All this being harmoniously settled, the Deacon drove away, and
caused the announcement of his immediate marriage to be posted
directly below that of Waitstill and Ivory Boynton.
"Might as well have all the fat in the fire to once," he
chuckled. "There won't be any house-work done in this part of the
county for a week to come. If we should have more snow, nobody'll
have to do any shovellin', for the women-folks'll keep all the
paths in the village trod down from door to door, travellin'
round with the news."
A "spite match," the community in general called the Deacon's
marriage; and many a man, and many a woman, too, regarding the
amazing publishing notice in the frame up at the meeting-house,
felt that in Jane Tillman Deacon Baxter had met his Waterloo.
"She's plenty good enough for him," said Aunt Abby Cole, "though
I know that's a terrible poor compliment. If she thinks she'll
ever break into s'ciety here at the Falls, she'll find herself
mistaken! It's a mystery to me why the poor deluded man ever done
it; but ain't it wonderful the ingenuity the Lord shows in
punishin' sinners? I couldn't 'a' thought out such a good
comeuppance myself for Deacon Baxter, as marryin' Jane Tillman!
The thing that troubles me most, is thinkin' how tickled the
Baptists'11 be to git her out o' their meetin' an' into ourn!"
XXXV
TWO HEAVENS
AT the very moment that Deacon Baxter was I starting out on his
quest for a housekeeper, Patty and Mark drove into the Mason
dooryard and the sisters flew into each other's arms.
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