Did any one remember a remarkably handsome little fellow who came to board with Mrs. Allen, in Bungy, about the time that Katy Allen--well, they would not say any thing about that; poor thing, she had suffered enough--but he went to school at Shrub Oak, and was a perfect little gentleman. His name was Paul De Varney, and he had come out so rich that no one could count his gold.
There was but one thing that could be said against the match--young De Varney brought a black slave with him when he first came into the State, and kept him still, for the poor fellow had been about Bungy not two days ago, and no doubt was there yet. The bishop might have something to say about that before he would marry the young man; but it was to be hoped that it would not quite break up the match. Still, a slave in old Connecticut! that could not be thought of a moment by any Christian community. Certainly Nelson Thrasher and his wife would be confirmed--that was all settled with the bishop, who had been informed about the case thoroughly by Thrasher himself; as for his wife, people were beginning to think that after all she had been innocent about that affair. A woman that could kill her own child never yet made a wife like her. Why those old people fairly worshipped her. When old Mrs. Thrasher was sick, she never had her clothes off for weeks together. Then she was so good in sickness; always the first to offer herself, if watchers were wanted. Why Tom Hutchins might have lost his young wife if it had not been for her care. Night and day, night and day, that faithful woman was by her bedside, till the fever left her. The doctor had been heard to declare, over and over again, that he should not know how to get along with his patients if it were not for Mrs. Nelson Thrasher. Then Nelson had turned out such a sensible, steady man, for all his hard life. Yes, yes; the thing was certain; both he and his wife would be confirmed. No doubt of that.
Then about the baptism; of course that was for Tom Hutchins" twins--a girl and a boy that you could not tell apart to save your life. Tom and his wife were so proud of those young ones they never would be content till all the town had seen them in their long white christening dresses. That young fellow did make such a fool of himself. Just as if n.o.body had ever had twins to baptize before him.
All this gossip was pretty nearly true. The bishop had come, and was stopping at the square white house near the willow tree. Paul De Varney was staying at Mrs. Allen"s with Jube. David Rice had built a large side building to the old house, since he settled on the farm, and it was plenty large enough to accommodate half a dozen guests if they could have been persuaded to stay. But when Mr. Prior the minister, and his little wife, came from Bays Hollow, bringing Rose Mason back to be married in her native village, they went directly up to old Mrs.
Thrasher"s and made the homestead cheerful with company.
Since the arrival of all these people in the village, Tom Hutchins, who lived in Mrs. Mason"s cottage in the pine woods, had been wonderfully busy, and gave himself up to his friends more completely than could be expected of a young married man, not two months before made the father of healthy twins, good as gold and plump as partridges.
Notwithstanding this paternal drawback, Tom had made all arrangements with regard to the bishop; had seen the publishment properly laid on the pulpit cushion, ready for use, three legal Sundays, and had twice driven his steel colored colt into New Haven, to get a pair of satin slippers and a certain kind of ribbon for Rose, at which his wife pouted, and the twins, partaking of her ill humor, kept the poor fellow walking the chamber floor half the night, now with one, and then with the other, in his arms.
I am afraid Mrs. Hutchins did not, on that occasion, take quite her share of the nursing. When Tom asked her, in his distress, if she wouldn"t get up and make a little fennel seed tea for the poor little things, she desired to know if it wouldn"t be just as well to make that request of Rose Mason, with her curls and her gipsy hat on one side, at which Tom broke forth with energy:
"Talk about Rose Mason," he said; "the girl that was going to marry his earliest friend, one of the finest fellows on earth--a girl that was good as gold, and generous as--Oh it was too bad; he wouldn"t have thought it of a wife of his--a woman that he had loved so."
"_Had_ loved!" Mrs. Hutchins murmured, faintly. "_Had_ loved!"
Tom"s heart melted within him as he heard the low protest, but he contented himself by kissing each of the twins, while their little heads rested on his shoulders, and went on making an iron-hearted fellow of himself.
Yes, Tom meant _had_. No love in the world could stand such venomous attacks on that nice girl, who had given him up so handsomely. Where would she have been but for that? Breaking her heart, and pining herself to death, instead of taking her place as a respectable married person and the head of a thriving family. There was the twins, too, precious dears. Par wasn"t scolding them. Where in the world would they have been if Rose had kept him to his word, as any other girl would have done?
Here Mrs. Hutchins began to sob, and said, penitently, that she hadn"t meant any thing of the kind--in fact, hadn"t said a single thing against Miss Rose Mason, who was breaking her heart though; and--and--oh, dear, if she"d only stayed at home with her own dear par and mar, instead of marrying a man that didn"t love her, and was keeping her poor babies out in the cold just to break her heart.
"There, there! just snuggle the little shavers up to you, that"s a darling!" cried Tom, huddling the two babies into their mother"s arms, and leaving a penitential kiss somewhere in the borders of her cap.
"I"ll kindle the fire and make some tea myself--I know you didn"t mean it."
"Indeed I didn"t, Tom. But you mustn"t do it; I will."
"There now, keep quiet, or you"ll set "em a-going again."
"No, Tom, they"re both sound asleep."
"You don"t say so. Well, they"ve got me wide awake, anyhow; so I"ll just light a candle and show you what I really was doing in New Haven, and what Rose Mason wanted me to buy for her."
Tom unlocked a closet that held his cravats and Sunday clothes, from which he took a long, deep paper box, and carried it to the bed.
"See here!" he cried, lifting up a garment so white and soft that it seemed woven from snow-flakes. "Two of "em, just alike; India muslin that her father sent from Calcutta, she told me to tell you. See how they are worked round the bottom, and cut up with lace. Then, here"s the caps! One of "em just fits my fist. It was to get the ribbon for these c.o.c.kades she sent me to New Haven--white for the gal, and blue for the boy. Now what do you think about it?"
Mrs. Hutchins thought that she was the most silly, unreasonable, good-for-nothing creature that ever lived; but she hoped, for all, that Tom wouldn"t say _had_ again. It was too cruel, even if she was to blame.
Tom admitted that he was a hard-hearted, cruel, tiger of a fellow, and not worth half the love she gave him; and so the young couple were reconciled.
CHAPTER LXXIX.
THE WEDDING AND THE BAPTISM.
Notwithstanding this little domestic scene, Tom stood by his friends bravely; "he was bound to see this wedding put through in style, let what would come." Mrs. Hutchins was a wise little lady in her day, and kept quiet after this; but she insisted on having a new straw bonnet with white ribbons, and would have worn her own wedding dress only Tom objected, and said it would be like putting on airs, and she the head of a family; that dove-colored silk would do beautifully.
So the afternoon came, as I have said, and the bell rang out loud and cheerfully, sounding out an invitation to every lady from Rock Rimmond to Castle Rock. Then the people came pouring in from Bungy, Shrub Oak, Chewstown, and Pine Island in a perpetual storm. The old barn-like Presbyterian meeting-house in Chewstown was deserted by all except the most aged members, and the school-house where the little handful of Methodists worshipped, had to close its doors, for no one but the cla.s.s leader presented himself for admission. So the church was crowded.
Those who could not gain access were scattered in groups on the green in front, and a crowd took shelter under the old willow at the crossroads, determined to get a good view of that young foreigner who was going to marry pretty Rose Mason. People said he was handsome as a lord, and rich as a prince. Of course he should be all that to carry off the prettiest girl that ever lived in the town, to say nothing of her goodness. Of course everybody remembered Captain Mason and his handsome wife. She was dead, poor woman; but Captain Mason had given up his ship, and was going to France with his daughter and her young husband. Wasn"t it strange that Captain Rice should have got into company like that? And Tom Hutchins. The young couple are going to take tea at Tom"s house after the ceremony. Strange, wasn"t it? But then Tom always was stumbling into some good fortune.
While these remarks were going on the people within the church were lost in admiration of the rare flowers--white roses and white lilies--that shed their fragrance over the altar. The same perfume which was to float around the bride would first consecrate the penitents who came forward for confirmation.
They came up the broad aisle slowly and with downcast eyes--a man and his wife, only those two. The bishop stood ready. Every eye was upon them; some turned away in hard contempt, some looked pitifully on the young woman who, innocent or guilty, had suffered so much. How beautiful she was. With what meek grace she knelt down and bowed her head where the shadow of her trouble had fallen so early. And the man, how quiet and self-centered he was, giving his soul up to its holy work, without a thought of those who looked on. Handsome; yes, he was more than handsome, with that glow upon his face; but it only came once, when her eyes were uplifted to his, after that a solemn sadness fell upon him.
That group of old people, and that open-faced seafaring man, standing near the altar. Certainly that was her mother, and the little woman standing close to the old man, was his mother, and the seafaring man was Captain Rice, her half brother. How completely they seemed absorbed by the kneeling couple. Well, after all there must be some excuse--crime did not seem natural to such people, or to the children of that honest couple. G.o.d must have touched their hearts.
Thus the prejudices of the congregation softened, and gave way under the spiritual influence of that holy rite which stamped those who had been condemned criminals as Christians before the Lord.
When Katharine arose from her consecration and moved back, some of her old schoolmates looked kindly upon her, and one opened the pew door, thus inviting her to a seat. At this a flush came over her pale face, and you could see quick tears swelling under her eyelids.
After these two people were lost sight of, another group appeared in the aisle. A n.o.ble young man, with those soft, velvety eyes, that are at once so languid and so bright, and a fair young creature, crowned with white jessamines, and floating in a cloud of gossamer lace, whose cheeks wore a flush of wild roses, and whose lips trembled between smiles and tears. No bridesmaids were in attendance, but a tall, grave man, whom everybody recognized as the bride"s father, walked with them to the altar, and gave her away, with a look of tender sadness that seemed habitual to his n.o.ble face.
The bridal party stepped aside from the altar to make room for another couple, and then Tom Hutchins and his wife came up the broad aisle with blushes and smiles chasing each other across their faces as pride and strength shone in those young hearts. The man carried an infant in his arms, whose soft face dimpled in response to its father"s smiles, and which wore a blue rosette in the ma.s.s of soft lace that formed its cap.
The woman looked fresh as a wild rose in her bonnet with white ribbons and a dove-colored silk adown which the long white christening dress of the girl baby floated mistily, while the rosette on its cap fluttered like a white poppy in the wind.
Paul and Rose, these names were duplicated at the altar with due sprinkling of water-drops from a fount wreathed with flowers. Then Tom Hutchins and his wife walked down the aisle again, looking grave and thoughtful, as if they had just begun to realize what it was to be the father and mother of human souls, whose pilgrimage is through all eternity.
In violation of the usual custom, a colored man was accommodated with a seat near the door, whose glowing face and genial smile made every one in his vicinity brighten with pleasant sympathy. He was so occupied with the ceremony that he had not regarded a little group of persons who stood just outside the church, conversing eagerly together. At last one of these men came and touched him on the shoulder.
Jube, used to obedience, arose and followed the man into the centre of the group that was evidently waiting for him, and looked around in some surprise, for they were all strangers.
"I say," said one of the men, making mysterious signals with his fingers, "now"s your time, while everybody is looking on the christening. There"s my horse and wagon; take you to New Haven in an hour; steamboat ready. We"ve made a little contribution. Here"s two silver dollars, and you"ll find some doughnuts in the wagon seat with a chunk of cheese. Liberty"s the word. Leave the horse at Buck"s tavern in Chapel street, till sent for."
Jube turned from one face to another, wondering what they wanted of him.
"Don"t be skeered, and look so wild," said the first speaker, "we"ll stand by you; it"s our bounden duty as Christians. So jump in while you have a chance."
Of course Jube had learned a good deal of English in all the years that he had been in America; but he spoke brokenly, and had some difficulty in commanding words when taken by surprise.
"What you want ob Jube? Where shall he jump?"
"Out of slavery into liberty," was the answer. "Run away from the young man who owns you for his slave."
"Slave! slave!--what for Jube run away from young master? What for who says so--Jube happy very much."
"But you are a slave!"
Jube laughed till all his white teeth shone again:
"Jube like slave."