The hour for the ceremony was fast approaching, and Esther left the assembled guests and went up into Emily Garie’s room to assist the young ladies in preparing the bride.  They all besought her to be calm, not to agitate herself upon any consideration; and then bustled about her, and flurried themselves in the most ridiculous manner, with a view, no doubt, of tranquillizing her feelings more effectually.

“Little Em,” soon to be Mrs. Ellis, was busily engaged in dressing; the toilet-table was covered with lighted candles, and all the gas-burners in the room were in full blaze, bringing everything out in bold relief.

“We are having quite an illumination; the glare almost blinds me,” said Emily.  “Put out some of the candles.”

“No, no, my dear,” rejoined one of the young ladies engaged in dressing her; “we cannot sacrifice a candle.  We don’t need them to discern your charms, Em; only to enable us to discover how to deck them to the best advantage.  How sweet you look!”

Emily gazed into the mirror; and from the blush that suffused her face and the look of complacency that followed, it was quite evident that she shared her friend’s opinion.  She did, indeed, look charming.  There was a deeper colour than usual on her cheeks, and her eyes were illumined with a soft, tender light.  Her wavy brown hair was parted smoothly on the front, and gathered into a cluster of curls at the back.  Around her neck glistened a string of pearls, a present from Mr. Winston, who had just returned from South America.  The pure white silk fitted to a nicety, and the tiny satin slippers seemed as if they were made upon her feet, and never intended to come off again.  Her costume was complete, with the exception of the veil and wreath, and Esther opened the box that she supposed contained them, for the purpose of arranging them on the bride.

“Where have you put the veil, my dear?” she asked, after raising the lid of the box, and discovering that they were not there.

“In the box, are they not?” answered one of the young ladies.

“No, they are not there,” continued Esther, as she turned over the various articles with which the tables were strewed.  All in vain; the veil and wreath could be nowhere discovered.

“Are you sure it came home?” asked one.

“Of course,” replied another; “I had it in my hand an hour ago.”

Then a thorough search was commenced, all the drawers ransacked, and everything turned over again and again; and just when they were about to abandon the search in despair, one of the party returned from the adjoining room, dragging along the brown baby, who had the veil wrapped about her chubby shoulders as a scarf, and the wreath ornamenting her round curly head.  Even good-natured Esther was a little ruffled at this daring act of baby’s, and hastily divested that young lady of her borrowed adornments, amidst the laughter of the group.

Poor baby was quite astonished at the precipitate manner in which she was deprived of her finery, and was for a few moments quite overpowered by her loss; but, perceiving a drawer open in the toilet-table, she dried her eyes, and turned her attention in that direction, and in tossing its contents upon the floor amply solaced herself for the deprivation she had just undergone.