r, and of course that was why she had
come. I didn't wish Ned to know this; he would be so sorry he hadn't
thought of it himself, and prayed for a brother. I told Fel about it,
and she didn't know whether it was quite fair or not. "Yes, it was,
too," said I; for I never would allow Fel the last word. "It was fair;
Ned's older 'n me, and ought to say his prayers a great deal more
_reggurly_."

O, that wonderful new sister! For days I never tired of admiring her.

"Look, mamma! 'Ria, did you ever, ever see such blue eyes?"

And then I sat and talked to the new sister, and asked her

"Where did she get her eyes of blue?"

But she did not answer, as the baby does in the song,--

"Out of the sky, as I came through."

"What makes the light in them sparkle and spin?
Some of the starry spikes left in."

"Where did you get that pearly ear?
God spake, and it came out to hear."

Ah! If she could only have talked, wouldn't she have told some sweet
stories about angels?

I couldn't have left her for anything else but that wedding; but
Ruthie promised to take good care of her--and I could trust Ruthie!
Ned wasn't going; there were to be no children but Fel and me. Well,
yes, Gust was there; but that was because he happened to be in the
house. The wedding was in Madam Allen's parlors. _I_ stood up before
the minister, with wax beads on my neck, and white slippers on my
feet. Somebody else stood there, too; for one wouldn't have been
enough. Fel dressed just like me--in white, with the same kind of
beads; only she was pale, and I wasn't, and she looked like a white
rosebud, and I didn't.

We stood between the "shovin' doors,"--that was what Gust called
them,--and there was a bride and bridegroom, too. I nearly forgot
that. I remember lights, and flowers, and wedding cake; and by and by
Madam Allen came along, looking so grand in her white turban, and gave
the bride a bridal rose, but not Fel or me a single bud. Then, when
people kissed the bride, I kissed her, too, and she whispered,--

"Call me aunt Martha, dear."

"O, yes, Miss Rubie," said I; "you are my cousin, aunt Martha."

For I could not understand exactly.

Uncle John hugged me, and said they were all going away in the
morning, he and aunt Martha, and Zed; and then I felt sorry, even with
my wax beads on, and said to father,--

"I tell you what, I love my uncle John _that was_."

No, Fly, he didn't have any horse then