her fan and waiting for us to appear. We all
entered with uncovered heads, and as our feet crossed the threshold the
choir sang one verse of "Praise ye the Lord." Mr. Davis had descended
from his pulpit and stood before it upon a little elevated platform
arranged for special occasions. Mother, father and Clara passed him
where he stood, leaving the place for Louis and myself before him, with
Hal and Mary, Ben and Aunt Hildy at Louis' left. It was a short and
beautifully-worded ceremony, and when my eyes, already moist, looked
upward to the pulpit and noticed a drapery of rose and vine which
encircled it, those same tears fell fast over my cheeks, and while
Louis' "I will" fell as a clear and strong response upon the air, my own
assent was given silently and with only a slight bowing of my head, my
lips murmuring not a syllable. After pronouncing us man and wife, Mr.
Davis, at Louis' request, gave an invitation to all our friends to call
on us the following evening, and again the choir and the people sang
sweetly and with great feeling, as, turning, we passed down the opposite
aisle toward the door.

When about half way to the door I was conscious of seeing Aunt Peg and
Matthias; a moment more, and she with her white apron, and he with his
high hat full of roses, were walking before us and throwing them in our
path.

When we reached the door they stepped to either side, and still throwing
roses, Matthias said in a tone I shall never forget:

"May de days do for ye jes' what we's doin' now, scatter de roses right
afore ye clear to de end ob de journey."

This touched our hearts, and when we got into the carryall all eyes were
moist, and I of course was crying as if my best friend were dead. Aunt
Hildy said:

"Lord-a-massy! wonder he hadn't hit us in the head; that's the queerest
caper I ever did see."

We all laughed heartily, and Louis said:

"My Emily, you are a rainbow of promise; the sun shines through your
tears."

We had made preparations to receive our friends Monday evening, and had
huge loaves of cake awaiting with lemonade, and something warm for those
who desired it. An ancient service of rare and unique design was brought
out by Clara for the occasion. It belonged to her husband's family in
France and came to him as an heirloom. The contrast between it and the
mulberry set which mother gave me struck me as singular, but the flowers
and figures of the mulberry ware did not fall into insignificance. Th