at is natural. Let us leave her to herself, dear," Mrs. Force murmured,
in a low tone.

An hour's slow drive over difficult roads brought them near All Faith
Church, an ancient edifice standing in a large grove.

As they approached they found the road on each side encumbered by a moving
multitude, all going in one direction, and growing thicker the nearer they
came to the church. These were driving, riding, or walking. There were
carriages of every description of gentility or of shabbiness; there were
horses and mules, donkey carts and ox carts, all crowded with eager
spectators, and there were many foot passengers.

"Surely you never invited all these people?" said Mr. Force, in dismay.

"I have not invited more than thirty; and these all have cards; but people
do not need invitations; there is nothing on earth to prevent them from
coming here and crowding the roads and the churchyard," Mrs. Force
explained.

At this moment some ill-advised person raised a cheer, and the multitude
took it up and cheered the bridal procession until the welkin rang with
their roaring.

"Hip! hip!! hurrah!!!"

In the midst of all this the three carriages entered the yard and drew up
before the church.

The parties alighted.

The father took his daughter on his arm and led her into the building,
which was well warmed.

There, in the vestibule, he relieved her of her fur cloak, while her two
little sisters, who were close behind, let down her train and smoothed the
folds of her dress.

The style of the little country church did not admit of much display of
pageantry.

The altar and the walls were decorated with evergreens and holly. That was
all.

Mr. Force led his daughter up the aisle, followed first by the two little
bridesmaids, and next by the other members of the party without much
regard to precedence.

The rector, in full canonicals, stood within the chancel.

The bridal train, formed before the altar, bowed to the rector, and knelt
on the cushions.

The crowd, with which the church was filled, arose in mass and stretched
their necks to get sight of the proceedings.

The rector opened the book, and began the well-known ritual:

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here, in the sight of God and in
the face of this company, to join together this man and this woman in holy
matrimony," and so forth.

When the minister concluded the exordium by the solemn warning:

"'If any man can show just cause why they