SOMEOPINIONSANDAWEDDING
I，Bertram，takethee，Billy，’chantedthewhite-robedclergyman。
`I，Bertram，takethee，Billy，’’echoedthetallyoungbridegroom，hiseyesgravelytender。
Tomyweddedwife。’
`Tomyweddedwife。’’Thebridegroom’svoiceshookalittle。
Tohaveandtoholdfromthisdayforward。’
`Tohaveandtoholdfromthisdayforward。’’Nowtheyoungvoicerangwithtriumph。Ithadgrownstrongandsteady。
Forbetterforworse。’
`Forbetterforworse。’’
Forricherforpoorer，’dronedtheclergyman，withthewearinessofuncountedrepetitions。
`Forricherforpoorer，’’avowedthebridegroom，withthedecisiveemphasisofonetowhomthewordsarenewandsignificant。
Insicknessandinhealth。’
`Insicknessandinhealth。’’
Toloveandtocherish。’
`Toloveandtocherish。’’Theyoungervoicecarriedinfinitetendernessnow。
Tilldeathusdopart。’
`Tilldeathusdopart，’’repeatedthebridegroom’slips；buteverybodyknewthatwhathisheartsaidwas：Now，andthroughalleternity。’
AccordingtoGod’sholyordinance。’
`AccordingtoGod’sholyordinance。’’
AndtheretoIplighttheemytroth。’
`AndtheretoIplighttheemytroth。’’
Therewasafaintstirintheroom。Inonecornerawhite-hairedwomanblinkedtear-weteyesandpulledafleecywhiteshawlmorecloselyabouthershoulders。Thentheminister’svoicesoundedagain。
I，Billy，takethee，Bertram。’
`I，Billy，takethee，Bertram。’’
Thistimetheechoingvoicewasafeminineone，lowandsweet，butclearlydistinct，andvibrantwithjoyousconfidence，onthroughoneafteranotheroftheeverfamiliar，buteverimpressivephrasesoftheservicethatgivesintothehandsofonemanandofonewomanthefuturehappiness，eachoftheother。
Theweddingwasatnoon。ThateveningMrs。
KateHartwell，sisterofthebridegroom，wrotethefollowingletter：
BOSTON，July15th。
MYDEARHUSBAND：——Well，it’salloverwith，andthey’remarried。Icouldn’tdoonethingtopreventit。MuchaseverastheywouldevenlistentowhatIhadtosay——andwhentheyknewhowIhadhurriedEasttosayit，too，withonlytwohours’notice!
Butthen，whatcanyouexpect？Fromtimeimmemorialloversneverdidhaveanysense；
andwhenthoseloversaresuchirresponsibleflutterbudgetsasBillyandBertram——!
Andsuchawedding!Icouldn’tdoanythingwith_that_，either，thoughItriedhard。TheyhaditinBilly’sliving-roomatnoon，withnothingbutthesunforlight。Therewasnomaidofhonor，nobridesmaids，noweddingcake，noweddingveil，nopresentsexceptfromthefamily，andfromthatridiculousChinesecookofbrotherWilliam’s，DingDong，orwhateverhisnameis。Hetoreinjustbeforetheweddingceremony，andinsisteduponseeingBillytogiveherawretchedlittlegreenstoneidol，whichhedeclaredwouldbringher`heapplentyvellygoodluckee’ifshereceiveditbeforeshe`gotmarried。’Iwouldn’thavethehideous，grinningthingaround，butWilliamsaysit’srealjade，andveryvaluable，andofcourseBillywascrazyoverit——orpretendedtobe。Therewasnotrousseau，either，andnoreception。Therewasnoanythingbutthebridegroom；
andwhenItellyouthatBillyactuallydeclaredthatwasallshewanted，youwillunderstandhowabsurdlyinlovesheis——inspiteofallthoseweeksandweeksofbrokenengagementwhenI，atleast，supposedshehadcometohersenses，untilIgotthatcrazynotefromBertramaweekagosayingtheyweretobemarriedtoday。
Ican’tsaythatI’vegotanyreallysatisfactoryexplanationofthematter。Everythinghasbeeninsuchahubbub，andthosetworidiculouschildrenhavebeensoafraidtheywouldn’tbetogethereveryminutepossible，thatanyreallyrationalconversationwitheitherofthemwasoutofthequestion。WhenBillybroketheengagementlastspringnoneofusknewwhyshehaddoneit，asyouknow；andIfancyweshallbealmostasmuchinthedarkastowhyshehas——er——mendeditnow，asyoumightsay。AsnearasI
canmakeout，however，shethoughthedidn’twanther，andhethoughtshedidn’twanthim。I
believematterswerestillfurthercomplicatedbyagirlBertramwaspainting，andayoungfellowthatusedtosingwithBilly——aMr。Arkwright。
Anyhow，thingscametoaheadlastspring，BillybroketheengagementandfledtopartsunknownwithAuntHannah，leavingBertramhereinBostontoalternatebetweenstonydespairandrecklessgayety，accordingtoWilliam；anditwaswhilehewasinthelattermoodthathehadthatawfulautomobileaccidentandbrokehisarm——
andalmosthisneck。Hewaswildlydelirious，andcalledcontinuallyforBilly。
Well，itseemsBillydidn’tknowallthis；
butaweekagoshecamehome，andinsomewayfoundoutaboutit，IthinkthroughPete——William’soldbutler，youknow。JustexactlywhathappenedIcan’tsay，butIdoknowthatshedraggedpooroldAuntHannahdowntoBertram’satsomeunearthlyhour，andintherain；
andAuntHannahcouldn’tdoathingwithher。
AllBillywouldsay，was，`Bertramwantsme。’
AndAuntHannahtoldmethatifIcouldhaveseenBilly’sfaceI’dhaveknownthatshe’dhavegonetoBertramthenifhe’dbeenatthetopoftheHimalayaMountains，oratthebottomoftheChinaSea。Soperhapsit’sjustaswell——forAuntHannah’ssake，atleast——thathewasinnoworseplacethanonhisowncouchathome。
Anyhow，shewent，andinhalfanhourtheyblandlyinformedAuntHannahthattheyweregoingtobemarriedto-day。
AuntHannahsaidshetriedtostopthat，andgetthemtoputitofftillOctobertheoriginaldate，youknow，butBertramwasobdurate。
Andwhenhedeclaredhe’dmarryherthenextdayifitwasn’tforthenewlicenselaw，AuntHannahsaidshegaveupforfearhe’dgetaspecialdispensation，orgototheGovernororthePresident，ordosomeotherdreadfulthing。WhatafunnyoldsoulAuntHannahis!Bertramtold_me_thatheshouldneverfeelsafetillBillywasreallyhis；thatshe’dreadsomething，orhearsomething，orthinksomething，orgetaletterfrommeasifanything_I_couldsaywoulddoanygood-orharm!，andsobreaktheengagementagain。
Well，she’shisnow，soIsupposehe’ssatisfied；though，formypart，Ihaven’tchangedmymindatall。Istillsaythattheyarenotonebitsuitedtoeachother，andthatmatrimonywillsimplyruinhiscareer。Bertramneverhaslovedandneverwillloveanygirllong——excepttopaint。Butifhesimply_would_getmarried，whycouldn’thehavetakenanice，sensibledomesticgirlthatwouldhavekepthimfedandmended？
NotbutthatI’mveryfondofBilly，asyouknow，dear；butimagineBillyasawife——worseyet，amother!Billy’sadeargirl，butsheknowsaboutasmuchofreallifeanditsproblemsas——
asourlittleKate。Amoreimpulsive，irresponsible，regardless-of-consequencesyoungwomanI
neversaw。Shecanplaydivinely，andwritedelightfulsongs，I’llacknowledge；butwhatisthatwhenamanishungry，orhaslostabutton？
Billyhashadherownway，andhadeverythingshewantedforyearsnow——aratherdangerouspreparationformarriage，especiallymarriagetoafellowlikeBertramwhohashad_his_
ownwayandeverything_he’s_wantedforyears。
Pray，what’sgoingtohappenwhenthosewaysconflict，andneitheronegetsthethingwanted？
Andthinkofherignoranceofcooking——but，there!What’stheuse？They’remarriednow，anditcan’tbehelped。
Mercy，whataletterI’vewritten!ButI，hadtotalktosomeone；besides，I’dpromisedI
toletyouknowhowmattersstoodassoonasI
could。Asyousee，though，mytripEasthasbeenpracticallyuseless。Isawthewedding，tobesure，butIdidn’tpreventit，orevenpostponeit——thoughImeanttodooneortheother，elseIshouldneverhavemadethattiresomejourneyhalfacrossthecontinentattwohours’notice。
However，weshallseewhatweshallsee。Asforme，I’mdeadtired。Goodnight。
Affectionatelyyours，KATE。’
Quitenaturally，Mrs。KateHartwellwasnottheonlyonewhowasthinkingthateveningofthewedding。InthehomeofBertram’sbrotherCyril，Cyrilhimselfwasatthepiano，butwherehisthoughtswerewasplaintobeseen——orrather，heard；forfromunderhisfingerstherecametheLohengrinweddingmarchuntilalltheroomseemedfilledwiththescentoforangeblossoms，themistinessoffloatingveils，andtheechoingpealsoffar-awayorgansheraldingtheFairBrideandGroom。’
Overbythetableintheglowingcircleoftheshadedlamp，satMarie，Cyril’swife，adaintysewing-basketbyherside。Herhands，however，layidlyacrossthestockinginherlap。
Asthemusicceased，shedrewalongsigh。
Whataperfectlybeautifulweddingthatwas!shebreathed。
Cyrilwhirledaboutonthepianostool。
Itwasaverysensiblewedding，’hesaidwithemphasis。
Theylookedsohappy——bothofthem，’
wentonMarie，dreamily；so——sosortofaboveandbeyondeverythingaboutthem，asifnothingever，evercouldtroublethem——_now_。’
Cyrilliftedhiseyebrows。
Humph!Well，asIsaidbefore，itwasavery_sensible_wedding，’hedeclared。
ThistimeMarienoticedtheemphasis。Shelaughed，thoughhereyeslookedalittletroubled。
Iknow，dear，ofcourse，whatyoumean。_I_
thoughtourweddingwasbeautiful；butIwouldhavemadeitsimplerifI’drealizedintimehowyou——you——’
HowIabhorredpinkteasandpurplepageants，’hefinishedforher，withafrowningsmile。Oh，well，Istoodit——forthesakeofwhatitbroughtme。’Hisfaceshowednowonlythesmile；thefrownhadvanished。Foramanknownforyearstohisfriendsasahaterofwomenandallotherconfusion，’CyrilHenshawwaslookingremarkablywell-pleasedwithhimself。
Hiswifeoflessthanayearcoloredasshemethisgaze。Hurriedlyshepickedupherneedle。
Themanlaughedhappilyatherconfusion。
Whatareyoudoing？Isthatmystocking？’
hedemanded。
Alook，halfpain，halfreproach，crossedherface。
Why，Cyril，ofcoursenot!You——youtoldmenotto，longago。Yousaidmydarnsmade——
bunches。
Ho!ImeantIdidn’twantto_wear_them，’
retortedtheman，uponwhomthetragicwretchednessofthathalf-sobbedbunches’hadbeenquitelost。Ilovetoseeyou_mending_them，’
hefinished，withanapprovingglanceattheprettylittlepictureofdomesticitybeforehim。
ApeculiarexpressioncametoMarie’seyes。
Why，Cyril，youmeanyou_like_tohavememendthemjustfor——forthesakeofseeingmedoit，whenyou_know_youwon’teverwearthem？’
Sure!’noddedtheman，imperturbably。
Then，withasuddenlaugh，heasked：Iwondernow，doesBillylovetomendsocks？’
Mariesmiled，butshesighed，too，andshookherhead。
I’mafraidnot，Cyril。’
Norcook？’
Marielaughedoutrightthistime。ThevaguelytroubledlookhadfledfromhereyesOh，Billy’shelpedmebeateggsandbuttersometimes，butIneverknewhertocookathingorwanttocookathing，butonce；thenshespentnearlytwoweekstryingtolearntomakepuddings——foryou。’
For_me!_’
Mariepuckeredherlipsqueerly。
Well，Isupposedtheywereforyouatthetime。Atalleventsshewastryingtomakethemforsomeoneofyouboys；probablyitwasreallyforBertram，though。’
Humph!’gruntedCyril。Then，afteraminute，heobserved：IjudgeKatethinksBilly’llnevermakethem——foranybody。I’mafraidSisterKateisn’tpleased。’
Oh，butMrs。Hartwellwas——wasdisappointedinthewedding，’apologizedMarie，quickly。Youknowshewanteditputoffanyway，andshedidn’tlikesuchasimpleone。
Hm-m；asusualSisterKateforgotitwasn’therfuneral——Imean，herwedding，’retortedCyril，dryly。Kateisneverhappy，youknow，unlessshe’smanagingthings。’
Yes，Iknow，’noddedMarie，withafrowningsmileofrecollectionatcertainfeaturesofherownwedding。
Shedoesn’tapproveofBilly’stasteinguests，either，’remarkedCyril，afteramoment’ssilence。
Ithoughtherguestswerelovely，’spokeupMarie，inquickdefense。Ofcourse，mostofhersocialfriendsareaway——inJuly；butBillyisneverasocietygirl，youknow，inspiteofthewaySocietyisalwaystryingtolionizeherandBertram。’
Oh，ofcourseKateknowsthat；butshesaysitseemsasifBillyneedn’thavegoneoutandgatheredinthelameandthehaltandtheblind。’
Nonsense!’criedMarie，withunusualsharpnessforher。IsupposeshesaidthatjustbecauseofMrs。Greggory’sandTommyDunn’scrutches。’
Well，theydidn’tmakearealfestive-lookingweddingparty，youmustadmit，’laughedCyril；
whatwiththebridegroom’sownarminasling，too!Butwhoweretheyall，anyway？’