sips that Ezekiel was going to have Mr. Sawyer and Hiram Maxwell and
Sam Hill to stand up with him, while Huldy Ann was going to have Alice
Pettengill, Mandy Skinner, and Tilly James as bridesmaids.

The whole town turned out when the two gaudy wagons, with their handsome
horses and fine harness reached Eastborough Centre, and a number of
Centre folks followed the unique procession over to Mason's Corner. One
of the wagons contained the new sign, which was soon put in place, and
was a source of undisguised admiration for a long time.

On the tenth of April, Strout & Maxwell's two heavy teams went over to
Eastborough Centre and returned about noon heavily loaded, followed by
three other teams from the Centre equally well filled. Then Mr. Obadiah
Strout could contain himself no longer. He let the cat out of the bag,
and the news spread like wildfire over the village, and was soon carried
to Eastborough Centre and to Montrose. The Mason's Corner church was to
have a new organ, a present from Mr. Sawyer, and Professor Obadiah
Strout had been engaged to officiate for one year.

The nineteenth of April was fixed for Huldy's wedding day. The hour was
ten in the morning. As early as eight o'clock teams began to arrive from
north, east, south, and west. Enough invitations had been issued to fill
the church, and by half-past nine every seat was taken.

The little church was profusely decorated with vines, ferns and potted
plants, while a wealth of cut flowers adorned the altar, the front of
the new organ, which rose towering to the very top of the church, and
the pews reserved for the bridal party.

Outside the edifice hundreds of sightseers, not honored with
invitations, lined both sides of the spacious Square in front of the
church, and occupied positions of vantage on the steps.

It lacked but ten minutes of ten. The sexton rung a merry peal from the
sweet-toned bell, which was the pride of the inhabitants of Mason's
Corner. Within the church the ushers, having attended to the seating of
the audience, stood just within the door awaiting the arrival of the
bride and groom. They were in dress suits, with white gloves, and each
had a white rose in his butonhole. Robert Wood and Cobb's twins had been
assigned to the right of the centre aisle, while Abbott Smith, Benjamin
Bates, and Emmanuel Howe had charge of the left side of the edifice. If
any noticed the absence of Samuel Hill and Hiram Maxwell, it did not
provoke general