Clover

ck; and everybody, consciously or unconsciously, was on the lookout for it. The gentlemen were at the office bright and early, and stood chat

and whatever they might be doing kept ears and eyes on the alert for the step on the g

e pleasanter a surprise when on the great day of the cake-baking he came in earlier than usual, with his hands quite full of letters and parcels.

, take it, Clovy. Miss Carr again. Katy, you have the lion's share. Miss Joanna Carr,-in the unmistakable handwriting of Miss Inches. Miss Katherine Carr, care Dr. Carr. That looks like a wedding present, Katy. Miss Elsie Carr; Cecy's hand, I should say. Miss Carr once more,-from the con

from Ned's letter, which she had torn open first of all. "Are you going, dear?" Sh

tism wait for no man. You can tel

than any one had dared to hope. The letter contained several other things as well, which showed Katy how continually she had been in his thoughts,-a painting on rice paper, a dried flower or two, a couple of little pen-and-ink sketches of the harbor of Santa Lucia and

and proceeded to examine the others. The first w

I must, and now things seem to be working round to that end quite marvellously. I have had a good winter, but the doctor wishes me to try the experiment of the water cure again which benefited me so much the summer of your accident. This brings me in your direction; and I don't see why I might not come a little earlier than I otherwise should, and have the great pleasure of seeing you married, and making acquaintance with Lieutenant Worthington. That is, if you are perfectly sure that to have at so busy a time a guest who, like the Queen of

trifling thing on your wedding-day which comes from me, so for fear of being forestalled I will say now, plea

in H

pouncing on one of the little pac

beautiful white silk stockings embroidered in an open pattern, and far f

ways are choicer and prettier than anybody's else, somehow. I can't think how she do

n a small volume bound in white and gold, entitled, "Advi

sion of her approaching bridal

nne N

thy, i

e with all subjection;" while Katy, much diverted, read extracts casually selected from the work, such as: "A wife should receive her husband's decree without cav

ent, do not answer him sharply, but soothe him with gentle words and caresses. Strict

an exemplary wife of the last century,-'She never banged

rked Amy, who had come in as this l

advice to 'caress' your bear when he is at his crossest. Ned never does issue 'decrees,' though, I fancy; and on the whole, Katy, I don't believe Mrs. Nipson's p

deep in a long

said; "do listen." And she

ood luck, a man in Chicago-whose name I shall always bless if only I can remember what it is-has been instigated by our mutual good angel to want him on business just about that time; so that he would have to go West anyway, and would rather have me along than not, and is perfectly resigned to his fate. I

up a sort of a im. M

onsented, and

M

n the

in th

ade u

e years and five months old? I tell you she is a wonder. You will all adore h

ctually married to the Rev. Charles Playfair Strothers, and settled in a little parsonage somewhere in the Hoosac Tunnel,-or ne

t world, before he would consent to unite them for this. He was a solemn-looking old person, who had been a missionary, and "had laid away three dear wives in foreign lands," as he confided to me afterward over a plate of ice-cream. He seemed to me to be "

Everybody cried. Her mother and sister sobbed aloud, so did several maiden aunts and a grandmother or two and a few cousins. The church resounded with guggles and gasps, like a great deal of bath-water running out of an ill-constructed tub. Mr. Silver also wept, as a business man may, i

so they put me in a very distinguished front pew all by myself. I bore my honors meekly, and found them quite agreeable, in fact,-you know I always did like to

id the fattest of all, who

uccess of our little ruse on the railroad train long ago, I stepped ou

xt the door," I murmured to the yellow l

ther for a little, they all swept into the seat behind mine, and I heard them speculating in low tones as to whether it was epilepsy or catalepsy or convulsions that I was subject to. I presume they

dismal family, though his salary is only fifteen hundred a year, and pearl passementerie, I believe, quite unknown and useless in the Hoosac region. She had loads of the most beautiful presents you ever saw. All the Silvers are rolling in riches, you know. One little thing made me laugh, for it was so like her. When the clergyman said, "Ma

the sensation of being no longer that horrid thing, a resident of the suburbs. I hunt the paper shops and collect samples of odd and occult pattern, and compare them with carpets, and am altogether in my element, only longing for the time to come when I may put together my pots and pans and betake me across the mill-dam. Meantime, Roslein is

r l

e R

t fun we are going to have! It seems too good to be true. Tum-ti-ti, tum-ti-ti. Keep step, Katy. I forgive you for t

y-sheeted epistle and the "Advice to Brides" flew to right and left. "Ther

ling partner suddenly on the sofa. Then with a last squeeze

anded, "though anything else

e is coming to spend a month with her mother on purpose to be here for Katy's wedding. She sends heaps of love to you, Katy,

till in the wildest spirits. "What a dear old goose Cecy is! I

h. "Whom do you think this letter is from, girls? Do listen to it. It's written by that nic

cere congratulations and good wishes. I recollect meeting Lieutenant Worthington when he was here two years ago, and liking him very much. One is always glad in a foreign land to be able to show so go

tly, a copy of Hare's "Walks in London," which a young protégée of mine has for the past year been illustrating with photographs of the many curious old buildings described.

hfully yo

n Be

e letter!"

right way! I am so surprised and pleased that Mr. Beach should remember me. I never supposed he would, he sees so many people in

. I can scarcely make it out, the Ru-ru-something of Omar Kay-y-Well, anyway it's a book, and she hopes you will read Emerson's

ttered Clover. "Well, Katy dear, w

This is a letter from Miss Jane! A

covered with gray silk, neatly over-handed together, and stuck wi

ver, A

you for a wife. I only hope the one you have chosen is worthy of you. Probably he isn't, but perhaps you won't find it out. Life is a knotty problem for most of us. May you so

ster, and believe me t

Jane A.

s baptized 'Miss Jane.' It never occurred to me that she had any oth

by it. It's a beautiful compliment to say that the man ought to be happy who

k over the letter and that particularly rigid pincushion. They are both of them so exactly like her

Surely papa said so. What was

not to hear just yet," replied Clover. "Brid

e a long one, too. It's an age s

n, Apr

ase me better than to come to your wedding if it were possible, but it simply isn't. If you lived in New Haven now, or even Boston,-but Burnet i

he is at a sort of Rest Cure in Kentucky; and I have my hands full with papa and the children, as you can imagine, so I can't go off two days' journey to a wedding,-not even to yours, my dearest old Katy. I shall think about you all day long on the day, when I know which it is, and t

s like, and which I am going to send you as soon as it comes home from the framers.

de Conflans. He has something to do with the French legation in Washington, I believe; and they crossed in the same steamer. I saw him driving

e and a great hug for

ectionat

ui

t? I wish we had another mail, and twelve more letters comin