good things to eat and no end of laughter and gay excitement; and the
jolly uncle looked so big and fine and solemn; and the bride, in her
white veil, was so like a princess in one of the dreams; that the
little girl was half frightened and felt a queer lump in her throat as
she clung to her mother's hand. And there was a strange ceremony in
which the minister, in his gown, read out of a book and said a prayer
and asked questions; and the uncle and the princess answered the
questions; and the uncle put a ring on the finger of the princess; and
the minister said that they were husband and wife. And then there were
kisses while everybody laughed and cried and shook hands; and some one
told the little girl that the princess was her new auntie; and her
uncle caught her up in his big arms and was his own jolly self again.
It was all very fine and strange and impressive to their childish
eyes; and so, of course, the very next day, the boy and the girl
played a wedding.

It was up in that quiet corner of the garden, near the hedge, and the
cherry tree was in bloom and showered its delicate blossoms down upon
them with every puff of air that stirred the branches; while, in the
hedge nearby, a little brown bird was putting the finishing touch to a
new nest. The boy's shepherd dog, who sat up when you told him, was
the minister; and all the dollies were there, dressed in their finest
gowns. The little girl was very serious and again, half frightened,
felt that queer lump in her throat as she promised to be his wife. And
the boy looked very serious, too, as he placed a little brass ring
upon her finger and, speaking for the brown eyed, shaggy coated,
minister, said: "I pronounce you husband and wife and anything that
God has done must never be done any different by anybody forever and
ever, Amen." And then--because there was no one else present and they
both felt that the play would not be complete without--then, he had