“Cheer, boys, cheer!” added Jimmy, by way of chorus.
The night but one before the wedding he and Lucy were strangely wide awake. Lucy lay in her crib at least five minutes with open eyes, wondering why she couldn’t be married as well as Aunt Vi. She meant to ask mamma. When Jamie fell asleep it was to dream of weddings. The weddings seemed to be made chiefly of white and pink sugar, and danced a ring-round-rosy with papa in the middle, papa taking up a deal of room on account of his pulpit.
There was one thing very remarkable indeed which Edith had not told Jimmy, simply because she did not know it herself. He learned it next day from dear Aunt Vi. It was this:—
Jimmy was to be groomsman at the wedding, and Lucy was to be bridesmaid! Somebody had been making a beautiful white frock for little Lucy, all embroidered with silk apple-blossoms. Some one else had been making a charming blue suit for Jimmy, all spangled with silver.
Why shouldn’t these two children go nearly wild with rapture? Why shouldn’t they think the wedding was made on purpose for themselves, and that Aunt Vi had little to do with it, except to look on and admire their new clothes?
Auntie had lived in the house ever since they could remember. They loved her dearly, and it was very sad that Mr. Sanford should have taken this sudden notion to come and carry her off to Washington.
“She’ll never, never see any more cherry-trees,” thought Lucy. “Georgie has cut ’em all down!”
But they had little time to grieve over losing their aunt, little time to pity her for being obliged to go away; their new clothes filled all their thoughts. Jimmy felt that life had nothing grander to offer him than the honor of being “best man” at a wedding. It was as if he was about to become a king, and wear a royal crown.
As for Lucy, she was in such a flutter of delight, that Kyzie had to watch her, lest she should run all over town to say to people,— “What you fink? I’se going to be mallied to Aunt Vi.”
Mr. Sanford arrived from Washington the very day before Christmas. Lucky for him that he was in season for the wedding!