Connecticut western news., 1874-04-17


 neck. Thankful wore mothers silver
 comb in her hair, that was rolled to the :; top of her head, and blue ribbon was d tied around her neck. She had darl
 brown hair and large, sad eyes, little
 mouth, with white even teeth, and he1
 form was tall and slender. She would n be called beautiful now, but then Ke
 turah was considered the handsomest 8 for her hair was black and curling, hel
 eyes bright and sparkling, and he1 F cheeks as red as roses. She wore gold
 beads around her neck and her hair in , curls, but aside from that they were dressed exactly alike.
 I thought myself grand in my white gown, but when Thankful lent me her
 red shoes felt proud, can tell you,
 and there never was g. happier girl than
 the one mounted behind Abel on old Dobbin, to go to the Junket at Squire Doolittle's.
 When we got there was almost be- wildered. There seemed nothing but
 lights and girls and brass buttons but
 after @ little my mind got settled
 enough to look about. The long kitch-
 en was cleared, and around on the raft
 CTS were nailed wooden candle-sticks,
 two or three in place. The strings of
 dried apple and pumpkin had not been
 taken down, but were festooned over-
 head, and the crooked necked squashes
 hung by the fireplace. Black Jack, the fiddler, sat in 8 chair placed on the table at one end of She kitchen, and the Squire and his wife sat just outside the door, she with her knitting. and he just watching the young folks, for he liked dancing as we'll as ever, and was amazing spry, too.
 Pretty soon they led onto the floor for "Four hand reel," and saw that Jabez had Sally Wilkins, pretty girl enough, but dreadful disagreeable and pert. I never liked her, but when she looked at Thankful in the way she did could have boxed her ears and enioy- ed doing it.
 BuG, la, how Silas danced The walls were low in those days. and he was always as light as top. When he was "casting off right and left," or going "ladies chain," can't remem- on string of dried apples, and he pulled down two or three yards of it right onto the floor. They joked him, of course, and some one sad his heart and heels were pretty light. Almira Bean-she was always saying some- thing disagreeable-s she didn't know about that, but his head must be. I danced with the old Squire and Abel, besides Silas and one or two others. Jabez asked me, and although wanted to refuse him, didn't, because he was so handsome and such nice dancer. He never asked Thankful the whole evening, but was very attentive 10 Sally, | and you may believe, SilaS was just as | much so to Thankful.
 About ten o'clock we had supper. Mrs. Doolittle was beautiful cook, and the beans and roast beef were | "done to turn.' The chicken pie 1 was delicious, and so were the apple | pies, pumpkin pies and mince, dough- nuts, rye cakes, rig bread and biscuit, sweet cake and ginger bread, and ever so much besides. But Mrs. Doolittle must be polite, so she urged every one ] to try to "make out," and said she hadn't anything fit to eat.
 II hope you'll all set up," says she, z" and take off the edge or your appe- t1tes, though my victuals is jest as poor as they always are. These beans are dreadful bad baked. Take some chicken, do, maybe 'tain't quite so bad. Thankful, do have some beef, you hain>t eat mouthful, nor you neither, Silas. Jerusha, child, you can't find anything you can eat, can you? We'll, I don't wonder, when your mothers such a nice cook. Try some of this sweet cake. It's dreadful heavy, though. I declare you don't any of you eat nothing."
 Of course we all did eat, and we praised everything just as much as she run it down, and then asked for re- ceipts, which she gave, but our minds being so full of the beaux and dancing we. couldn't remember them and so didn't try.
 After supper we went back to danc- ing, and how light our feet and hearts were At least mine were, and so I know were Silas' and jSallie's. We didn't dance then as you do now-fancy dances, you call 'em-but I don't see why, for to my mind Hull's Victory " and "Roy's Wife were deal prettier and more respectable, certainly. We were not so lazy about our dancing, neither, for Jacks arm flew like light ming and so did we, almost, and my how the floor shook ween ssaH chassied," and Jacks face shone like black bot tie, with pride and precipitation.
 At last came Virginia Reel" where the gentleman bows to any lady on the floor. When it came Jabez' turn. he went up to Thankful and made her a low bow, and saw him give kind of beseeching look as though he wanted to make up, but Thankful didn't appear to see it, but just danced her prettiest. She looked so sweet and Jabez so manly and handsome, said then to myself, I would bring them together if I had to sacrifice Sally and Silas and my pride 
 This was the last "figure," and then we got ready to go. The girls had on their pelisses and the sparks were get ting their horses, when I thought I ] heard Abels voice. I rushed to the [ door, but saw when got there that it was Jabez waiting for Sallie. All in second it flashed into my mind what to do. I went in and spoke to Thankful and said "Come, your horse is ready" ] and she went out, still and quiet, and took Jabez' hand and mounted up be- { hind him. She never seemed to notice { but that it was Silas. ( Their horse trotted off just as Silas came up. How angry he was and so was Sallie, and I just laughed but never { said a word. Of course they went to- ' gether, though neither liked the change I very much, and mounted behind Abel, { but I shook so when I thought of it ali that Abel thought was shivering with cold, and he hurried on as fast as he could.
 We overlook Jabez and Thankful just 1 as we reached home, and they were | talking so earnestly that they hardly noticed us, so saw that it was all right. l
 Jerusha came home early and was al- ( ready abed, but Abel would make up a I fire, because, he said, I was almost t frozen-shivered all the way home. I (