CHAPTER XXIII.
It was on a lovely June morning that our bridal party arrived inLansdale. They were met at the depot by Aunt Wealthy's nephew Mr. HarryDuncan, and driven directly to the pretty cottage which had been for somany years the home of the dear old lady. She met them on its porch withboth hands outstretched in cordial greeting to the dearly lovedgrandnephews, and their wives of whom this was her first sight, gavethem the tenderest of greetings, then led them within doors and gavethem in charge to Mrs. Duncan and Mrs. Lottie Allison, who conductedthem to their respective rooms and left them there to refresh themselvesby the removal of the dust of travel and a change of raiment.
An excellent dinner, served in Aunt Wealthy's dining room and partakenof by all the members of the three families, followed in due season, thedear old lady herself taking the head of the table and doing the honorsas gracefully as though she had seen but half the years which hadactually passed over her head.
Ethel felt strongly drawn to her and the attraction seemed mutual.
"I am greatly obliged to you, boys," Aunt Wealthy said in her sweet,silvery tones, glancing from Ethel to Blanche and back again, "forfurnishing me with two such sweet and lovable grand-nieces. I only wishI could keep you and them near me without robbing our dear ones in yournative town. Now if you could persuade your parents and grandparents toleave Pleasant Plains for Lansdale and you to settle here also, it wouldbe very delightful to your old auntie."
"It would be very delightful for us to have her near at hand," returnedPercy with a smile, "but surely much easier to carry her there with us,than to bring all our numerous tribe here. What do you say to the ideaof joining our party when we start for home again, Aunt Wealthy?"
"Ah, no, laddie! I'm too old a fixture to be moved," returned the oldlady, shaking her head. "I am only living from day to day with thefeeling that home is all ready for me in that better land and that I mayat any moment hear the glad summons to go to it and the dear Master whohas prepared it for me."
"And yet how very peaceful and happy you look, auntie," remarkedBlanche. "Do you not dread that summons at all?"
"Oh, no, child. Why should I or anyone dread a call to go home to theFather's house on high? I can truly say I do not dread it half so muchas I should the earthly journey from here to Pleasant Plains. That wouldcause me much weariness; the other none at all."
"I think you are to be envied, Aunt Wealthy," said Blanche. "I don'tthink it is altogether because you are old and weary of life either,because our dear young sister Nannette seemed as glad to go to that dearhome as anybody could be."
"I hope you will tell us all about her while you are here," remarkedMrs. Duncan, with a look of interest.
"Yes," said Mrs. Allison, "and also about your wedding, for we haveheard absolutely nothing so far."
"Our mothers, and the rest at Pleasant Plains, have been too busy towrite, I presume," observed Stuart; "but you shall have all theparticulars you care for from us before we leave."
"Yes, you must please tell us all about it this evening when Dr. andMrs. Prince will be in to hear it too."
"Now, Aunt Wealthy, do you know that, as usual, you have lowered myfather's rank?" queried Mrs. Allison with an amused look and smile. "Youwill forget, you dear old soul, that he is a King--not merely a prince."
"Ah, yes; it is a sad mistake and one that I make very often, and I fearI'm too young now to hope to reform in that respect."
"Ah, well, auntie, do not be discouraged," said Mr. Duncan; "you knowyou are getting older every day and may hope to arrive finally at yearsof discretion."
"Ah, Harry, Harry, you are a sad fellow, considering that you belong tothe family of such a fine young father; such an one should never thinkof making game of his old auntie in that fashion," returned MissStanhope with affected gravity, but a twinkle of fun in her eye. Thenturning to Percy, "Did Mr. Travilla and Elsie get to your wedding?" sheasked.
"No, ma'am; none of the family except young Horace, who was one of ourgroomsmen. I own that I was disappointed, for I have a great desire tomeet them all; especially Cousin Elsie. She has been here several times,has she not?"
"Yes, years ago when she was quite young--eighteen--and Mr. Travilla cameafter her, but was not her--yes, he was her lover, but she thought of himonly as a kind of uncle. Then her father brought her again when she hadfound out that she cared for Mr. Torville, and engaged him to marry her.Ah, he's as pleasant a gentleman as ever you saw!"
"You were at the wedding, were you not, Aunt Wealthy?" asked Stuart.
"Yes, indeed! They wouldn't have missed me for a good deal, and from thesole of her head to the crown of her foot she was the loveliest bridethat I ever saw."
"So mother has often told me, and that she was as lovely in character asin person," said Percy.
"An assertion which no one at all acquainted with her would hesitate toconfirm," said Mr. Allison. "I know her well as the daughter of myesteemed brother-in-law, Mr. Horace Dinsmore, and have known her sinceshe was a little lass about nine years old."
"How I should like to see her!" exclaimed Blanche.
"We have photographs at home," said Stuart. "I think them lovely, butmother and the others who remember her say they do not do her justice."
"We have some very good ones here," said Aunt Wealthy, "and everyone whocares to look at them can do so."
They were leaving the table as she spoke and Blanche, speaking aside toStuart, urged him to ask his aunt to show them the old-fashionedtreasures in her parlor of which she had heard him and Percy tell.
"Yes, dearest, I will," he said with a mirthful look. "I own to a greatdesire to see them myself, having heard so much about them from mother,grandma, and Aunt Mildred."
But there was no need to prefer the request, as it was to the parlorMiss Stanhope now led the way, and she was presently exhibiting withpardonable pride the old furniture that had been in the family sincebefore her time, her grandmother's sampler framed and hanging on thewall, the embroidered chair cushions which she said were filled withthat grandmother's own feathers, and were valued by herself more thantheir weight in gold, though much faded and somewhat worn in spite ofthe excellent care she had always taken of them--the old, old portraitson the walls, the cabinet of curiosities brought from over the seas byan ancestor who had been a sea captain.
All these were examined with interest, then Percy enquired for thephotographs.
"Ah, they are here," replied Miss Stanhope, taking up a photographicalbum and handing it to him. "Let us see if you can pick out your CousinElsie."
"Easily," he returned, "since I have often seen one in mother'spossession;" and as he opened the album his wife, Blanche, and Stuartdrew around him to gaze with eager curiosity upon the lovely face whichhe pronounced an excellent likeness of Mrs. Travilla, judging from thosehe had seen and the description of her often given him by the members ofthe family who knew her.
Our little bridal party spent some days at Lansdale, then urgentmessages from home hurried them away. They reached Pleasant Plains aboutthe middle of the afternoon of another lovely June day.
As they alighted from the train they were greeted most rejoicingly bytheir fathers and mothers--Dr. and Mrs. Landreth and Mr. and Mrs.Ormsby--each couple being conducted to a waiting carriage, and presently,when the baggage had been attended to, they were whirled away to thehouse of the young men's grandfather, Mr. Keith, where they found theother members of the connection waiting to greet and welcome them.
Then, after a few minutes' chat, they were conducted to their own newhomes, which had been thoroughly cleaned and furnished with the carpets,curtains, and other articles bought in Philadelphia for that purpose.
All four were filled with delight at the neat and tasteful appearance ofeach dwelling, and the many comforts and conveniences that had beenprovided through the thoughtful love and effort of parents and friends.
The grounds were prettily laid out, sodded and planted with trees,shrubs, and flowers, and presented an attractive appear
ance for placesso new to cultivation, giving promise of great beauty in coming years;and from porches and balconies charming views might be obtained of thesurrounding country and the beautiful swiftly flowing river.
Ethel and Blanche were evidently greatly pleased, and their younghusbands scarcely less so.
When all these things had been viewed and rapturously commented upon,the young couples were left to themselves, with an injunction to comeover to their grandfather's again when ready for tea, as all the familywere to be assembled there to rejoice together over their safe arrival,and that those to whom the brides were strangers, as yet, might have anopportunity to make their acquaintance.
It proved a delightful family party, but as the travellers were somewhatweary with their long journey, and the watchful mothers divined thatthey were longing for the privacy and rest to be found in their ownlittle homes, they proposed at an early hour that the old father shouldlead them all in a short service of prayer and praise, then all disperseto their several abodes, hoping to meet again on the morrow, when restedand refreshed by sleep.
They separated with kind good-nights, and a few moments later Percy andhis Ethel were standing together on their own porch gazing out upon themoonlit landscape.
"What a beautiful river it is!" she said in tones tremulous withemotion, "and, oh, what a dear, lovely home you have brought me to! Ihad hardly hoped ever to have one so sweet and fair, or to be so lovedas I firmly believe my husband loves me."
"You deserve it all, dearest," he said with feeling; "yes, far more thanI deserve the happiness of having so sweet a wife for my very own. AndGod grant we may live and love together here for many years, should itplease Him to spare our lives."
THE END.
THE MILDRED SERIES
A Companion Series of the "Elsie" Books
By MARTHA FINLEY
(Martha Farquharson)
MILDRED KEITH MILDRED AT ROSELANDS MILDRED AND ELSIE MILDRED'S MARRIED LIFE MILDRED AT HOME MILDRED'S BOYS AND GIRLS MILDRED'S NEW DAUGHTER
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