inasmuch as he took upon himself the credit of having made
the match, and was never tired of relating the wondrous story
to all who would listen to it.
  " Massah Hugh de perfectest massah," he said, "and Miss
Ellis a little more so;" adding that though "Canaan was a
mighty nice place, he 'sumed he'd rather not go thar jist yet,
but live a leetle longer to see them 'joy themselves. Thar they
comes-dat's miss in gray. She knows how't orange posies and
silks and satins is proper for weddin' nights; but she's gwine
travelin', and dat's why she comed out in dat stun-color, Sam'll
be blamed if he fancies." And having thus explained Alice's
choice of dress, the old negro held the carriage door himself,
while Hugh, handing in his mother, sister and his bride, took
his seat beside them, and was driven to the church.
  Twenty minutes passed, and then the streets were filled again;
but now the people were going home, talking as they went of
the beauty of the bride and of the splendid-looking bridegroom,
who looked so fondly at her as she murmured her responses,
kissing her first himself when the ceremony was over, and let-
ting his arm rest for a moment around her slender form. No
one doubted its being a genuine love match, and all rejoiced in
the happiness of the newly-married pair, who, at the village
depot, were waiting for the train which would take them on
their way to Kentucky, for that was their destination.
  In the distracted condition of the country, Hugh's presence
was needed there; for, taking advantage of his absence, and
the thousand rumors afloat touching the Proclamation, one of
his negroes had already run away in company with some half
dozen of the colonel's, who, in a terrible state of excitement,
talked seriously of emigrating to Canada. Hugh's timely ar-
rival, however, quieted him somewhat, though he listened in
sorrow, and almost with tears, to Hugh's plan of selling the
Spring Bank farm and removing with his negroes to some New
England town, where Alice, he knew, would be happier than
she had been in Kentucky. This was one object which Hugh
had in view in going to Kentucky then, but a purchaser for
Spring Bank was not so easily found in those dark days; and
so, doing with his land the best he could, he called about him
his negroes, and giving to each his freedom, proposed that they
stay quietly where they were until spring, when he hoped to
find them all employment on the farm he went to buy in New
England.



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