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Page 15
Straight toward Katy she went, and with her small hands behind her back
and her blue eyes fixed full on Katy's face, repeated with the utmost
solemnity the following "poem:"
"I'm a messender, you see,
Fwom Hymen's Expwess Tumpany.
All these little bundles are
For my Aunty Taty Tarr;
If she knows wot's dood for her
She will tiss the messender."
[Illustration:
"I'm a messender, you see,
Fwom Hymen's Expwess Tumpany."]
"You sweet thing!" cried Katy, "tissing the messender" with all her heart.
"I never heard such a dear little poem. Did you write it yourself,
Roslein?"
"No. Mamma wote it, but she teached it to me so I tould say it."
The bundles of course contained wedding gifts. Rose seemed to have brought
her trunk full of them. There were a pretty pair of salt-cellars from Mrs.
Redding, a charming paper-knife of silver, with an antique coin set in the
handle, from Sylvia, a hand-mirror mounted in brass from Esther Dearborn,
a long towel with fringed and embroidered ends from Ellen Gray, and from
dear old Mrs. Redding a beautiful lace-pin set with a moonstone. Next came
a little _repouss�_ pitcher marked, "With love from Mary Silver," then a
parcel tied with pink ribbons, containing a card-case of Japanese leather,
which was little Rose's gift, and last of all Rose's own present, a
delightful case full of ivory brushes and combs. Altogether never was such
a satisfactory "fardel" brought by Hymen's or any other express company
before; and in opening the packages, reading the notes that came with them
and exclaiming and admiring, time flew so fast that Rose quite forgot the
hour, till little Rose, growing sleepy, reminded her of it by saying,--
"Mamma, I dess I'd better do to bed now, betause if I don't I shall be too
seepy to turn to Aunt Taty's wedding to-mowwow."
"Dear me!" cried Rose, catching the child up. "This is simply dreadful!
what a mother I am! Things _are_ come to a pass indeed, if babes and
sucklings have to ask to be put to bed. Baby, you ought to have been
christened Nathan the Wise."
She disappeared with Roslein's drowsy eyes looking over her shoulder.
Next afternoon came Ned, and with him, to Katy's surprise and pleasure,
appeared the good old commodore who had played such a kind part in their
affairs in Italy the year before. It was a great compliment that he should
think it worth while to come so far to see one of his junior officers
married; and it showed so much real regard for Ned that everybody was
delighted. These guests were quartered with Mrs. Ashe, but they took most
of their meals with the Carrs; and it was arranged that they, with Polly
and Amy, should come to an early breakfast on the marriage morning.
After Ned's arrival things did seem to grow a little fuller and busier,
for he naturally wanted Katy to himself, and she was too preoccupied to
keep her calm grasp on events; still all went smoothly, and Rose declared
that there never was such a wedding since the world was made,--no tears,
no worries, nobody looking tired, nothing disagreeable!
Clover's one great subject of concern was the fear that it might rain.
There was a little haze about the sunset the night before, and she
expressed her intention to Cousin Helen of lying awake all night to see
how things looked.
"I really feel as if I could not bear it if it should storm," she said,
"after all this fine weather too; and I know I shall not sleep a wink,
anyway."
"I think we can trust God to take care of the weather even on Katy's
wedding-day," replied Cousin Helen, gently.
And after all it was she who lay awake. Pain had made her a restless
sleeper, and as her bed commanded the great arch of western sky, she saw
the moon, a sharp-curved silver shape, descend and disappear a little
before midnight. She roused again when all was still, solemn darkness
except for a spangle of stars, and later, opened her eyes in time to catch
the faint rose flush of dawn reflected from the east. She raised herself
on her elbow to watch the light grow.
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