When the elder had spoken the word which made them one, the bride with
her waiter hurried out to another room, if there was such, if not she
climbed the wall ladder to the loft and there in the low-roofed bedroom
she changed her wedding frock for her infare dress--the second day
dress. In early times it was of linsey-woolsey, woven by her own hands,
and dyed with homemade dyes, while her wedding frock had been of snowy
white linsey-woolsey.

And what a feast _her_ folks had prepared for the occasion. Cakes and
pies, stewed pumpkin that had been dried in rings before the fireplace,
venison, and wild honey.

While the bride was changing to her infare dress, older hands quickly
took down the bedsteads, tied up the flock ticks and shuck ticks in
coverlids and quilts, shoved them back into the corners so as to make
room for the frolic and dancing.

If the bride's granny lived it was her privilege to lead off in the
singing, which she did in a high querulous voice while the young folks,
the boys on one side, the girls on the other, faced each other and to
soft handclapping and lightly tapping toe sang:

There lived an old Lord by the Northern sea,
Bowee down,
There lived an old Lord by the Northern sea,
And he had daughters one, two three;
I'll be true to my love,
If my love will be true to me.

All the while the bride and groom sat primly side-by-side near the
hearth and looked on.

The rest stepped the tune to the singing of the Twa Sisters, reenacting
the story of the old ballad as it moved along.

It gave everyone an opportunity to swing and step.

After that the bride's father stepped to the middle of the room and
urged even the bride to join in. In the meantime the young folks had
taken the opportunity to tease the bride, while the young men went
further by bussing her cheek. A kiss of the modest, proper sort was not
out of order; every groom knew and expected that. Even a most jealous
fellow knew to conceal his displeasure, for it would only add to further
pranking on the part of the rest if he protested.

Presently two of the young lads came in bearing a pole. They caught the
eye of the groom who knew full well the meaning of the pole. Quickly he
tapped his pocket till the silver jingled, nodded assent to the unspoken
query. They should have silver to buy a special treat for all the
menfolks; forthwith the polebearers withdrew,