Stowe_We_and_Our_Neighbors.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
. and were together, one evening, in
the room that had been devoted to the reception of
the wedding presents. room had been s
pride and joy, and already it had assumed quite the
appearance of a bazar, for the family connections of
the was large, and numbered many among
the richer classes. s uncle, . , and the
family connections through him were also people in
prosperous worldly circumstances, and remarkably well
pleased with the marriage ; and so there had been a great
abundance of valuable gifts. door-bell for the last
week or two had been ringing incessantly, and
had eagerly seized the parcels from the servant
and borne them to the depository, and fixed their stations
with the cards of the givers conspicuously displayed.
course the reader knows that there were the usual
amount of berry-spoons, and pie-knives, and crumb-
scrapers ; of tea-spoons and coffee-spoons ; of silver tea-
services; of bracelets and chains and studs and brooches
and shawl-pins and cashmere shawls and laces.
could deny that everything was arranged so as to make
the very most of it.
was showing the things to . , in one of
those interminable interviews in which engaged people
find so much to tell each other.
" , ," she said, " it is almost too much.
is giving to me, just at a time when am so
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happy that need it less than ever did in my life.
can t help feeling as if it was more than my share."
course did n t think so ; he was in that
mood that he could n t think anything on land or sea was
too much to be given to .
" look here," she said, pointing him to a stand
which displayed a show of needle-books and pincushions,
and small matters of that kind, " just look here even
the little girls of my sewing-class must give me some
thing. needle-book, little made.
she got the silk do n t know, but it s quite touching.
how nicely she s done it! makes me almost cry
to have poor people want to make me presents."
" should we deny them that pleasure the great
est and purest in the world ?" said . . " is more
blessed to give than to receive."
" , then, , ll tell you what was thinking
of. would n t dare tell it to anybody else, for they d
think perhaps was making believe to be better than
was; but was thinking it would make my wedding
brighter to give gifts to poor, desolate people who really
need them than to have all this heaped upon me."
told her how, in some distant ages of
faith and simplicity, weddings were always
celebrated by gifts to the poor.
" , for example," said , " that poor, little,
pale dress-maker that found for me, she has
worked day and night over my things, and can t help
wanting to do something to brighten her up. has
nothing but hard work and no holidays; no lover to
come and give her pretty things, and take her to ;
and then she has a sick mother to take care of only
think. , she told me, one day, she was trying to
save enough to get a sewing-machine."
" well," said , "if you want to give her
476 .
one, we ll go and look one out to-morrow and send it to
her, with a card for the ceremony, so there will be one
glad heart."
" , you "
what said to , and how she reward
ed him, belongs to the literature of it cannot be
exactly translated.
they conferred about different poor families,
whose wants and troubles and sorrows were known to
those two, and a wedding gift was devised to be sent to
each of them; and there are people who may believe
that the devising and executing of these last deeds of
love gave and . more pleasure than all the
silver and jewelry in the wedding bazar.
" have reserved a place for our -school to
be present at the ceremony," said ; "and there is
to be a nice little collation laid for them in my study ;
and we must go in there a few minutes after the cere
mony, and show ourselves to them, and bid them good-
by before we go to your mother s."
" , that is exactly what was thinking of.
believe we think the same things always. , want
to say another thing. wanted to know what piece
of jewelry you should get for my wedding present."
", darling?"
" , have told and mamma and all
of them that your wedding gift to me was something
meant to keep to myself; that would not have it put
on the table, or shown, or talked about. did this, in the
first place, as a matter of taste. seems to me that a mar
riage gift ought to be something sacred between us two."
" the white stone with the new name that no
man knoweth save him that receive th it," said . .
" ; just like that. , then, , get me only
a plain locket with your hair in it, and give all the rest
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of the money to these uses we talked about, and
will count it my present. will be a pledge to me that
shall not be a hindrance to you in your work, but
a help ; that you will do more and not less good for
having me for your wife."
was said in reply to this was again in the super-
angelic dialect, and untranslatable ; but these two chil
dren of the kingdom understood it gladly, for they were,
in all the higher and nobler impulses, of one heart and
one soul.
" to the ceremony, ," said , " you
know how very loving and kind your uncle has been to
us. has been like a real father ; and since he is to
perform it, hope there will be nothing introduced that
would be embarrassing to him or make unnecessary talk
and comment. the plain, usual service of the
-book will be enough, will it not?"
" as you say, my darling ; this, undoubtedly, is
your province."
" think," said , " that there are many things
in themselves beautiful and symbolic, and that might be
full of interest to natures like yours and mine, that had
better be left alone if they offend the prejudices of
others, especially of dear and honored friends."
" do n t know but you are right. ; at any rate,
our wedding, so far as that is concerned, shall have noth
ing in it to give offense to any one."
" think," said , "we please
by giving up, for love s sake, little things we would
like to do in his service, more than by worship."
", dear, that principle has a long reach.
will talk more about it by and by; but now, good
night! or your mother will be scolding you again for
sitting up late. , the time does slip away so
when we get to talking."
.
, the day of days came at last, and a fairer
morning never brightened the spire of old
or woke the sparrows of the park. the
dingy back garden of the house had bub
bled out in golden crocus and one or two struggling
hyacinths, and the old lilacs by the chamber windows
were putting forth their first dusky, sweet-scented buds.
about half a dozen houses, everybody was up early,
with heads full of wedding dresses, and wedding fusses,
and wedding cake. , like a sergeant of police,
was on hand, as wide awake and as fully possessed of
the case as it was possible for mortal woman to be.
was everywhere, seeing to everything, reproving,
rebuking, exhorting, and pushing matters into line gen
erally.
was her hour of glory, and she was mistress ot
the situation. . was sweet and loving,
bewildered and tearful ; and wandered hither and thither
doing little bits of things and remorselessly snubbed by
her energetic sister, who, after pushing her out of the way
several times, finally issued the order: ", do
wish you d go to your room and keep quiet. under
stand what want, and you do n t."
two brides, each in their respective dressing-
rooms, were receiving those attentions which belong to
the central figures of the tableau.
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, the only remaining unmarried sister, who had
been spending the winter in , had charge,
as dressing-maid, of one bride, and of the other.
was the usual amount of catastrophes laces that
broke in critical moments, when somebody had to be
sent tearing out distractedly for another; gloves that
split across the back on trying; coiffures that came
abominably late, after keeping everybody waiting, and
then had to be pulled to pieces and made all over; in
short, no one item of the delightful jumble of confusions,
incident to a wedding, was missing.
little chapel was dressed with flowers, and was
a bower of sweetness ; and, as . had planned,
there was space reserved for the -school children
and the regular attendants of the mission.
those, there was a goodly select show of what
looked upon as the choice jewels of rank
and fashion.
. performed the double ceremony with
great dignity and solemnity; but the reporters, who
fought for good places to see the show, and
and , were disappointed. was only
the plain old of service neither less
nor more.
. , and other soft-hearted ladies, in
different degrees of family connection, did the proper
amount of tender weeping upon their best laced pocket
handkerchiefs ; and everybody said the brides looked so
lovely.
and . had excellent situations
to see the whole, and , standing right behind them,
broke out into ejaculations of smothered rapture, from
time to time, in . s ear. was so boiling
over with delight that, but for this tolerated escape-valve,
there might have been some explosion.
480 .
as the ceremonies had closed, . heard
whispering hoarsely :
" ! if dar ain t !"
sure enough, was there in the church, sitting
up as composedly as a vestryman, and apparently enjoy
ing the spectacle. one of the ushers approached
to take him out, he raised himself on his haunches and
waved his paws with affability.
caught sight of him just as the wedded party
were turning from the altar to leave the church, and the
sight was altogether too much for his risibility.
fact was that had been the subject of great
discussion and an elaborate locking up that morning.
divining an intention on the part of his mistresses
to go somewhere, he had determined not to be left.
he had leaped out of a window upon a back shed, and
thence to the ground, and had followed the coach at dis
creet distance, and so was " in at the death."
, courteous reader, a marriage is by common con
sent the end of a story, and we have given you two.
". and ," therefore, are ready to receive
your congratulations.