HASTE TO THE WEDDING!
Well! that is really all. Tom had come home: those four little words
hold the rest of Kitty Ross's story.
"The Duke of Lee
Would married be
To a gentlewoman of high quality."
And
"How happy would that gentlewoman be
To be blessed with the Duke's good company!"
But--the refrain begins with "Marry!" Will you hear about the wedding? I
came on for it, of course: I would have come ten times as far. Of
course, too, if Tom had had his way, the way of his first masculine dash
for possession, he and Kitty would have been married the morning after
his arrival, with Sarepta for sole witness; but Kitty was firm. It would
never do: Cyrus's feelings would be hurt.
"You don't know, darling, how perfectly angelic everybody has been to
me, from the very moment I arrived. Why, Tom,--don't, dear! how _can_ I
talk when you--why, all these angel people wanted me to come and _live_
with them!" Kitty very large-eyed with affectionate gratitude.
Tom opined it was like their impudence! and promptly repeated a
manoeuvre considered by him highly original, which resulted in the total
eclipse of Kitty, all except the top of her little fair head. They were
sitting on the old leather sofa in the sitting-room. It was a short
sofa, and Kitty now decreed that Tom was to sit at the further end, and
stay there, unless he would behave and listen to her. He couldn't hear
unless he held her hand--both hands? What nonsense! Well, then----
"You see, dear! Cyrus is the blessedest place in the world, and the
_only_ place to live in; but there aren't many--many _occasions_, you
see, Tom. Now a wedding is an occasion! Aunt Johanna's was delightful,
but it had to be very small, because the Judge--I mean Uncle
Edward--can't _abide_ occasions."
"No more can I," said Tom.
"You'll have to abide them, sir! what are you a duke for, I should like
to know? For me? That is no answer. Well--so--when I saw how
disappointed they were--the Twinnies, and dear Miss Caddies, and the
Chanter girls, and--oh, everybody except just the few people who _had_
to be asked--I said then that if ever I _should_ be married--though I
never expected to be then--I would have a Real Wedding, and ask
Everybody! Oh, Tommy! you know I heard----" Here followed an account of
Tom's reported marriage to the cattle king's widow, marble palace and
all. Tom shouted with laughter.
"Good old Mother Harris! Sixty years old, and weighs two hundred pounds;
that is rich! She's married a Leigh all right: Tim, her head stockman.
She's a good friend of mine, though, Kitty. Darling--Well, I _have_ to
have just one, after being married to Aunt Harris. Go on, you little
precious, precious----"
"That's all!" said Kitty, demurely. "I want to have a Real Wedding, and
to ask Everybody: Savory Bite and all, Tommy!"
So she had, and so she did. Some of the neighbors thought they would
wait for the return of Judge and Mrs. Peters in September: but these did
not know Tom Lee. Tom sent a cable the morning after his arrival. "Marry
Kitty. When? Lee." The answer flashed back: "To-morrow. Joy. Peters." So
_that_ was all right.
It was the Reallest Wedding that ever was. The day was made on purpose,
of diamond and sapphire and much fine gold of June sunshine. The
church--I beg its pardon! the meeting-house; the beloved white box with
its beautiful spire, its square pews, its towering pulpit, its
everything that a meeting-house should have--was trimmed with masses of
white lilac and spiræa, till, as the _Centinel_ said next day, it was a
Palace of Purity and a Temple of Troth. Madam Flynt gave the bride away;
the dear bride, more lovely in her simple white gown than words can say.
The bridegroom looked like Cortez the Conqueror, Miss Croly said: "So
majestic, yet so affable, my love!" There were six bridesmaids in pink
muslin; I myself, the three Chanters, Lissy Wibird, who was to be
married next month, and--I wonder if anybody in the world except Kitty
Ross would have asked Cissy Sharpe to stand up with her! We all
protested, I am rather ashamed to remember; but Kitty said Cissy was a
schoolmate just as much as the rest of us, and it would be unkind to
leave her out; and I am bound to say it was the making over of Cissy,
who really was pathetic in her adoration of Kitty ever after.
Mr. Jordano was head usher, cloak and all, very superb; the others were
Mr. Mallow and Billy and the three Chanters. I don't know which was
prouder, the eldest usher, or the youngest. Each thought it preposterous
for the other to figure in "such a caparison," as Mr. Mallow put it, but
that did not matter. Sixty and sixteen, Kitty loved them both: loved
everybody, and Tom loved them because she did. They even had qualms of
conscience about Wilson Wibird: but Wilson had left town shortly before.
Miss Croly played the wedding march, shedding so many happy tears that
the notes were not all exactly right, but nobody minded; the choir sang,
"The Voice That Breathed": Mr. Chanter kissed the bride; it was over,
and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lee came down the aisle, smiling greetings on
either hand. Then who so glorious as John Tucker, sitting on the box of
the barouche (the only one in Cyrus!) holding the reins over Dan and
Pilot, who wondered why they were harnessed together, but comported
themselves with perfect dignity? White cockade in his hat, white bow on
his whip, white rosettes on the horses' ears, brand new white reins--who
so glorious as John Tucker? Rheumatism? He never heard of such a thing!
"Don't sit too straight, John!" said Tom. "You might strain your back!"
Roars of laughter from John Tucker at this subtle jest. So, through the
Street (in case anybody had not been able to get to the church; but
apparently everybody had!) up the hill, round the Common in state, to
the door of Ross House.
And the door was opened by Sarepta, the faithful retainer, in her best
dress, with tears in her faithful eyes? Nothing of the sort! If any one
thought Sarepta could bother with doors to-day--no, Jenny couldn't
either! Jenny could set the door open and then set down and beat them
eggs. If folks didn't know enough to come in, they could stay out. The
idea!
So the door stood wide open, as indeed was its summer habit, and in came
the happy pair, and after them trooped Cyrus, which had walked across
the Common while they were driving round through the Street. _All_
Cyrus! except dear Miss Anne Peace, who had whipped up the back stairs
so as to be ready to "help off" in the ladies' dressing-room. Why, would
any one have believed it? Savory Bite came! Tom had called on him, it
afterward transpired, and told him that if he didn't come, he would find
his kitchen painted green some fine morning. So here he was, to the
amazement of all, in decent black, cracking his finger-joints, sidling
off if any one spoke to him, but evidently enjoying himself in his way.
He spent much of the time in the upper room where the presents were
displayed: the most delightful presents that any one ever had, Kitty
thought. Madam Flynt's emeralds were perhaps the most valuable, from a
pecuniary point of view (if one excepted the jewels that Tom had been
producing at intervals ever since his return) but just as precious in
Kitty's eyes was the Lowestoft tea-set, hitherto the pride of "Miss
Bygoods'" china cupboard; the pink lustre jug over which the Misses
Caddie shed tears at parting (yet which they gave so gladly!) the
unparalleled collection of "wipers," roller-towels, and dusters, all
hemmed by Mr. Mallow's own hands and tied up in dozens with pink
ribbons: the centrepiece which Mr. Josiah Jebus regarded as the
"shay-dove" of his professional life.
"But meanwhile in the kitchen
Great deeds of arms were wrought;
There S'repta the Dictator,
And there Cheesemanius fought!"
as Tom said. Uncle Ivory Cheeseman had asked the privilege of frosting
the cakes; asked it of Sarepta as one potentate of another, conferring
and asking honor. Sarepta, who had hitherto refused all offers of
assistance save from Sarah and Abby Ann, accepted this: royalty received
royalty; Uncle Ivory ranged through the kitchen like the Frost King in
person. According to Sarepta, he frosted everything he could lay hands
on.
"My land!" she said. "I had to ketch him by the coat-tails to stop him
from frosting the boned turkey! why, the man was fairly loony!"
Mr. Cheeseman was not so "loony" but that he could appreciate the
triumphs of a fellow-artist. I fancy he did not really mean to frost the
boned turkey: he certainly hung over it in fervent admiration,
pronouncing it a work of art, sir! When it came to the _café mousse_,
words failed him. He cast several thoughtful glances at Sarepta and
finally asked in a casual way if she had ever thought of changing her
state.
"No, I ain't!" said Sarepta.
After another glance, he didn't know but she was wise, and expected a
single life was more handy like when one was used to it.
Well! the Olympian Banquet--I should say the wedding breakfast--was
served, and was enjoyed as I cannot think any banquet ever was before.
Mr. Mallow and Mr. Jordano made speeches, each in his own vein. The
former said well! well! well! how about it? He expected if Kitty and Tom
conjingled as well as what we and this dandy spread did, there wouldn't
any _divorcee_ lawyer make his fortune out of _them_, what say? He, Mr.
Mallow, wasn't no hand at speechifyin', we all knew that, but he wished
'em joy--here the good man's voice quavered a little--and he looked to
Mr. Jordano to speak up for him and the rest of us.
Mr. Jordano rose with dignity, his cloak thrown back over one shoulder
in his best style. (Yes, it _was_ funny to wear it at table, but he
wanted to so dreadfully, I had not the heart to say "No!" when he
consulted me!)
"Ladies and gentlemen-ten-ten!" He swept a splendid circular bow. "On
this auspicious occasion, when the ashes--I would say the spirits of our
fathers look down from the azure empyrean to hallow this union; when I
gaze upon the countenances of the bride in her radiant
youth-tooth-tooth, and of the groom in the--a--stalwart pride of his
manhood; when I see highly esteemed neighbors--I will venture to say
_friends_--("Hear! Hear!" and applause) gathered in festal
garb-barb-barb about a banquet so, so--_sumptuoso_, if I may use the
language of sunny Italy, as to impart a truly Olympian flavor to the
occasion; I cannot but feel, in the words of the poet, the heart in my
dumb breast flutter and sing-ting-ting. No poet, but a humble worshiper
at the shrine of the Muses, I have ventured to--a--shall I say
crystallize these flutterings--into----" Mr. Jordano produced a paper
from beneath his cloak--"into the following brief roundelay." And
clearing his throat nervously, the paper trembling in his fingers, the
dear gentleman read as follows:
"A simple scribe, I yet imbibe
Of Helicon a draught,
And pray that doom o'er bride and groom
The airs of Eden waft!
Ay! may they capture of wedded rapture
A homogeneous whole,
Good angels shedding upon their wedding
The blessings of the soul!"
This effusion was received with wild applause, and Mr. Jordano sat down
very happy. Tom, his eyes dancing, replied briefly, making us all laugh.
Then Kitty spoke a few tremulous words that made us all cry, herself
included. Then she floated up the stairs, a white cloud (throwing back
her bouquet, which dear Miss Croly caught!) and floated down a gray one,
touched with morning rose; and then--then the Duke of Lee took his bride
away, while we all waved our handkerchiefs and cried and laughed and
showered blessings after them. And by and by he brought her back to live
in blessed Cyrus, which really is the only place to live in, "and no
lady in the City could with her compare!"
[Illustration: ----then the Duke of Lee took his bride away.]
[Music:
"Marry oo, diddy glu,
Diddy glu, glu, glu:
Diddy oo, oo, oo,
Diddy goo, goo, goo!
Marry oo, diddy goo,
Diddy goo, goo, goo!
Marry oo, diddy goo, diddy goo!"
]
THE END
Transcriber Notes:
Passages in italics were indicated by _underscores_.
Small caps were replaced with ALL CAPS.
Throughout the document, the oe ligature was replaced with "oe".
Throughout the dialogues, there were words used to mimic accents of the
speakers. Those words were retained as-is.
The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up
paragraphs and so that they are next to the text they illustrate.
Errors in punctuations and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected
unless otherwise noted.
Throughout this book, the word "notebook" was written with a hyphen or
without a hyphen, with about the same number for both variations. No
changes were made
On page 27, "leath" was replaced with "leather". ("leath" looks like a
scanning error).
On page 44, a closing quotation mark was placed after "I'll go and live
there!"
On page 104, the single closing quotation mark after "he's a good one."
was replaced with a double quotation mark.
On page 104, a closing quotation mark was placed after "all about it."
On page 107, "obleeged" was replaced with "obliged".
On page 172, the single closing quotation mark after "Get out, Billy!"
was rep;aced with a double quotation mark.
On page 195, "Kity" was replaced with "Kitty".
On page 198, the last two lines were transposed to read "too, and
Tupham. Some, no doubt, came from curiosity, idle or worse, to see the
great house open".
On page 212, a double quotation mark was added before "People do!".
On page 212, a period was added about "Kitty".
On page 253, "aftermoons" was replaced with "afternoons".
On page 283, "The idea! is this" was replaced with "The idea! Is this".