There had been great altercation the morning before as to who should be
married first, but Jenny Hart did not conquer this time. They all coaxed
and threatened, and at last she had to consent, to save time, she said.
“I would not give up now, my dear girls, but I feel as if the poor shop
girl”—
“Hold your tongue, Jenny Hart,” said Mrs. Martin Barton, “you are not a
poor”—
Martin Barton gave her a push. Then came the dispute as to which of the
twins should stand up first, for Mrs. Martin Barton had forgotten which
was the oldest; there was only half an hour’s difference, however. Jenny
Hart settled that by saying, that, as Jasper Merry was older than Alfred
Gray, his bride should take the precedence—and all was settled.
So Jenny Hart, and her manly, handsome lover, Archy Campbell, were
married first—and there had like to have been no one else married, there
was so much kissing and crying; but the ceremonies proceeded, and the
clergyman said he had never married three such lovely couples before. He
had five little notes in his hand as the carriages drove off; it was a
surprise to the poor clergyman, for each paper contained a hundred
dollar note—even Mr. Martin Barton and Mr. Norton made the clergyman a
present. But—half a million!
Away the carriages flew—five miles to Camperdown—and there, looking
quite young and handsome, stood good Mr. and Mrs. Daly, waiting to bless
them all, and to tell them that dinner was ready.
The table—two tables, I should say, were set out, and people may believe
it or not as they choose, but, though every delicacy was on them, there
was neither decanter nor wine glass. Temperance was their motto; it was
by temperance in all things that these thread and needle people made
themselves rich and happy.
The dinner was all one happy confusion; and, if Hosea Bringle had not
solaced himself with a good luncheon, beforehand, he would have risen
from the table with but a poor account of delicacies eaten—he was
impelled on by the tide of joyful faces, to follow, as they left the
house to take possession of their future homes.
Archy Campbell, with Jenny hanging on his arm, (good reader, let me go
back again, and call her Jenny Hart.) Archy Campbell, with dear Jenny
Hart hanging on his arm; walked slowly forward; his heart was too full
to be gay; his happiness was too new; his gratitude too deep, to know
what was passing; and his bride, letting in a flood of new feelings, was
pondering and wondering to see the quiet, yet alert, shopman, who, for
fifteen years, had frittered away the minutes in selling pennyworths of
tape and needles, transformed into a man of great elevation of soul, and
deep, tender feeling. “And this man is my husband,” said she, casting
her eyes up to his handsome countenance, which was all radiant with joy
as her eye met his.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account