The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-08-25

had seen Sally Hawkes. since the husk-
ing at their house, when Sally found so
many red ears; and didn't she think she
was real pretty girl?
Yes, she was right pretty" and
Cynthia guessed that Sally knew it
pretty well. But did John like the color
of her eyes?
No; John didn't like the color of her
eyes exactly.
Her mouth would be well enough if
she didn't laugh so much and show her
teeth"
John said her mouth was her worst
feature.
so no." said Cynthia, warmly; cher
mouth is better than her nose"
John didn't know but it was better
than her nose, and he should like her
looks better if her hair wasn't so dread
full black.
But Cynthia, who could afford to be
generous now, said she liked black hair,
and she wished hers was dark. Where
upon John protested that he liked light
hair-auburn hair-of all things. And
Cynthia said that Sally was dear, good
girl, and she didn't believe one word of
the story that she only really found one
red ear at the husking that night, and
hid that, and kept pulling it out as if it
were new one.
And so the conversation, once started,
went on as briskly as could be about the
pairing bee, and the spelling school, and
the new singmg-master who was coming,
and how Jack Thompson had gone to
NORTH amntOn IN ho -, a c+onn
and how Elvira Reddington, in the
geography class at school, was asked
what was the capital of Massachusetts,
and had answered Northampton" and
all the school laughed. John enioyed
the conversation amazingly, and he
half wished that he and Cynthia were
the whole of the party
But the party meantime had got into
operation, and the formality was broken
up when the boys and girls had ventured
out OF the parlor into the more COM
Portable living room, with it's easy-chairs
and everyday things, and even gone so
far as to penetrate to the kitchen in their
frolic. AS soon as they forgot they were
party they began to enjoy themselves.
But the real pleasure only began with
the games. The party was nothing
without the games, and indeed it was
made for the games, Very likely it was
one of the timid girls who proposed to
play something, and when once the ice
was broken the whole company went into
the business enthusiastically.
But John was destined to have a
damper put upon his enjoyment. They
were playing most fascinating game, in
which they all stand in circle and sing
philandering song, except one who is
in the center of the ring, and holds a
cushion. At certain word in the song
the one in the center throws the cushion
at the feet of some one in the ring, indi-
eating thereby the choice of a mate, and
then the two sweetly kneel upon the
cushion, like two meek ST. Johns, and so
forth. Then the chosen one takes the
cushion and the delightful play goes on.
1t is very easy, as it will be seen, to
learn how to play it. Cynthia was hold
ing the cushion, and at the fatal word
she threw it down, not before John, but
in front of Ephraim Leggett. And they
two kneeled, and 50 forth John was as
founded. He had never conceived of
such pertidy in the female heart. He
felt like wiping Erhraim off the face of
the earth, only Ephraim was older and
bigger than he. When it came his turn
at length thanks to plain little girl
for whose admiration he didn't care a
straw-he threw the cushion down be-
fore Melinda Mayhem with all the devo-
ton he could muster, and a dagger look
at Cynthia. And Cynthias perfidious
smile only enraged him the more. John
felt wrOnged, and worked himself up to
pass wretched evening.
When supper came he never went
near Cynthia, but busted himself in car
rying different kinds of pie and cake, and
red apples and cider, to the girls he liked
the least He stunned Cynthia, and
when he was accidentally near her, and
she asked him if he would get her
glass of cider, he rudely told her-like
goose as he was-that she had better ask
Ephraim. That seemed to him very
smart; but he got more and more misera-
BILE, and began to feel that he was max
ing himself ridiculous.
Girls have great deal more good
sense in such matters than boys. Gym
thia went to John, at length, and asked
him simply what the matter was. John
blushed, and said that nothing was the
matter. Cynthia said that it wouldn't
do for two people always to be together
at party; and so they made up, and
John obtained permission to I" see" Gym
thia home.
1t was after half.past nine when the
great festivities at the deacon's broke up,
and John walked home with Cynthia
over the shining crust and under the
stars. 1t was mostly silent walk, for
this was also an occasion when it is diff
cult to find anything fit to say. And
John was thinking all the way how he
should bid Cynthia goodnight; whether
it would do and whether it wouldn't do,
this not being a game, and no forfeits
attaching to it. When they reached the
gate there was an awkward little pause.
John said the stars were uncommon!y
bright. Cynthia did not deny it, but
waited minute, and then turned alb
ruptly away, with Good night, John"
Goodnight, Cynthia"
And the party was over, and Cynthia
was gone, and John went home in kind
of dissatisfaction with himself.
1t was long before he could go to sleep
for thinking of the new world Onenpd tn