I do believe there never _was_ a lovelier morning than that Wednesday. It was as clear as a bell, but not nearly as hot as the week before. If the day had been made on purpose for a picnic, it couldn't have been a better one. I felt so glad Widow Burt was like to get well, and that father had consented to let me ride with Ned Hassel, and that my cake was so handsome, and everything else so good, I didn't know how to be happy enough! I went singing about the house till it was time to dress myself, and when I got on my blue muslin and my clean white mantilla, and had smoothed my hair till it shone like satin under the new rosettes in my round hat, I _did_ think I looked pretty nice. I couldn't help it; and when Ned drove up a little after nine o'clock, I felt as if all was going right at last. The girls kissed me good-by, and when father helped me in the wagon, I saw the tears standing in his eyes. He always said I favored mother very much, and I suppose he was thinking of _her_. He only said: 'Take good care of Dimpey, Ned!' 'Yes, sir,' said Ned, 'I will.' And as I took my seat at his side, he whispered: 'If there's a prettier girl at this picnic than Dimpey Swift, I'd like to see her. You look like an angel, Dimpey! but I hope you haven't any _wings_, for we couldn't spare you just now!' I was delighted at this nonsense; but I was young and foolish, and didn't sense what a goose Ned was with all his fine compliments. The brown mare went along so fast, I thought we would not be much behind the rest of the company after all; and when we got to the hay scales, there was no one there! Ned stopped a minute, and then he said: 'Dimpey, I've got some currant wine in my basket; but I forgot the wine glasses. I think we'd better drive on to our house and get them, and we can wait there till the others come up.' 'But,' said I, 'you appointed to meet _here_. Won't they wait for you?' 'That's true. Just hold the lines, and I'll run in to Mr. Smith's, and ask him to tell them we've gone on, and will meet them at the foot of the mountain.' So Ned ran in to Mr. Smith's, and out again in two seconds, and when he took the lines, he started off at such a rate, I wondered what possessed him, as we had plenty of time. However, I like to ride fast, as I said before; and to tell the truth, Ned was talking to me all the way about 'my beautiful eyes, and how proud he should feel if he had a wife with _my_ complexion;' and he asked me, 'if I didn't think we'd make a handsome _team_ if we were in one harness,' and all _such_ speeches, so that I got quite bewildered-like, and might have been riding behind a humpbacked camel without knowing it! When we got to Mr. Hassel's, the old man was sitting on the steps reading the newspaper. He came to the gate to speak to us, and Ned said: 'You had better go in, and wait, Dimpey; the boys will not be here yet a while, and I want to fix my wagon more comfortable before we start to go up to the mountain.'