ng to have competitors in their business. But though never
admiring the manners of any of the family, I resolved to make a trial
with them. There were reasons for hoping I might succeed. Miss Belinda
Tetchy, notwithstanding her odd name, was quite a belle. She had been
immensely popular with the young gentlemen who came to the
strawberry-garden. My sister Jane had once very ill-naturedly insinuated
that they came there as much to flirt with her as to indulge in
strawberries, and that one could readily eat his way into the affections
of the whole family. I did not like the remark, although probably there
might be some truth in it. But one of these admirers continued to visit
at old Tetchy's even when the excuse of coming for strawberries could no
longer be given, and very soon our little neighborhood learned the
interesting news that one of the Tetchy girls was about to change her
name. My sister said she pitied the young man. Indeed, she went so far
as to say that it was astonishing what risks were run by all such when
looking round for a wife. As to Belinda, she was sure, that, though
there might be a change of name, there would be no change of temper, as
the latter was something she got by Nature, while the former came by
accident. But Jane had a little dash of tartness in her own disposition,
which was very apt to break out when topics of this kind came up for
discussion. Though I could not help agreeing with her in the main, yet I
considered it no more than fair to remind her that the choosing of a
husband was quite as risky a business for the girls.

These things occurred towards the close of summer. Miss Belinda's
wedding-day had been fixed for early in September. Of course there was
considerable fluttering among the young people of the neighborhood,--the
girls, candor obliges me to say, being much more intensely affected than
the young men. It was understood that Mrs. Tetchy intended to have a
grand wedding for her daughter, by way, as my sister said, of showing
her new son that her daughter was somebody, a fact of which Jane thought
he would have a realizing experience much sooner than he expected. Now
it was desirable for us to conciliate the Tetchys, and we thought the
occasion of a wedding a good opportunity to do so. Accordingly, when the
eventful day arrived, I carried to the house a really magnificent vase
of flowers which we had gathered from our garden, and presented it to
the bride. Both she and her moth