th, I thought I saw the corner of his coat sleeve near his eye.

The 24th of June was a royal day. The blue sky flecked with fleecy
clouds sailing over us like promises; the air sweet with the mingling
breath of flowers (we had multitudes of them about us). The south wind
came up to us as pleasant breaths that sought our own, and the robins
and blue-birds sang in the trees all day the song, "It is well." My
heart echoed their music, and I moved in a dream, and when I felt
Clara's fingers wandering over my hair I could not realize that her
noble Louis was waiting to claim me as his wife--plain Emily Minot. But
the blue-birds' "It is well" covered all these thoughts.

"Just a white dress, Emily, and violets to fasten your hair," said
Clara, "which I will coax to curl for this one day."

And so, from under her hands, I came in a simple toilette of white mull,
with my much-loved violets fastened at my throat and nestling among my
black hair. Not a jewel save the ring that Louis had given me in the
days before, and the chain, which was just one shining thread about my
throat. I must have looked happy, but more than this I could not see,
even though I hazarded a long, full look in Clara's mirror.

But Louis, ah! he should have stood beside a princess, I thought. It was
contrast, not comparison, when I stopped to realize the difference. It
was not his garb that made him regal, for he was clad in a suit of
simple black with a vest and necktie of spotless white.

"A violet or two in your coat lappel?" said Clara.

"No, no, little mother; my royal rose begirt with violets will stand
beside me. Put them in your own brown hair."

And he smiled, as taking them from her hand he placed them in her hair.

"Just a veil over your head, little mother; no bonnets among the wedding
party."

Aunt Hildy insisted at first that she could not "parade around that
church and stand up there before the minister. I'd feel like a reg'lar
idiot, Louis."

At last she changed her mind, but preferred to walk with Ben, and he,
who always loved her well, did not object.

So our entrance by one of the side aisles (the body of the church was
filled with pews) was in the following order: Father, mother and Clara,
Louis and Emily, Hal and Mary, and Ben and Aunt Hildy. The latter would
walk to the church anyway, and when our old carryall reached the door, I
felt like screaming to see her sitting there on the steps fanning
herself with her turkey-feat