r friends were
there to meet them.

Mrs. Cornwall seemed not to see John. As she took Mary in her arms she
called her "John's wife"; they cried a wee bit and as she let her go,
John heard her say "Mary dear"; and he knew his mother's heart approved
of his wife. Then he kissed his mother and they greeted his other
friends.

Mrs. Neal was greatly surprised at Mary's appearance. "Mrs. Cornwall,
you really mean to tell me that she was born on Straight Creek?"

CHAPTER XI.

HOME LIFE.

Mrs. Cornwall, upon the receipt of the telegram notifying her of John's
marriage, went to his room and taking Mary's photograph, carried it to
the window and in the strong light of the June day studied the face.

Even under her critical analysis, that of a mother-in-law whose love was
centered in her son and who believed that he was entitled to the world's
best, the picture met her approbation.

She held it in her arms, as one who loved might have held the original;
and after a few tears of mingled sadness and joy--sadness for what had
gone from her life and joy for what she thought had come into her
son's--and after a prayer that God would bless the union of her son and
this woman, making their life long and true and completing their
happiness by giving them sweet children to make the union one of body
and soul, she carried it down to her parlor and placed it on the center
table beside that of her son's, wreathing and clustering them round with
deep-red, velvety roses from the garden, and each day until they came
gathered fresh ones, replacing those that withered. She telegraphed her
blessing and love to them both and wrote Mary a long letter, telling her
how happy she should be to welcome her home as John's wife and her
daughter.

Though Mary several times had asked, John had told her very little about
their home. She knew from descriptions Rosamond and Dorothy had given
her that it was an attractive place. When they drove into the yard and
up to the porch with its colonial pillars and the old-fashioned, arched
doorway, he could see that she was artistically satisfied.

Then as they passed through the portal into the hall and the double
parlors, she gave voice to her appreciation.

"Mrs. Cornwall, you have made the house indeed a home. No wonder John
was so near remaining a bachelor. You made him entirely too comfortable;
he will expect too much. John, see how your mother has bordered our
photographs with roses."

"I h