ediately the
crowd fell back, leaving a vacant space in front of the mirror. The
busy hum of voices died away, and only a few suppressed whispers of,
"There!--Look!--See!--Oh, my!" were heard, as the bridal party took
their places.

The widow, being in the rear, and rather short, slipped off her shoes,
and mounted into a chair, for a better view, and when Mary appeared,
she was very nearly guilty of an exclamation of surprise, for in place
of the "checkered silk" was an elegant _moire antique_, and an
expensive bertha of point lace, while the costly bridal veil, which
swept the floor, and fell in soft folds on either side of her head,
was confined to the heavy braids of her hair by diamond fastenings. A
diamond necklace encircled her slender throat, and bracelets of the
same shone upon her round white arms. The whole was the gift of George
Moreland, who had claimed the privilege of selecting and presenting
the bridal dress, and who felt a pardonable pride when he saw how well
it became Mary's graceful and rather queenly form.

At her left stood her bridesmaids, Ida and Jenny, while at George's
right, were Mr. Elwood and William Bender the latter of whom looked on
calmly while the solemn words were spoken which gave the idol of his
boyhood to another and if he felt a momentary pang when he saw how
fondly the newly made husband bent over his young bride, it passed
away as his eye fell upon Jenny, who was now dearer to him, if
possible, than Mary had ever been.

Among the first to congratulate "Mrs. Moreland," was Sally Furbush,
followed by Mrs. Perkins, who whispered to George that "she kinder had
a notion how 'twoud end when she first saw him in the school-house;
but I'm glad you've got him," turning to Mary, "for it must be easier
livin' in the city than keepin' school. You'll have a hired girl, I
s'pose?"

When supper was announced, the widow made herself very useful in
waiting upon the table, and asking some of the Boston ladies "if
they'd be helped to any thing in them dishes," pointing to the _finger
glasses_, which now for the first time appeared in Rice Corner! The
half suppressed mirth of the ladies convinced the widow that she'd
made a blunder, and perfectly disgusted with "new-fangled fashions"
she retreated into the kitchen, were she found things more to her
taste, and "thanked her stars, she could, if she liked, eat with her
fingers, and wipe them on her pocket handkerchief!"

Soon after her engagement