Youcouldn’tseewhytheywashedthebedding，andtookthefeathersfromthepillowsandsteamedtheminmosquitonettingbagsanddriedthemintheshade，whenSally’swastobeamorningwedding，buttheydid。IevenhadtotakeabucketandgatherfromaroundthewallsallthelittleheapsofrocksandshellsthatUncleAbrahamhadsentmotherfromCalifornia，takethemoutandwashandwipethem，andstackthemback，withthefanciestonesontop。Hesentheraringmadeofgoldhedughimself。Shealwayskepttheringinabottleinherbureau，andshemeanttowearitatthewedding，withhernewsilkdress。I
hadanewdresstoo。Idon’tknowhowtheygoteverythingdone。
Allofthemworked，untilthelastfewdaystheywereperfectcrosspatches。
Whentheycouldn’tfindanotherthingindoorstoscour，theybeganontheyard，orchard，barnandroad。MotherevenhadLeonstackthewoodpilestraighter。Shesaidwhencordedwoodleanedatanangle，itmadepeopleseemshiftless；andsheneverpassedaplacewhereitlookedthatwaythatherfingersdidn’tjustitchtogetatit。Hehadtopulleveryragweedoneachsideoftheroadasfarasourlandreached，andlayeveryrailstraightinthefences。FatherhadtotakespikesandourbiggestmaulandgotothebridgesatthefootoftheBigandtheLittleHill，andseethateveryplankwasfast，sononeofthemwouldrattlewhenimportantguestsdroveacross。Shesaidshejustsimplywouldn’thavetheminsuchaconditionthatJudgePettiscouldn’thearhimselfthinkwhenhecrossed；foryoucouldtellfromhislooksthatitwasveryimportantthatnoneofthethingshethoughtshouldbelost。Therewasn’tasinglespotabouttheplaceinsideoroutthatwasn’tgoneover；andtolotsofityouneverwouldhaveknownanythinghadbeendoneifyouhadn’tseen，becausetheplacewasalwaysinpropershapeanyway；butfathersaidmotheractedjustlikethat，evenwhenhersonsweremarriedatotherpeople’shouses；andifshekeptongettingworse，everygirlshemarriedoff，bythetimeshereachedme，we’dallbescouredthreadbareandshe’dbeonthevergeofthegrave。MayandIweededtheflowerbeds，pickedalltheripeseed，andpulledupandburnedallthestalksthatweredoneblooming。FatherandLaddiewentoverthegardencarefully；theyscrapedthewalksandevenshookthepalingstoseeifoneweregoingtocomelooserightatthelastminute，wheneveryonewouldbesoflustratedtherewouldbenotimetofixit。
Thentheybegantotalkaboutarrangementsfortheceremony，whetherweshouldhaveourregularminister，orPresidingElderLemon，andwhatpeopletheyweregoingtoinvite。Justwhenwehadplannedtoaskeveryone，havetheweddinginthechurch，andthebreakfastatthehouse，andalldriveinajoyousprocessiontoGrovevilletogivethemagoodsend-offinwalkedSally。ShehadbeenvisitingPeter’speople，andweplannedalotwhileshewasaway。