Mary Cantey Preston's wedding day has come and gone and Mary
is Mrs. John Darby now. Maggie Howell dressed the bride's hair beautifully,
they said, but it was all covered by her veil, which was of blond-lace, and the
dress tulle and blond-lace, with diamonds and pearls. The bride walked up the
aisle on her father's arm, Mrs. Preston on Dr. Darby's. I think it was the
handsomest wedding party I ever saw. John Darby1 had brought his
wedding uniform home with him from England, and it did all honor to his perfect
figure. I forget the name of his London tailor — the best, of course! “Well,”
said Isabella, “it would be hard for any man to live up to those clothes.”
And now, to the amazement of us all, Captain Chesnut
(Johnny) who knows everything, has rushed into a flirtation with Buck such as
never was. He drives her every day, and those wild, runaway, sorrel colt's
terrify my soul as they go tearing, pitching, and darting from side to side of
the street. And my lady enjoys it. When he leaves her, he kisses her hand,
bowing so low to do it unseen that we see it all.
_______________
1 After the war, Dr. Darby became professor of
Surgery in the University of the City of New York; he had served as Medical
Director in the Army of the Confederate States and as Professor of Anatomy and Surgery
in the University of South Carolina; had also served with distinction in
European wars.
SOURCE: Mary Boykin Chesnut, Edited by Isabella D. Martin
and Myrta Lockett Avary, A Diary From Dixie, p. 327-8
No comments:
Post a Comment