Peter: A Novel of Which He is Not the HeroSmith, Francis Hopkinson
General
Peter: A Novel of Which He is Not the Hero
Smith, Francis Hopkinson
Bank tellers -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Wall Street (New York, N.Y.) -- Fiction
Presto, what a change! Away went the completed roof of the modest cabin
and down tumbled the sides. More post-holes were dug; more trenches
excavated; more great oaks toppled over to be sliced into rafters,
joists and uprights; more shingles--two carloads; more brick; more
plaster; more everything, including nails, locks, hinges, sash;
bath-tubs--two; lead pipe, basins, kitchen range--and so the new
bungalow was begun.
Neither was there any time to be lost over the invitations. Miss
Felicia, we may be sure, prepared the list. It never bothered her head
whether the trip to Geneseo--and that, too, in the fall of the year,
when early snows were to be expected--might prevent any of the invited
guests from witnessing the glad ceremony. Those who loved Ruth she knew
would come even if they had to be accompanied by St. Bernard dogs with
kegs of brandy tied to their necks to get them across the glaciers,
including Uncle Peter, of course; as would also Ruth's dear grandmother,
who was just Miss Felicia's age, and MacFarlane's saintly sister Kate,
who had never taken off her widow's weeds since the war, and two of
her girl friends, with whom Ruth went to school, and who were to be her
bridesmaids.
Then there were those who might or might not struggle through the
drifts, if there happened to be any--the head of the house of Breen,
for instance, and Mrs. B., and lots and lots of people of whom Jack had
never heard, aunts and uncles and cousins by the dozens; and lots
and lots of people of whom Ruth had never heard, of the same blood
relationship; and lots more of people from Washington Square and Murray
Hill, who loved the young people, and Peter, and his outspoken sister,
all of whom must be invited to the ceremony; including the Rector and
his wife from Corklesville, and--(no--that was all from Corklesville)
together with such selected inhabitants of Geneseo as dame Felicia
permitted inside of her doors. As for the several ambassadors, generals,
judges, dignitaries, attaches, secretaries, and other high and mighty
folks forming the circle of Miss Felicia's acquaintance, both here
and abroad, they were only to receive “announcement” cards, just as a
reminder that Miss Grayson of Geneseo was still in and of the world.
The hardest nut of all to crack was given to Jack. They had all talked
it over, the dear girl saying “of course he shall come, Jack, if you
would like to have him.” Jack adding that he should “never forget his
generosity,” and MacFarlane closing the discussion by saying:
“Go slow, Jack. I'd say yes in a minute. I am past all those foolish
prejudices, but it isn't your house, remember. Better ask Peter--he'll
tell you.”
Peter pursed his mouth when Jack laid the matter before him in Peter's
room the next day, tipped his head so far on one side that it looked as
if it might roll off any minute and go smash, and with an arching of his
eyebrows said:
“Well, but why NOT invite Isaac? Has anybody ever been as good to you?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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