Uncle Jason yawned frankly and reached to take the big Bible down from its usual place on the corner of the mantel. Janice and her aunt put away their work. They all gathered closer about the stove as the head of the house opened The Book.
He read of that First Christmas and they listened with that feeling of growing tenderness which a reverent perusal of the story always induces. While the snow blanketed the Vermont village, they listened again to the happenings of that wondrous night in Palestine; and if the blizzard blew without, and the mountain shivered in the storm, their hearts within were warm and their souls comforted.
The reading ended, and Uncle Jason led in the evening prayer. Aunt ’Mira bustled about with the old-fashioned warming-pan. They took their candles and separated. Half an hour later when the big clock in the hall hoarsely struck the hour of eleven it seemed to have the old Day house to itself, for all the inmates were asleep.
The blizzard blew itself out before Christmas Eve. The whole town turned out to shovel paths and plow out the roadway. For there was to be an occasion of much moment at the Union Church.
Polktown did not often have a church wedding—or a wedding of any kind as for that. Mr. Middler’s marriage fees would never make him rich.
There were no invitations sent out; Hopewell and Miss ’Rill had nobody but friends in the town and the entire congregation was welcome. Nor did any, as Walky Dexter said, but the lame, the halt and the blind fail to get to the church on Christmas Eve.
The Girls’ Guild had their entertainment in the afternoon; several of the smaller girls were to act with little Lottie as flower-girls at the wedding. And when the procession came in from the vestry and started down the aisle, it was a very pretty one indeed.
What matter if the organist got her numbers mixed and started to play “See the Conquering Hero Comes” instead of the usual “Here Comes the Bride”? As Marty observed, it might have been a whole lot worse; Mrs. Ebbie Stewart was awfully absent-minded.
But the wedding was a pronounced success. Miss ’Rill, in her pretty, modest dress, and with her pink cheeks and fluffy hair, looked as sweet as any girl bride who had ever walked up the aisle of the old church. And during the last few months Hopewell had positively been growing younger.