CHAPTER XXXIV.
MEANWHILE wedding proceedings were going on at the cottage with thatconsistent vigour with which Yankee people always drive operationswhen they know precisely what they are about. The wedding-day wasdefinitively fixed for the 1st of August, and every one of the twoweeks between had its particular significance and value preciselymarked out and arranged in Mrs. Katy Scudder’s comprehensive andsystematic schemes. It was settled that the newly-wedded pairwere, for a while at least, to reside at the cottage. It mighthave been imagined, therefore, that no great external changeswere in contemplation; but it is astonishing to see the amount ofgrave discussion, the amount of consulting, advising, and runningabstractedly to and fro, which can be made to result out of anapparently slight change in the relative position of two people in thesame house.
Dr. Hopkins really opened his eyes with calm amazement—good modestsoul! he had never imagined himself the hero of so much preparation.He heard his name constantly from morning to night occurring in busyconsultations that seemed to be going on between Miss Prissy, andMrs. Deacon Twitchel, and Mrs. Scudder, and Mrs. Jones, and quietlywondered what they could have so much more than usual to say abouthim. For a while it seemed to him that the whole house was about tobe torn to pieces. He was even requested to step out of his study oneday, into which immediately entered, in his absence, two of the mostvigorous women of the parish, who proceeded to uttermost measures,first pitching everything into pie, so that the Doctor, who returneddisconsolately to look for a book, at once gave up himself and hissystem of divinity as entirely lost, until assured by one of the ladiesin a condescending manner that he knew nothing about the matter, andthat if he would return after half a day he would find everythingright again: a declaration in which he tried to have unlimited faith,and where he found the advantage of a mind accustomed to believe inmysteries. And it is to be remarked, that on his return he actuallyfound his table in most perfect order, with not a single one of hispapers missing; in fact, to his ignorant eye, the room looked exactlyas it did before; and when Miss Prissy eloquently demonstrated to himthat every inch of that paint had been scrubbed, and the windows takenout and washed inside and out, and rinsed through three waters, andthat the curtains had been taken down and washed and put through a bluewater, and starched and ironed, and put up again, he only innocentlywondered in his ignorance what there was in a man’s being married thatmade all these ceremonies necessary; but the Doctor was a wise man, andin cases of difficulty kept his mind much to himself, and thereforehe only informed those energetic practitioners that ‘he was extremelyobliged to them,’ accepting the matter by simple faith, an examplewhich we recommend to all good men in similar circumstances.
The house throughout was subjected to similar renovations. Everythingin every chest, or trunk, or box, was vigorously pulled out and hungout on lines in the clothes-yard to air, for when once the spirit ofenterprise has fairly possessed a group of women, it assumes the formof a ‘prophetic fury,’ and carries them beyond themselves. Let not anyignorant mortal of the masculine gender, at such hours, rashly dare toquestion the promptings of the genius that inspires them! Spite of allthe treatises that have lately appeared to demonstrate that there isno particular inherent diversity between men and women, we hold to theopinion that one thorough season of house-cleansing is sufficient todemonstrate the existence of awful and mysterious differences betweenthe sexes, and of subtle and reserved forces in the female line,before which the lords of creation can only veil their faces with adiscreet reverence as our Doctor has done.
In fact, his whole deportment on the occasion was characterized byhumility so edifying as really to touch the hearts of the whole synodof matrons; and Miss Prissy rewarded him by declaring impressivelyher opinion that he was worthy to have a voice in the choosing thewedding-dress, and she actually swooped him up, just in a very criticalpart of a distinction between natural and moral ability, and conveyedhim bodily (as fairy sprites know how to convey the most ponderousof mortals) into the best room, where three specimens of brocade layspread out upon a table for inspection.
Mary stood by the side of the table, her pretty head bent reflectivelydownward, her cheek just resting upon the tip of one of her fingers,as she stood looking thoughtfully _through_ the brocades at somethingdeeper that seemed to lie under them; and when the Doctor was requiredto give judgment on the articles, it was observed by the matronsthat his large blue eyes were resting upon Mary with an expressionthat almost glorified his face; and it was not until his elbow wasrepeatedly shaken by Miss Prissy that he gave a sudden start andfixed his attention as was requested upon the silks. It had been oneof Miss Prissy’s favourite theories, that ‘that dear blessed man_had taste enough if he would only give his mind to things_;’ and infact the Doctor rather verified the remark on the present occasion,for he looked very conscientiously and soberly at the silks, andeven handled them cautiously and respectfully with his fingers, andlistened with grave attention to all that Miss Prissy told him oftheir price and properties, and then laid his finger down on one whosesnow-white ground was embellished with a pattern representing liliesof the valley on a background of green leaves. ‘This is the one,’ hesaid, with an air of decision, and then he looked at Mary and smiled,and a murmur of universal approbation broke out. A chorus of loudacclamations, in which Miss Prissy’s voice took the lead, conveyed tothe innocent-minded Doctor the idea that in some mysterious way he haddistinguished himself in the eyes of his feminine friends, whereathe retired to his study, slightly marvelling, but on the whole wellpleased, as men generally are when they do better than they expect; andMiss Prissy, turning out all profaner persons from the apartment, helda solemn consultation, to which only Mary, Mrs. Scudder, and Madame deFrontignac were admitted; for it is to be observed that the latter hadrisen daily and hourly in Miss Prissy’s esteem since her entrance intothe cottage, and she declared that if she only would give her a fewhints, she didn’t believe but that she could make that dress look justlike a Paris one, and rather intimated that in such a case she mightalmost be ready to resign all mortal ambitions.
The afternoon of this day, just at that cool hour when the clock ticksso quietly in a New England kitchen, and everything is so clean andput away that there seems to be nothing to do in the house, Mary satquietly down in her room to hem a ruffle. Everybody had gone out ofthe house on various errands. The Doctor, with implicit faith, hadsurrendered himself to Mrs. Scudder and Miss Prissy, to be conveyed upto Newport, and attend to various appointments in relation to his outerman, which he was informed would be indispensable in the forthcomingsolemnities.
Madame de Frontignac had also gone to spend the day with some of herNewport friends; and Mary, quite well pleased with the placid andorderly stillness which reigned through the house, sat pleasantlymurmuring a little tune to her sewing, when suddenly the trip of amerry, brisk foot was heard in the kitchen, and Miss Cerinthy AnnTwitchel made her appearance at the door, her healthy, glowing cheekwearing a still brighter colour, from the exercise of a three-mile walkin a July day.
‘Why, Cerinthy,’ said Mary, ‘how glad I am to see you!’
‘Well!’ said Cerinthy; ‘I have been meaning to come down all this week,but there is so much to do in haying-time; but to-day I told motherI _must_ come. I brought these down,’ she said, unfolding a dozen ofsnowy damask napkins, ‘that I spun myself, and was thinking of youalmost all the while I spun them; so I suppose they ain’t quite sowicked as they might be.’
We will remark here that Cerinthy Ann, in virtue of having a high stockof animal spirits, and great fulness of physical vigour, had verysmall proclivities towards the unseen and spiritual; but still alwaysindulged a secret resentment at being classed as a sinner above manyothers, who as church-members made such professions, and were, as sheremarked, ‘not a bit better than she was.’
She always, however, had cherished an unbounded veneration for Mary,and had made her the confidante of most of her important secrets; andit soon became very evident that she
had come with one on her mind now.
‘Don’t you want to come and sit out in the lot?’ she said to her, aftersitting awhile, twirling her bonnet-strings with the air of one who hassomething to say and does not know exactly how to begin upon it.
Mary cheerfully gathered up her thread, scissors, and ruffling, andthe two stepped over the window-sill, and soon found themselves seatedcozily under the boughs of a large apple-tree, whose descendingbranches, meeting the tops of the high grass all around, formed aperfect seclusion, as private as heart could desire.
They sat down, pushing away a place in the grass; and Cerinthy Anntook off her bonnet, and threw it among the clover, exhibiting toview her glossy black hair, always trimly arranged in shining braids,except where some curls fell over the rich, high colour of her cheeks.Something appeared to discompose her this afternoon; there were thoseevident signs of a consultation impending, which to an experienced eyeare as unmistakeable as the coming up of a shower in summer.
Cerinthy began by passionately demolishing several heads of clover,remarking as she did so that ‘she didn’t see, for her part, how Marycould keep so calm when things were coming so near;’ and as Maryanswered to this only with a quiet smile, she broke out again:—
‘I don’t see, for my part, how a young girl _could_ marry a ministeranyhow; but then I think _you_ are just cut out for it. But what wouldanybody say if _I_ should do such a thing?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Mary, innocently.
‘Well, I suppose everybody would hold up their hands; and yet if I _do_say it myself,’ she added, colouring, ‘there are not many girls whocould make a better minister’s wife than I could if I had a mind totry.’
‘That I am sure of,’ said Mary, warmly.
‘I guess you are the only one that ever thought so,’ said Cerinthy,giving an impatient toss; ‘there’s father all the while mourning overme, and mother too, and yet I don’t see but that I do pretty much allthat is done in the house. And they say I am a great comfort in atemporal point of view; but oh! the groanings and the sighings thatthere are over me!
‘I don’t think it is pleasant to think that your best friends arethinking such awful things about you when you are working your fingersoff to help them; it is kind o’ discouraging, but I don’t know what todo about it;’ and for a few moments Cerinthy sat demolishing buttercupsand throwing them up in the air, till her shiny black head was coveredwith golden flakes, while her cheek grew redder with something that shewas going to say next.
‘Now, Mary, there is _that creature_; well—you know—he won’t take “no”for an answer. What shall I do?’
‘Suppose then you try “yes,”’ said Mary, rather archly.
‘Oh, pshaw, Mary Scudder! You know better than that now. I look likeit, don’t I?’
‘Why, yes,’ said Mary, looking at Cerinthy deliberately, ‘on the wholeI think you do.’
‘Well, one thing I must say,’ said Cerinthy, ‘I can’t see what _he_finds in me. I think he is a thousand times too good for me. Why,you have no idea, Mary, how I _have_ plagued him. I believe that man_really is a Christian_,’ she added, while something like a penitenttear actually glistened in those sharp, saucy, black eyes; ‘besides,’she added, ‘I have told him everything I could think of to discouragehim. I told him that I had a bad temper, and didn’t believe thedoctrines, and couldn’t promise that I ever should. And after all,that creature keeps right on, and I don’t know what to tell him.’
‘Well,’ said Mary, mildly; ‘do you think you really love him?’
‘Love him,’ said Cerinthy, giving a great flounce, ‘to be sure Idon’t—catch me loving _any_ man. I told him last night I didn’t, butit didn’t do a bit of good. I used to think that man was bashful,but I declare I have altered my mind. He will talk and talk, ’till Idon’t know what to do. I tell you, Mary, he talks beautifully too,sometimes.’ Here Cerinthy turned quickly away, and began reachingpassionately after clover heads. After a few moments she resumed.‘The fact is, Mary, that man _needs_ somebody to take care of him,for he never thinks of himself. They say he has got the consumption,but he hasn’t any more than I have. It is just the way he neglectshimself!—preaching, talking, and visiting—nobody to take care of him,and see to his clothes, and nurse him up when he gets a little hoarseand run down. Well, I suppose if I _am_ unregenerate, I do know how tokeep things in order; and if I should keep _such_ a man’s soul in hisbody, I suppose I should be doing some good in the world; because if aminister don’t _live_, of course he can’t convert anybody. Just thinkof his saying that I could be a comfort to _him_! I told him that itwas perfectly ridiculous, “and besides,” says I, “what will everybodythink?” I thought that I had really talked him out of the notion of itlast night; but there he was in again this morning; and told me he hadderived great encouragement from what I said. Well, the poor man reallyis lonesome, his mother’s dead, and he hasn’t any sisters. I asked himwhy he didn’t go and take Miss Olladine Hocum. Everybody says she wouldmake a first-rate minister’s wife.’
‘Well; and what did he say to that?’ said Mary.
‘Well, something really silly about my looks,’ said Cerinthy, lookingdown.
Mary looked up and remarked the shining black hair, the long darklashes, lying down over the glowing cheek, where two arch dimples werenestling, and said quietly, ‘Probably he is a man of taste, Cerinthy.I advise you to leave the matter entirely to his judgment.’
‘You don’t really, Mary,’ said the damsel, looking up; ‘don’t you thinkit would injure _him_ if I should?’
‘I think not materially,’ said Mary.
‘Well,’ said Cerinthy, rising, ‘the men will be coming home frommowing before I get home, and want their supper. Mother has one of herheadaches on this afternoon, so I can’t stop any longer: there isn’t asoul in the house knows where anything is when I am gone. If I shouldever take it into my head to go off, I don’t know what would become offather and mother. I was telling mother the other day that I thoughtunregenerate folks were of some use in _this_ world any way.’
‘Does your mother know anything about it?’ said Mary.
‘Oh, as to mother, I believe she has been hoping and praying about itthese three months. She thinks that I am such a desperate case, it isthe only way I am to be brought in, as she calls it. That’s what set meagainst him at first; but the fact is, if girls will let a man arguewith them, he always contrives to get the best of it. I am provokedabout it too; but dear me! he is so meek there is no use of gettingprovoked at him. Well, I guess I will go home and think about it.’
As she turned to go she looked really pretty. Her long lashes werewet with a twinkling moisture, like meadow-grass after a shower; andthere was a softened, child-like expression stealing over the carelessgaiety of her face. Mary put her arms round her with a gentle caressingmovement, which the other returned with a hearty embrace. They stoodlocked in each other’s arms; the bright, vigorous, strong-heartedgirl, with that pale, spiritual face resting on her breast, as whenthe morning, songful and radiant, clasps the pale silver moon to herglowing bosom.
‘Look here now, Mary,’ said Cerinthy; ‘your folks are all gone, you mayas well walk with me. It’s pleasant now.’
‘Yes, I will,’ said Mary; ‘wait a moment till I get my bonnet.’
In a few moments the two girls were walking together in one of thoselittle pasture foot-tracks which run cosily among huckleberry andjuniper bushes, while Cerinthy eagerly pursued the subject she couldnot leave thinking of.
Their path now wound over high ground that overlooked the distant sea,now lost itself in little copses of cedar and pitch-pine; and now therecame on the air the pleasant breath of new hay, which mowers wereharvesting in adjoining meadows.
They walked on and on as girls will; because when a young lady has oncefairly launched on the enterprise of telling another all that _he_said, and just how _he_ looked for the last three months, walks are aptto be indefinitely extended.
Mary was besid
es one of the most seductive little confidantes in theworld. She was so pure from all _selfism_, so heartily and innocentlyinterested in what another was telling her, that people in talking withher found the subject constantly increasing in interest; although ifthey had really been called upon afterwards to state the exact portionin _words_ which she added to the conversation, they would have beensurprised to find it so small.
In fact, before Cerinthy Ann had quite finished her confessions, theywere more than a mile from the cottage, and Mary began to think ofreturning, saying that her mother would wonder where she was when shecame home.