. " And then we shall be at home again, my dear little bridesmaid," said Jane, kissing her new little daughter Janey. It had been talked about that Janey should go with them, but it had been decided that it would be too fatiguing for her. The head governess came from Temperley with the two elder girls, and in her charge little Janey was left. She was a quiet, hidylike person, and Jane felt no fear.

The farewells were soon spoken. The daughters clung to their father and mother, and the comparative strangers felt themselves in the way.

" After all, everything was as handsome as it could be," said one to another aB they filed through the narrow vicarage gate, where the bridegrooms' handsome carriages with their prancing horees stood waiting for the brides. Then they started, and it was all over ; all except h description of the double wedding in tho country p&per, which duly appeared, to the envy of many a greater personage than either Jane or Kitty Fealherstone.

The vicar'u eyes were wot as he kissed his daughtero and then turned back to bis humble homo.

"My dear," (said the proud mother, running hor arm through hla, " they have done well."

" May it bo all for the best." answered the gentlo vicar, and ho retired at once to his little library and tried to take down his weekly sermon. But he could not write it — the excitement bad been too much ; and he finally kept walkiag up and down the room trying to compose himself, while his wiEe was counting the hired spoon?, and hoping there had been no great breakages in the kitchen.

The practical Prisßy, however, began now to feel hungry.

11 After all, Pboebe,"she said, "we have run about after other people all day. Suppose we go and have something to eat ? " Pj osbe was nothing loth to this sensible proposition, and they enjoyed their private meal thoroughly.

Thus ended the double wedding at the vicarage — an event still talked of in the Tillage of Fairfax.

" There never was sucb good luck I " Bat they forgot that it was the really good nature of the family which brought it all about, for their kindness and sympathy with others had endeared them to everyone around them. (To le contvmed.)