Holmes_Edna_Browning.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
said, and he advised to let
the old couple do as they liked, adding that he was not at
all sure it would be a good or happy thing for two people so
peculiar to come together. was a damper to 's
zeal, and she affected to pout for a little, but soon forgot it
all in her delight at the diamonds which had brought to
her. had been his mother's, and had always attracted
great attention from their size and brilliancy, but she never
cared to wear them again, and at her request they had been
reset for , who tried their effect with standing by
and admiring her sparkling face more than the flash of the
rich jewels, and proving his admiration by a kiss, notwith
standing that was looking on, and pursing up her
mouth with so queer a look that kissed her too, where
upon , who had come in just in time to see the
last performance, exclaimed in an aside : " , the
chap has more pluck than have," while de
liberately wiped and rubbed her cheek, and said, " should
s'pose you'd as soon kiss a piece of sole leather."
were very gay and merry at 's during the
few days which preceded the wedding ; and nothing was
wanting to complete their happiness but the presence of
and . them, however, a kindly message
came on the very morning of the bridal ; and read it
with 's arm around her waist, and 's face looking
over her shoulder. a few friends from
were invited to the lunch given at the house after the cere
mony ; but all were welcome to go to the church, which was
filled to its utmost capacity. presided at the
organ, and did herself great credit with the music she made,
. 4! 9
as the party went up the aisle, and ,
and , whose rich black silk was stepped on two
or three times by those who followed in her train. .
was not there. was far from well ; and as
there was to be a grand reception at that evening,
she preferred to receive her children at home, and staid to
see that everything was in readiness for them when they
arrived. was at first a little stiff in his
clothes, and wondered what the chaps did who dressed
up every day ; but this soon wore off, and he was the mer
riest and youngest of the party which took the train for
bany, going thence down the river to , which they
reached just as the twilight shadows were beginning to fall,
and the stars looked out upon another .
was not a crowded party, but very pleasant and select ;
and moved among her guests like some little fairy,
clad in her bridal robes of sheeny satin and fleecy lace, with
only pearls upon her neck and arms, and the wedding-ring
upon her finger. was a far different bridal from her first
one ; and she felt it to be so, and wondered if it was
wicked for her to be so happy, when just a little way from
the bright lights and sounds of festivity lay sleeping,
with the young moon shining on his grave. , too,
thought of , in far-off , and thought of
her, too, with a softer, tenderer regret than could give
to ; for he only knew of the good there had been in
her ; the bad was buried with her, and he remembered her as
she had seemed at the last, amiable, loving, and good.
he could not wish to exchange his bride for her ; and once,
when they were standing a little out of sight, and a thought
of what had almost been, came over him, he involuntarily
wound his arm tightly around , and drew her to him in
a quick, passionate embrace, as if he would thus assure him
self that she was a reality, and not a myth which would van
ish from his side.
42O .
chimes from the church tower had pealed the hour of
midnight, and had passed from lip to lip,
ere the party broke up, and the last guest was gone.
hour later, and every light had disappeared from ;
but the moon and the stars which heard the angels sing
eighteen hundred years ago shone over the place, and
seemed to breathe a benediction upon the newly-wedded
husband and wife, whom all had pronounced so well-suited
to each other.
.
.
j] years later, and again the chimes
were ringing from many a tower, and the words,
" on earth, good-will to men," were sung by
many a voice, while many a welcome greeting was given to
returning friends, and to none a warmer or more welcome
one than was extended to and , who came from
their holme in to keep at , where
presided as mistress, with no shadow on her bright
face, or sorrow in her heart had been a happy life
since the day called her his wife ; and no ripple, how
ever small, had broken the smooth surface of the matrimo
nial sea on which she sailed so pleasantly. in all to
each other, neither she nor had cared to leave their
pleasant home ; but had remained there all the time, with
the exception of an occasional trip to , and a
visit of a few days to and 's .
" , am so happy that sometimes tremble lest
should wake some morning and find it all a dream,"
said to , as she led the way to the suite of rooms
which had been prepared for . , with her nurse and
.
421
babies, for had reached that honor, and the cares of
maternity sat very gracefully upon her.
" " she had named the expected
stranger, and had held all sorts of consultations with .
concerning the christening robes and the christening
dinner, and had talked quite confidently of what her
daughter would and would not do. , then, was she
amazed and confounded when the result proved to be
twins, and boys at that ! great, red-faced, sturdy boys,
at whom she looked askance, and from whom she shrunk at
first as from something appalling, and of which she was
ashamed.
was a affair now, and
they named the babies and , but the father always
called them and . they were spending their
first at ; and . and .
were there also, the latter still in black for her dar
ling , whom she talked about a great deal, wish
ing so much that she could be with them as she used to be.
" that want you away, my dear," she would add,
laying her hand on 's shoulder, or wish that things with
you and were otherwise, only miss poor so
much, but is a great comfort to me."
this is true, for to some degree has taken
' s place in her aunt's affections. spends a good
deal of time at with her boys, to whom .
calls himself grandpa, while his wife is the grandma ; and it
is said that in his private drawer there is a will giving all his
worldly possessions to his beloved niece, . -
ford, and her heirs forever ; so is doing well in a
worldly point of view, and is talking of building a handsome
country seat, where can keep her ponies, and her
children, and be what she desires to be, a farmer's wife in
comfortable circumstances. is also at
422 .
keeping the holidays, and playing with the twins,
and rallying on 's surprising success.
is not there. " the rheumatism in her hip, and is
crosser than four bears," said, and then
knew that he had been to 's , and looked at him so
inquiringly, that he replied, " use, no use, and may as
well tell you that 've made a prodigious fool of myself, and
been after that snap-dragon again. looked so trim and
neat when you were married, that my heart kept thumpin'
under my jacket ; and was so lonesome with you and
both gone for good, that yes well yes, yes
asked her again, and said was now, and told
her 'd build a cottage, and we might take comfort
yet, for it was lonesome and awful cold winter nights, and
she called me an old fool, and told me to let her alone, and
did, but kept thinkin', and hankerin', and rememberin'
how slim and straight she looked, and 've begun the
house, you know, and it will be finished in the spring, and
and yes, yes the upshot is, went out there two weeks
ago and found her on crutches, and tried her again with the
' and the , but no go. didn't dislike me,
she said, and she was lonesome at times, but she wouldn't
be a laughing-stock for nobody ; and she gave me the mitten
the third time, and 've give it up for good."
tried to console him, and told him her aunt might
change her mind yet, but he did not think she would, and
said he could stand it if she didn't ; and was the merriest of
them all at the dinner, where and appeared in
evening dress, looking as young and beautiful as in their
girlish days, while and seemed and were perfectly
happy and altogether satisfied in the choice they had
made.
now, saying good-by to , we glance for a
moment at poor , who ate her dinner alone and
. 42 3
let one single tear roll down her cheeks as she thought of
the party at , and of herself, so lonely and forlorn.
the night deepened without, and the shadows crept into
every corner of the room, she tried, by caressing her tabby-
cat, and watching the fire-light flickering on the wall, to get
up a little enthusiasm for her surroundings, and believe that
she was happy and content. it would not do ; there
was a craving in her heart for other companionship than
that of cat and cow, and putting the former from her lap she
hobbled to the window and looking out into the night,
thought of the cottage, and the man who had of
fered it to her acceptance, and called her as he did so.
" might be better than living here alone, and it might be
worse," she soliloquized. "'s nothing bad about him,
and do believe, that as far as he knows, he is a good
churchman now, but he is short, and fat, and stumpy, and if
you'd let him, would be silly enough to keep your stomach
riled the most of the time. , and 'll try it a spell
longer anyway, and then if he is fool enough to ask again,
don't know ; it's about an even thing;" and the good
woman went back to her chair by the fire, and crept
again into her lap, and purred her content with things as
they were, and the kettle from which was to have
a cup of tea when the clock struck eight, sang upon the
hearth, and made, with the snapping of the wood, a pleasant,
cheery sound which lulled to sleep at last, and
there we will leave her, not knowing any better than the
reader, whether that cottage at will
ever have a mistress or not, though we have a suspicion that
it will !