formed before partaking of the dinner prepared for
the occasion. For this purpose, as the distance to the house of the fair
intended was not unfrequently considerable, they generally came at an
early hour; and as Isaac's fair Peggy was not likely to be visible short
of a ten miles' ride, his companions for the journey accordingly began
to appear in couples before his father's dwelling, ere the sun was an
hour above the hills.

Isaac, on the present occasion, stood ready to receive them as they
rode up, arrayed in his wedding garments; which--save a few trifling
exceptions in some minor articles, and the addition of five or six metal
buttons displayed on his hunting frock in a very singular manner, and
a couple of knee buckles, all old family relics--presented the same
appearance as those worn by him during his ordinary labors. And this,
by the way, exhibits another feature of the extreme simplicity of the
time--and one too highly praise-worthy--when the individual was sought
for himself alone, and not for the tinsel gew-gaws, comparatively
speaking, he might chance to exhibit. Necessity forced all to be plain
and substantial in the matter of dress; and consequently comfort and
convenience were looked to, rather than ostentatious display. All at
that day were habited much alike--so that a description of the costume
of one of either sex, as in the case of their habitations, previously
noted, would describe that of a whole community.

"Let the reader," says a historian, in speaking of the manners and dress
of those noble pioneers, "imagine an assemblage of people, without a
store, tailor, or mantuamaker within an hundred miles; and an assemblage
of horses, without a blacksmith or saddler within an equal distance. The
gentlemen dressed in shoepacks, moccasins, leather breeches, leggins,
linsey hunting-shirts, and all home-made. The ladies dressed in linsey
petticoats, and linsey or linen bed-gowns, coarse shoes, stockings,
handkerchiefs, and buckskin gloves, if any. If there were any buckles,
rings, buttons or ruffles, they were the relics of old times--family
pieces from parents or grandparents. The horses were caparisoned with
old saddles, old bridles or halters, and packsaddles, with a bag or
blanket thrown over them--a rope or string as often constituting the
girth as a piece of leather."

But to our story:

Since leaving Isaac in the preceding chapter, after his important
announcement, as therein recorded, he had b