and I'm downright sorry for him."

"Yes, Bettie, men have got sensitive gullets when it comes to
swollering a joke on theyselves," said Mother Mayberry, as she
joined in the widow's merry laugh at the plight of the embarrassed
widower. "Looks like when we all can trust Mr. Hoover to be so good
and kind to you and your children, after he have done waded into the
marrying of you, we oughter find some way to save his feelings from
being mortified. Can't you hatch out a idea, Elinory?"

"Oh, yes, I know, I know just what to do--it came to me in a flash!"
exclaimed the singer lady with pink-cheeked enthusiasm over the
inspiration that had risen from the depths at the call of Mrs. Pratt
and brought her up to the surface of life with it for a moment
anyway. "I saw a wedding once in rural England. All the children in
the village in a double line along the path to the church, each with
baskets of flowers from which they threw posies in front of the
bride as she came by them! Let's get all the children together and
mix them up and let them stand along the walk to the church door. It
will just make a beautiful picture with no--no thought of--of who
belongs to anybody. Everybody from Pattie and Buck down to little
Bettie and Martin Luther! Won't it be lovely? I can show them just
how to march, down the road with their baskets in their arms, and
Mrs. Pratt, you can come from your house with the Deacon and Mr.
Hoover can come out of the back of the store--with--with, who is
going to be his groomsman?"

"Lawsy me, I hadn't thought of that," answered the widow. "I'll tell
you, Mr. Pratt's brother is coming over from Bolivar to the wedding,
and as he is a-going to be a kinder relation in law by two marriages