r or two in her long black hair; she looked as she
was, very pretty and very modest, but not at all embarrassed. The
marriage ceremony was explained to her by Malachi, and she cheerfully
consented. Before noon the marriage took place, and an hour or two
afterward they sat down to a well-furnished table, and the whole party
were very merry, particularly as the Colonel, who was most unusually
gay, insisted upon the Strawberry sitting at the table, which she had
never done before. She acquitted herself, however, without
embarrassment, and smiled when they laughed, although she could
understand but little of what they said. Mr. Campbell opened two of his
bottles of wine to celebrate the day, and they had a very happy party;
the only people who were discontented were three or four of the soldiers
outside, who had wanted to marry the Strawberry themselves; but the
knowledge that the Colonel was there, effectually put a stop to any
thing like annoyance or disturbance on their part. At sunset, the
Colonel and officers departed for the fort, the family remained in the
house till past ten o'clock, by which time all the soldiers had gone to
bed. Mr. Campbell then read prayers, and offered up an additional one
for the happiness of the newly-married couple, after which they all
saluted the Strawberry and wished her good-night; she was then led to
the lodge by Martin, accompanied by Alfred, Henry, Malachi, Percival,
and John, who all went home with them as a guard from any interruption
on the part of the disappointed suitors.

CHAPTER XXVII.

"How cheerful and gay every thing looks now," observed Emma to Mary, a
few mornings after the celebration of the marriage. "One could hardly
credit that in a few months all this animated landscape will be nothing
but one dreary white mass of snow and ice, with no sounds meeting the
ear but the howling of the storm and the howling of the wolves."

"Two very agreeable additions certainly," replied Mary, "but what you
observe was actually occurring to my own mind at the very moment."

The scene was indeed cheerful and lively. The prairie on one side of the
stream waved its high grass to the summer breeze; on the other, the
cows, horses and sheep were grazing in every direction. The lake in the
distance was calm and unruffled; the birds were singing and chirping
merrily in the woods; near the house the bright green of the herbage was
studded with the soldiers, dressed in white, employed i