The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-04-16

Silas heard somehow that she was
not going with Jabez, and so he asked |
her again, and Thankful said eyes
this time. She didn't seem to care
about going, but she was very anxious
to look well. L didn't understand it,
but she was beautiful when she was
dressed for the party. Her gown, as
I told you before, shone like satin,
and the stars woven on it seemed to
twinkle. I suppose you think they
must have looked real dowdyish, or
would now, but the dresses are made
very much now as they were then.
They wore kind Of tunic, very much
like your overdresses, and the sleeves
were made tight to the arm, with deep
ruffies over the hands and around the
neck. Thankful wore mothers silver
comb in her hair, that was rolled to the
top of her head, and blue ribbon was
tied around her neck. She had dark
brown hair and large, sad eyes, little
mouth, with white even teeth, and her
form was tall and slender. She would
be called beautiful now, but then Ke-
turah was considered the handsomest,
for her hair was black and curling, her
eyes bright and sparkling, and her
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.
1 thought myself grand in my white
gown, but when Thankful lent me her
red shoes felt proud, can tell you,
and there never was happier girl than
the one mounted behind Abel on old
Dobbin, to go to the Junket at Squire
Doolittle's.
When we got there I was Almost be-
vildered. There seemed nothing but
lights and girls and brass buttons but
after q little my mind got settled
enough to look about. The long kitch.
en- was cleared, aid around on the raft
ers 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 chair placed on the
table at one end of the 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. [ never liked her, but when she
looked at Thankful in the way she did
[ could have boxed her ears and enjoy
ed doing it.
But, Ia, 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-
Der which, his chin, someway, caught
on a string of dried apples, and
he pulled down two or three yards of it
right onto the floor. They ioked him,
of course, and some one said his heart
and heels were pretty light. Almira
Bean-she was always saying some
thing disagreeable-said 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 TO 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 a turn" The chicken pie
| was delicious, and so were the apple
pies, pumpkin pies and mince, dough-
nuts. rye cakes, riz 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.
"I hope you'll all set up" says she,
% 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 faint quite SO bad,
Thankful, do have some beef, you hahn I
eat mouthful, nor you neither, Silas
Jerusha, child, you can't find anything
you can eat, can you? Well, L don't
wonder, when your mothers such o
nice cook. Try some of this sweet-cake.
It's dreadful heavy, though. 1 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 SC
didn't try.
After supper we went back to dane.
ing, and how light our feet and hearts
were At least mine were, and so
know were Silas' and Sallie's. We
didn't dance then as you do now-fancy
dances, you call 'em-but l don't see
why, for to my mind "Hull's Victory
and "Roy's Wife were deal prettiei
and more respectable, certainly. We
were not so lazy about our dancing,
neither, for Jacks arm few like light
ming and so did we, almost, and my
how the floor shook ween "all chassied,
and Jacks face shone like black bot
tie, with pride and perspiration.
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 {
low bow, and 1 saw him give kind o.
beseeching look as though he wanted tt
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, I said then to myself,
would bring them together if l had tC
sacrifice Sally and Silas and my pride
altogether. ..R -.r
This was the last "fgure," and ther
we got ready to go. The girls had ol
their pelisses and the sparks were get