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Show W Anes m Easter i ) Offering We wore a lurgn family. Kvirjbody In Washington lioarded In those dnys I think, encept llio President, the t'nblnct anil our torolgn v mliilHtera, who felt It nucos- s.try hiiiI ihihuIIiIo "to keep up ontab iMhntents." tiur Iniidlmly, Mrs. Robert Living-alon. Living-alon. was I tie widow of "Itolert of Linlithgow,' the fine old KngllMi ,lv-Ingjlona ,lv-Ingjlona who. aa knlghta, followed William of Normandy Across the Chsn nul. And In 1674 founded oslates In our country. A dlroct descendant from chancellors And bAronst BlAtoly old New York Arlnocrals, wa called our lAmllndy'A Utile daughter "l.sdy Agnns." When she honored us with a cup of lea fiom (Iron! Ornndfnther I-lvlnRston'a silver teapot, An Inherlt-Ai Inherlt-Ai co from Itoliert tho First And atamp-ed atamp-ed wllh the family creat, we called her "Our I.Ady of tho Manor House." Hut that waa long ago. In those illalrosalng daya of civil war everybody cimo to the capital. Ilor old home on tho Hudson sold, t,or property gone, Mrs. Livingston waa persuaded by Now York friends tl coma to Washington, take r largo house and runko r home for them, denature and members, attnehes And clerks, easily fuund ilellKhtful rooms for the winter, lamllles enmo to en-Joy en-Joy the mild Air and tho rosea and Jnamlne ab they bloomod over our windows. Thus we wore largo family. And a sAtf'iAii''"'''-. . "I.Ady AgneA'r'5,lK,'Vt etigAged to Major Wood, whose Nw York regiment hsd for two ) 'Ars b In the thick of the nght, but was o for few montha stationed at i'alrtu lourt House. VlrglnlA. Next Btinday would he Knsterl Already Al-ready our children had pnekod their ba-Akula with iloioua of ergs. Wua acarlet and gold, for the I'Kx rollinKoa the president's grounds Kaster Mot-day. Mot-day. And wa wore to heve a weddlotli our fAmlly! On Kuster HundAjI I ady Agnes und the Major sure Is msko A homo for sotno months In Virginia. Vir-ginia. With rlRht roAl mhiiI will st wore to msko this we.:dlug the i-ik dest And gnyest ot All times. Art yearB of purl), aepAratlon And Aiulrjo, too good had come, at d whst so beu tlfnl as Easter Hniidoy. Hnturdny our big house was A flonl girden. tenatora and members n piled roses, lilies and Jasmine froa the Congressional gnrduns. Ftlat akaIcaa And pale acacias irora uj great palm houses. Iloys and ilii seurched over April Hock Creek woo tor wild flowers and the Utile tctrl partridge berries adorned our tablet fWP wk Lady Annet. Nothing could bu too beautify' for jily Agnes. Tlio ceremony wu t0 1-0 at the close of tlio vesper lerric In old Bt. jo . s church. Alresj, , chancel wim stalely win, pam lill.s. whllo a(:!iii.t Hie suit grl, and over the open liible him, , j," white cross ot lilies nud white vIoi.T Only a few touches renialceq fo, Z morrow. I0 "l.ady Amies untl 0r M,'or . evcrl" imiii; the voiine p,.0,,lc u lor-In lor-In tho bright i-arlor Saiunlay ,renl'' Never a gludd'er, merrier evenms i gother. " "A telr-gram tor Major Wood" "Oh, that's nothing. Ao.ol.er Ot flowers," luualud th, !rU whole regiment will be sending Agnes telegrams yet to-night" "What did you eayT" No rolco could have spoken Another word After looking Into the blenched fnce of tho Major as ho qulotly rnsd Aloud from A slip of pAper: "He reedy to mArch sonthwsrd At to-morrow morning. Iteport At f. C. "flK.NKKAl, , In ConmAnd." As Akhos lH)ked Into hla eyes A great wbvo of color swept over her face, then went back, leaving It white J as snow; hoxili ss puln whitened hor i Il.s as she folded hotr, .mall bsnds over hla arm and said: j "Come we will talk II over." I Thn alienee of deaih fell upon na as i w I1"1 ''I to their steps on '.he slain I and llio door was shut. Then wo all talked at once, like the upronr of a battle or the turn of tho lice n a storm. "Tliev mii.t he married. Well have the weiidlnrt now or At daylight." "Juici re,, our gnrgfotia decorations." "I' -rlltg llitlo Ariios! It will bronk her hrirt!" "Horrid old war!" "Yt-s, yes." said Renalor W, "we must not postiKine the tnnrrlago and off to the w:ir! Oh. Ond!" ; The M;,jr went lo a t.lfgrapb offle" AKres begged to be Alone, "lift a few momenta In think." Wi- sat nhout In Idle groupa. The clock struck eleven. Members from A Inl" ai sslon strolled In, "Just lo see If everything was qtilio ready." I "Hit down, boys! The speaker will now call the houso to order!" I "Oh. here comes tho bride!" "No, j father " said Wnlly. "no brldo! Dread- ! 0 Ml11 ; Qulotly read Aloud. ! nil! I'm Just going to throw my beautiful Easter list Into tho Ore. No redding! Bucb A waste ot lovely things, too!" !, Dollys father remarked dryly. rHJAUghtor, auppuso you put your hat i tho missionary box to-morrowf" 1 "What shall we do tomorrow? It'll lako us All day to comfort Agnes." mid Tom. "No, It won't. Tom," a cleAr, eweot mice oAld. "You Are All cordially Invited In-vited to bo present At the marriage of ot " "Hearl hear!" shouts And cheers tilled tho room, And tba "Invl-lAtlnn" "Invl-lAtlnn" was never finished. "Good! Hurrah for old Dob Living-ton Living-ton and hla plucky Utile ancestor," Irreverently soke the member from Illinois. "Now. that's Just right sensible, too." Ono old Scnalor forgot all circumspection cir-cumspection And lifted Lady Agnea off the carpet And kissed bar four times. At ilsyllglit we wera dressed In out Sunday best. Kvon Dolly's hat was beautiful by the early dawn. Wa gathered gath-ered at the stairway to greet tho fair, sweet bride, In her white bridal gown with IIIIpb fastening her long yell and Kaster lllloa la her hands. For moment we choked And looked end felt Ilka lot of creeping children, as tha big, hsndsome lover held her In his ArniA, ao still ao long with tho pretty head on bu bresst. And her soft veil over blm. And kissed her reverently reverent-ly And put bur In the carrlsge without A word. Slowly wo walked up the aisle to the delicious, tender music ot tha organ notes. The birds sang outside the opeu wlmio.vs; the sun roso up from the cast ab If. The cU.ud of nls'tt were broken, I.t lylul anlh-ms l.wrll Tho Mujnr looked as though his lory ot pain and separation, tho perils per-ils of battle, the terrors of dcAth, must be told In the ono grand Easter prayer to-riuy, with his darling kneeling close beside lilm, with the atone of the sop-ulcher sop-ulcher "rolled Away" by Angels! lis Is rl"i. wondrous slory! Chrlit our dear Lord Is nswn to-dsy. The light ot victory shone In their faces. Unto Him did they commit their Uvea as tbey responded to tha beautiful marriage aervlce. Agnus rested her long-stemmed lilies across their clasped bonds. Blie hunt lower hor bright head wllh a grace beyond her knowledge and seemed the loveliest Eustor flower of n Tbo Biiusliliio tell serosa her hair through the stnlned window, And the beautiful face of the Master, with John leaning on His breAst at the supper, as It looked down from the wndorful palutlng, gleamed with "8Ag'nei smiled At the white cross and the sweet vloluta. thon knelt In pray-H,rone pray-H,rone anil strong. Thulr words I il soft and clear, and tholr greetings .ero full of Joy to us. Wo followed them down tho slslo and out of tho church. An Impromptu "holr. " "InK'"" own "JB: Hrlubi Knsi-r skl'si . W'--,'',,-IV"11. strew th'i path ' J'-"' fet. jfarg,rot Hpuncer lu Chicago Anierl-esjl. |