nds English well enough to know what I say to
her, I hope to persuade her to become one. Now, if she should become a
Christian, as I hope in God she will, she then will perceive that she
has not been properly married, and will be anxious to have the ceremony
properly performed over again; so why not do it now?"

"Well, ma'am, if it pleases you, I have no objection; I'm sure Martin
will have none."

"It will please me very much, Malachi," replied Mrs. Campbell.

"And although there is no chaplain at the fort," observed Mr. Campbell,
"yet the Colonel can marry in his absence; a marriage by a commanding
officer is quite legal."

"Yes," replied Alfred, "and so is one by a Captain of a man-of-war."

"So be it then," replied Malachi, "the sooner the better, for the
soldiers are very troublesome, and I can not keep them out of my lodge."

Martin, who had remained outside the door and overheard all that passed,
now came in; the subject was again canvassed, and Martin returned his
thanks for the permission given to him.

"Well," said Emma, "I little thought we should have a wedding in the
family so soon; this is quite an event. Martin, I wish you joy--you will
have a very pretty and a very good wife."

"I think so too, miss," replied Martin.

"Where is she?" said Mary.

"She is in the garden, miss," said Malachi, "getting out of the way of
the soldiers; now that the work is done, they torment her not a little,
and she is glad to escape from them; I'd tell them to go away, but they
don't mind me; they know I must not use my rifle."

"I should hope not," replied Mrs. Campbell, "it would be hard to shoot a
good man merely because he wished to marry your daughter."

"Why, yes, ma'am, it would," replied Malachi, "so the sooner she is
given to Martin the sooner we shall have peace."

As the boat was continually going backward and forward between the fort
and the farm, Mr. Campbell wrote to the Colonel, stating what they
wished him to do, and the Colonel appointed that day week, on which he
would come and perform the ceremony. It was a little fete at the farm.
Mrs. Campbell and the Miss Percivals dressed themselves more than
usually smart, so did all the males of the establishment; a better
dinner than usual was prepared, as the Colonel and some of the officers
were to dine and spend the day with them. Martin was very gayly attired,
and in high spirits. The Strawberry had on a new robe of young deer
skin, and had a flowe