Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-12-30
Not hat Arthur was much trouble--if

Not that Arthur was much trouble--ii
he could wander about the grounds. and
have constant supply OF new books, he
was contented; but cousin Margaret,
though very worthy person in her way.
was nothing short of an inllction. 1t may
have been-ss she evidently considered it
was-a meritorious action on her part to
make a runaway match at sixteen; still ii
was possible to grow tired of hearing OF
her adventures and the juvenile airs she
saw fit to assume at that time, together
with her extraordinary fashion ofskipping
instead of walking, were peculiarly irri-
Eating to my nerves.
Ii Kitty had behaved in that manner
which, thank goodness, Kitty never did
one might have excused it; but for wO
man OF forty-and nothing will ever per-
suade me that cousin Margaret is not for
ty-well, it was simply ridiculous; be-
sides which, she had habit OF introduce
ing scraps of Italian and French into her
conversation, aud Of being "charmed' and
delighted" and "overwhelmedn at the
meresl tribes. that was sadly out of keep
ing with our homely fashion of expressing
ourselves whilst ii ever a man looked
thoroughly relieved. that man was DR..
him that she considered England "triste"
and that she positively must return to
Ia belle "FraRce," her newly adopted
country, as soon AS the wedding was over.
Though we said nothing about it TO one
another, | know we three women each
and all looked forward to her departure as
special deliyerance.
| But what busy time that was-tOo busy
! by far to allow US tothink much of any
! little annoyanccs that fell to our share !,
| Priscilla planned and executed, actually
making two journeys to London on Kitty
behalf; Mercy devoted herself to the Doe
tor, displaying such genius in directing
workmen. and upholsterers, that we were
astonished and Kitty declared that she
was actually growing jealous; whilst, for
my part, found my boards of embroid-
cry very acceptable in our arrangements
/ for the tr01tSSedu; and so the short time
we had for our preparations came to an
end, for the Doctor had been pardonably
anxious to take his little wife home, and
as no one opposed it, the wedding was to
take place during the first week ia July
Thus the days slipped rapidly by, one
after the other, until the last evening that
! Kitty Meadows was to pass with Us ar
rived, aud as cousin Margaret had elected
! to spend it AT the house Of an acquaintance
whilst Doctor Fleming had been forbidden
to appear. we had Kitty all to ourselves.
/ We were going to get all our crying over
that evening. we SAID. so that kilty's we'd
ding day should be a bright and fair as
Kitty herself.
But, when the evening came, and we
| had our darling dressed in her wedding
1 fnery, Just to make sure that all was ready
! tor the morrow well, we changed eur
minds, and did not cry, for we felt sure
| that priceless rs was the gift we were GO
ing to give into Eustace Jennings hands,
! still he was worthy OF it, and that if clouds
should come to conquer their sunshine.
they wonld come directed by Him who
doeth all things well.
Somewhat of this Priscilla said in her
| simple way, and then Mercy arranged
kuty's bridal-wreath OF heather and
orange-blossoms. and | threw the light
veil over the little dropping head
Somehow | think we three, who had
nothing to do with bridal dresses and
/ orange blossoms on our own account,
| found even more pleasure than trio of
mat:ons who have done in arranging all
the wedding finery and paraphernalia {;
and when. as finale, Priscilla put a little
roll of bank-notes INTO kitty's hand (you
! see. we did not want KITTY 10 go TO her
husband quite pennlless, so we had sub
scribed two hundred pounds each to make
little dowry for her) well, then, after
we had overcome kitty's reluctance to
! take the money. we were, | do believe,
the happiest quartette that could be found
throughout England
! do not think there ever was such a
glorious morning rs that which ushered in
! klty's weeding-day, or perhaps it seemed
SO because we all felt SO glad; for would
not kittys marriage keep her at Leigh,
and by so doing enable US to see her every
day if it so pleased US ? And was there
any doubt that we should so please? Why,
there was no end to new hopes, new in
terests and new pleasures that Kitty's
marriage would bring US, and that would
never have been ours but for her!
1t was not grand wedding-we had
lived too simply all our lives to be able to
make it that-nor was it very quiet one,
for we all wanted it to be day upon
which every one at Leigh should look
back as a happy one; SO we had asked as
many to the house as the Hawthorns would
hold, whilst all the village children and
their parents were contented with the
knowledge that the following day was to
be gala day for them, and do not be-
lieve there was man, woman or child in
Leigh absent from the church that morn
ing, who could by any possibility be there.
Not that that was to be wondered at, tor
never did bunnier or prettier bride enter
the quaint old church than our Kitty.
When it was all at an end-when the
last farewell had been hurried over, the
last slipper thrown, and the last guest had
departed-how lonely the house seemed,
wanting the bright young presence that
had made its sunshine during the past few
months; and we three women, as we sat
in Priscila's blessing room that evening,
talking over the events OF the day, felt
little inclined TO be miserable, until Mer.
cy, who does not generally see the ride
ulous side of question, saved US from
breaking down altogether by observing
that really she thought orange blossoms
were filter for nineteen than tor thirty-six
which remark, bringing back as it did
the remembrance of our short GIFTED cal
culatious, made us all laugh little, which