it was a good thing for both of 'em, and it
turned out that everybody was wrong. That's the way it was with Mary
Andrews and Harvey. Nobody had a misgivin' about it. Mary was as happy
as a lark, and Harvey looked like he couldn't wait for the weddin'
day, and everybody said they was made for each other. To be sure,
Harvey was 'most a stranger in the neighborhood, havin' moved in about
a year and a half before, and we couldn't know him like we did the
Goshen boys that'd been born and brought up there. But nobody could
say a word against him. His family down in Tennessee, jest beyond the
state line, was as good people as ever lived, and Harvey himself was
industrious and steady, and as fine lookin' a man as you'd see in a
week's journey. Everybody said they never saw a handsomer couple than
Harvey and Mary Andrews.

"Mary was a tall, proud-lookin' girl, always carried herself like a
queen, and hadn't a favor to ask of anybody; and Harvey was half a
head taller, and jest her opposite in color. She was dark and he was
light. They was a fine sight standin' up before the preacher that day,
and everybody was wishin' 'em good luck, though it looked like they
had enough already; both of 'em young and healthy and happy and
good-lookin', and Harvey didn't owe a cent on his farm, and Mary's
father had furnished the house complete for her. The weddin' come off
at four o'clock in the evenin', and we all stayed to supper, and after
supper Harvey and Mary drove over to their new home. I ricollect how
Mary looked back over her shoulder and laughed at us standin' on the
steps and wavin' at her and hollerin' 'good-bye.'

"It was the fashion in that day for all the neighbors to entertain a
newly married couple. Some would invite 'em to dinner, and some to
supper, and then the bride and groom would have to do the same for the
neighbors, and then the honeymoon'd be over, and they'd settle down
and go to work like ordinary folks. We had Harvey and Mary over to
dinner, and they asked us to supper. I ricollect how nice the table
looked with Mary's new blue and white china and some o' the
old-fashioned silver that'd been in the family for generations. And
the supper matched the table, for Mary wasn't the kind that expects
company to satisfy their hunger by lookin' at china and silver. She
was a fine cook like her mother before her. Amos and Marthy Matthews
had been invited, too, and we had a real pleasant time laughin' and
jokin' like folks a