The Argosy — page 383: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

360 The House of Halliwell. mourning shall be up, then you may have Mary. I scarcely think she would herself wish it to take place earlier.” ‘“ But I do,” he said. “Do not urge it, Dr. Goring. Indeed, I cannot consent. I feel that it would not be right ; not seemly.” So Dr. Goring and Mr. Halliwell went back to Middlebury, and the wedding was fixed to take place in June. Mary, of course, remained at home, busy enough with her preparations. Dr. Goring paid them a flying visit now and then, and the period drew near. What was their astonishment, a few days previous to it, to see Aunt Copp arrive! Hester had incautiously written her word of the progress of affairs, and instead of receiving an answer, wishing Mary good luck, or something of that sort, who should come but Aunt Copp herself, by the morning mail, to be followed, in the course of the day, by a sea-chest, two hair trunks, and two bandboxes, the mail having refused to carry them. Hester and Lucy were petrified. “Now, what do you three girls think of yourselves ?” she began. “Did you ever hear of a young girl being married from a house without a matron in it to countenance her ?” The idea had really not occurred to Hester. Steady and sedate, and turned thirty years, she believed herself a proper guide and pro- tector to Mary, and ventured to hint as much to her aunt. ‘‘ Quite false ideas,” called out Aunt Copp. ‘‘ Never was such a thing heard of, I tell you, as a young lass going out of a house where there was no married woman init. For my part, I question if such a wedding would stand good. Why, you would have been the talk for miles round. And Mary is such a child.” ‘“T am twenty, Aunt Copp,” interrupted Mary. ‘“"Pwenty !”’ scornfully ejaculated Aunt Copp. ‘‘So was I twenty, when I married my poor dead-and-gone sailor husband, and a precious goose he found me. _ I was one-and-twenty when my darling boy was. born (I had a letter from him last week, girls, and he’s made first mate now, through the other one going off with yellow fever ; and was beating about in a calm in the Pacific, which gave him time to write), and a precious goose of a mother fe found me, the innocent baby! So don’t boast to me of your twenty years; go and tell it to the marines. What should three girls know about the management necessary at a wedding? Have you thought to order the cake?” “Oh, yes, we have done that.” ‘‘ And to get cards printed ?” ‘* And that also.” ‘“‘ And the style of setting out the breakfast ? Have you discussed that ?” ‘‘ Not yet.” “IT thought so,” groaned Aunt Copp. ‘No ship-shape arrange- ments beforehand, no consultations, no nothing. A pretty muddle you'll be in when the morning comes! be leaving the dressing of the Gomicbooks.co