Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/219

Yes, Tony’s was the very best wedding-randy that ever I was at; and I’ve been at a good many, as you may asuppose”—turning to the newly-arrived one— “having, as a Church officer, the privilege to attend all christening, wedding, and funeral parties—such being our Wessex custom.

"‘Twas on a frosty night in Christmas week, and among the folk invited were the said Hardcomes o’ Climmerston—Steve and James—first cousins, both of them smal] farmers, just entering into business on their own account, With them came, as a matter of course, their intended wives, two young women of the neighborhood, both very pretty and sprightly maidens, and numbers of friends from Abbot’s-Cernel and Weatherbury and Mellstock and I don’t know where—a regular houseful,

“The kitchen was cleared of farniture for dancing, and the old folk played at ‘Put’ and ‘All-fours’ in. the parlor, though at last they gave that up to join in the dance. The top of the figure was by the large front window of the room, and there were so many couples that the lewer part of the figure reached through the door at the back, and into the darkness of the out-house; in fact, you couldn't see the end of the row at all, and 'twas never known exactly how long that dance was, the lowest couples being lost among the fagots and brushwood in the out-house.

“When we had danced a few hours, and the crowns of we taller men were awelling into lumps with bump-