Theweddingcompanywassmall，butselect。JudgeBaxterandhiswifewerethereandtheKeiths——Mrs。Keithcondescendedtoornamenttheoccasion；someofthe“bestpeople“hadseenfittomakemuchofMaryLathropandMrs。Keithneverpermittedherselftobeveryfarbehindthebestpeopleinanything——andMrs。Wyethwasthere，andMissPease，andMr。GreenwhohadreceivedaninvitationandhadcomefromBoston，andDoctorHarley，andSimeonCrockerandhis“steadycompany，“oneofthetea-roomyoungladies，andAnnabeland——and——well，adozenorfifteenmore。
Whentheministerasked，“Whogiveththiswomantothisman？“Zoethanswered，bravely，“Ido——thatis，meandShadrach。“Butnoonelaughed，becauseZoethhimselfwastryingtosmileandmakingratherwetweatherofit。AsfortheCaptain，hisexpressionduringtheceremonywasasortoffixedgrinwhichhehadassumedbeforeenteringtheroomandhadevidentlydeterminedtoweartothefinish，nomatterwhathisemotionsmightbe。ButMissPease，alwayssusceptible，hadadelightfulcryalltoherself，andIsaiah，retiringtothehall，blewhisnosewithavigorwhich，asCaptainShadsaidafterwards，“hadthePollackRipfoghornsoundin’likeadeefanddumbsign。“
Maryhadmanagedeverything，ofcourse。Heruncleshadtriedtoremonstratewithher，tellinghertherewereplentyofotherstoarrangetheflowersandattendtowhatthelocalnewspaperwould，initsaccountoftheaffair，besuretocallthe“collation，“andtomakethehundredandonepreparationsnecessaryforevensosmallandsimpleaweddingasthis。Butsheonlylaughedattheirremonstrances。
“Iwouldn’tmissitforanything，“shesaid。“Ihavealwayswantedtomanagesomeone’sweddingandIamcertainlynotgoingtoletanyoneelsemanagemine。Idon’tcareabitwhetheritistheproperthingornot。Thisisn’tgoingtobeaformalaffair；I
won’thaveitso。UncleShad，ifyouwanttosay’Jumpin’fire’
whenCrawforddropsthering，asheisalmostsuretodo，youhavemypermission。“
ButCrawforddidnotdropthering，andsotheCaptain’sfavoriteexclamationwasnotuttered，beingunnecessary。Infacttherewerenomishaps，everythingwentexactlyasitshould，receptionand“collation“included，and，toquotefromtheSouthHarnisslocaloncemore，“Agoodtimewashadbyall。“
Andwhenthebrideandgroom，dressedintheirtravelingcostumes，camedownthestairstothecarriagewhichwastotakethemtothestation，Maryranback，amidtheshowerofriceandconfetti，tokissUncleZoethandUncleShadoncemoreandwhisperintheirearsnottofeelthatshehadreallygone，becauseshehadn’tbutwouldbebackinjustalittlewhile。
“AndIhavetoldIsaiahaboutyourrubbersandoilskinswhenitrains，“sheadded，inShadrach’sear，“andheisnottoforgetUncleZoeth’smedicine。Good-by。Good-by。Don’tbelonesome。Promisethatyouwon’t。“
Buttopromiseiseasyandtokeepthatpromiseisoftenhard，asShadrachobservedwhenheandZoethwerealoneinthesitting-roomthatevening。“Ifeelasifthewholevitalsofthisplacehadgoneawayonthatafternoontrain，“theCaptainadmitted。“AndyetI
knowit’sawfulfoolish，’causeshe’llonlybegoneacoupleofweeks。“
“I’mgladthatquestionaboutthenameissettled，“musedZoeth。
“Thatkindoftroubledme，thatdid。“
ThepartnershadworriednotalittleoverthequestionofwhetherCrawford’snamewaslegallySmithorFarmer。IfitwereFarmerandhemustbesocalledinSouthHarniss，theyfearedtherevivaloftheoldscandalandallitsmiserablegossip。ButwhentheyaskedCrawfordhereassuredthem。
“Iconsultedmylawyeraboutthat，“hesaid。“Myfather’smiddlenamewasSmith；thatiswhyhetookit，Isuppose。EdwinSmithisnotsoverydifferentfromEdgarSmithFarmer，shorter，that’sall。
HeandmymotherweremarriedunderthenameofSmith。Motherneverknewhehadhadanothername。IwasbornSmithandchristenedSmithandmylawyertellsmethatSmithIam。IftherehadbeenanyquestionIshouldhavepetitionedtohavethenamechanged。“
SothatquestionwassettledandShadrachandZoethfelteasierbecauseofit。
“Zoeth，“observedShadrach，afterreplyingtohisfriend’sremarkconcerningthename，“doyouknowwhatIkindoffeltasifwe’doughttohavehadherethisafternoon？“
“No，Shadrach，“repliedZoeth，“Idon’t。Whatwasit？“
“Seemedtomewe’doughttohadoneofthemmusicboxchairs。I’dliketohaveputitunderthatKeithwomanandseenherfacewhentheCampbellsstartedtocome。Ho，ho！“
“Whatintheworldmadeyouthinkofthat？“demandedhispartner。
“Oh，Idon’tknow。Thinkin’aboutMary-’Gusta，Ical’late，setmetorememberin’howwefustmetherandaboutMarcellus’sfuneralandall。Thatmademethinkofthechair，yousee。Iain’tthoughtofitaforeforyears。“
Zoethnodded。“Shadrach，“hesaid，“thatwasablesseddayforyouandme，thedaywhenwebroughtthatchildhomeinouroldbuggy。
TheLordputherthere，Shadrach。“
“Well，IguesslikelyHedid，maybe，inawayofspeakin’。Doesseemso，that’safact。“
“Ourliveswasprettysotandnarrowaforeshecame。She’schangedeverything。“
“That’sso。Hello！What’sthatnoise？Ideclareifitain’tIsaiahliftin’uphisvoiceinsong！Inahymntune！Whatdoyouthinkofthat？“
Fromthekitchen，abovetherattleofdishes，Mr。Chase’snasalfalsettoquaveredshrilly：
“Thereshallbeshowersofblessin’s——“
TheCaptaininterrupted。
“Hi，you——what’syourname——JennieLind——comeinhere，“hehailed。
Mr。Chaseappeared，hisarmsdrippingsoapsuds。“Whatdoyouwant，callin’meoutofmyname？“hedemanded。
“Wanttoknowwhatstartedyousingin’aboutblessin’s？FustI
thought’twastheweathervanesqueakin’。Whattunedyouup，eh？“
Isaiahlookedratherfoolish，buthegrinned。
“Iwasthinkin’aboutMary-’Gusta，“hesaid。
“Youwas，eh？Well，she’sbeenablessin’tous，there’snodoubtaboutthat。“
“Indeedshehas，“concurredZoeth。
ButIsaiahhadthefinalword。
“Huh！“hedeclared，“she’smore’noneblessin’，she’sawholeshower。That’swhatsetmetosingin’about’em。“
Hedepartedforthekitchenoncemore，thefalsettorisingtriumphant：
“Thereshallbeshowersofblessin’s，Send’emuponus，ohLord！“
CaptainShadlookedafterhim。Thenheturnedtohisfriendandpartnerandsaidearnestly：
“Doyouknow，Isaiah’sgettin’realkindofsensibleinhisoldage。“
End