Page:A New England Tale.djvu/282

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A NEW-ENGLAND TALE.
271

book, 'light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.'"

James was the only person that did not seem to have his portion of the common gladness. He had, with a poor grace, consented to defer his nuptials till Mary's return from Philadelphia. He did not mind the time, he said, "five or six weeks would not break his heart, though he had waited almost as long as Jacob now; and he was not of a distrustful make; but it was a long way to Philadelphia, and the Lord only knew what might happen." But nothing did happen; at least, nothing to justify our constant lover's forebodings.

Jane was received with cordiality into the friends' society, and their hands were joined, whose hearts were 'knit together.'

The travellers returned, in a few weeks, to ———, happy in each other, and devoting themselves to the good and happiness of the human family. Their good works shone before men; and "they seeing them, glorified their Father in heaven." We dare not presume upon the good nature of our readers so far, as to give the detail of Mary's wedding; at which, our little friend Rebecca, was the happy mistress of ceremonies.

There yet remains something to be told of one of the persons of our humble history, whom our readers may have forgotten, but to whom Mr. Lloyd extended his kind regards—the poor lunatic, crazy Bet. He believed that her reason might be restored by skilful management—by confinement to one place, and one set of objects, and by the