Ellsworth American., 1881-01-20
Misfrllaneons. g
In Hiding.

1t was on that fine edge of night which
| goes By the name of morning to those early
| risers whose day ends at sunset and begins
before cockcrow, that Mrs. Ann Dustin, ris-
ing from her virtuous slumbers, addressed
herself to the task of fire-making. Why
Mrs. Dustin should awake at such untimely
hour it would have been hard to explain.
! Dustin, her late husband, was "late' only in
a conventional sense, having died years be-
/ fore Ii was not for the sake of neighbors
| for neighbors there were none within three
quarters of a mile There was nothing
cheerful in the raw November darkness. lit
only by the twinkle of the distant light
/ house. Nobody needed, no one waited for
! her Had she chosen to lie in bed till noon,
not voice would have been raised in pro-
/ test, and truly Heaven sends nuts to those
who have no teeth" for all this charm of
privilege which certain lazy people would
| so have valued was utterly thrown away
/ upon her. Punctual as the clock, at four in
summer and five in winter, anticipating the
earliest hint of dawn, up rose Mrs. Dustin,
and from that time forward the wheels of
her day drove busily on till sunset, when she
went to bed, thus saving fire, candle, ana the
infraction of old custom.
She had just got her fire well snder way
when knock fell upon the door. Knocks
have character. This was not loud, but
quick, imperative, as given by one whose
errand might not brook delay.
"Come in" said Mrs. Dustin, surprised,
but calm. Then recollecting that the door
was still fastened, she stepped forward, drew
the bolt, and opened.
Three figures stood without, dimly defined
against the darkness of the morning.
"Oh, Mrs. Dustin" said voice, ''may we
come in? We are hiding"
On the mainland such statement might
have sounded odd and startling enough, but
to Mrs. Dustin, Nantucket woman horn
and bred, it had quite a different signif-
canoe. She was familiar with the island
custom known as "hiding parties" !" when a
certain number of girls and young men,
having a dance in contemplation, settle who
shall give and who pay for it by prelim-
mary game of hide -and-seek. Twelve hours
of the day, from six to six, are allowed the
latter to discover the lurking places to
which, before dawn, the former have betaken
themselves. 1t is an exciting game, as may
well be imagined, with a whole island to
range over, the forfeit an equally pleasant
one to pay or to win, a spice of adventure
involved so it is no wonder that it should
prove popular, and girls be willing to shorten
their beauty sleep for the fun of indulgng
in it. Mrs Ann had been of many hiding
party in her time, and knew all about them
so with ready wit she hurried the girls in
side, shut the door lest some fash of light
should go forth to guide the seekers, and
proceeded to discuss ways and means.
"'Tain't no use in your trying to stow
away in none of my rooms" she said. '.The
boys'n be all over them like flash. 'Taint
the first time they've come here. Once they
caught Mandy Pike behind the flour barrel
in the buttery; and another time Lucy Smith
she got in under the shelf of my closet, and
set the tea-chest, with my best bonnet in
it, right afore her; but, law! Jack Sperry
he's as quick as an eel, and he had the chest
and the bonnet, and Lucy atop of them, all
out on the floor before you could say Scat.
Hark what's that" as another knock, hes
itating but vigorous, fell on the door.
"Who's there ?" softly stealing forward
and slipping the bolt.
"Any girls in there, Miss Dustin ?"
"Well, / declare, if that foolish old Gus
tom amt going the raounds yet, want to
know" replied Mrs. Ann, at the top of her
voice, signing the tittering girls to silence
meanwhile. II call it hard if quiet folks
can't get their chores done up at this time Of
mornin' without your coming raound like
this. 1t amt six neither You'd ought te
be ashamed of yourself, Mark Cofin-l de-
clare you he'd"