Year: 1878

TN NORTHERN VERMONT that
i peculiar form of social outrage former
ly known as a surprise party, but of late
commonly called a Bulgarian atrocity, is
still lamentably frequent. On cold
evening in the first week of last month
Mr.. Sawyer and his family were seated
by their social hearth enjoying one
another's society. The clergyman was
reading aloud the Bishops pastoral let
ter; his wife was busily calculating how
to cut up her husbands old overcoat, so
as to supply him with new waistcoat,
herself with a new overskirt, and Master
Sawyer with new pair of trousers;
while that excellent small boy was read
ing the improving adventures of an
eminent pirate, and wondering whether
he would ever be able to emulate them.
Not one of the family was prepared to
receive visitors. Mr.. Sawyer had on
his dressing-gown and slippers Mrs.
Sawyer had let down her back hair to
give freedom to her mental processes, and
Master Sawyer had temporarily slipped
off his trousers to supply his mother
with a pattern, while he wrapped the
hearth-rug about him. Suddenly, and
without the least warning, more than
four dozen people of all kinds and sexes,
including men, women, reformers, and
theological students, burst into the room,
carrying cake and devastation with
them. The marauders conducted them
selves after the usual custom of their
kind. They conversed with one another
with great hilarity, ignoring the suffer-
ings of the clergyman and his wife. They
spread their cake upon the table, and
devouring it without plates, scattered
the crumbs over the new caIpet.


One young man, having laid large
piece of jelly cake on the sofa, subse-
| quently sat down on it, and Mrs. Saw
yer felt that she would gladly join the
| Church of Rome on condition that the
medieval tortures of the Inquisition
should be revived and she herself delega-
ted to apply them to that particular
young man.


After having reduced the furniture to
that state of grease that it was no longer
safe to sit down, the miscreants gathered
around the piano and sang "What Shall
the Harvest Be?" until Mr.. Sawyer,
mild as he was, regretted that he could
not take a sharp scythe and reap an i'm
mediate and bloody harvest,


While these blood curdling outrages
were in progress in the parlor, the good
small boy kept himself carefully out of
the room. He was not, however wasting
his time in idle rage. He, too, heard
the melodious inquiries as to the har-
vest, and remarked to himself that they
would find out all about the harvest.


Meanwhile he was busiIy engaged in
carrying pals of water and emptying
walk leading from the front door to the
gate. The night was cold and the water
froze rapidly. Under his admirable
management the ice acquired an un-
usually smooth and slippery character
and when the work was thoroughly
zone the small boy retired 10 the second
story front window and waited for the
surprise party to break up.


The moon was at its full, and shone
brightly when the first pair of miscre-
ants-the young man who sat on the
jelly-cake and heavy young lady to
whom he was affianced-issued from the
front door and instantly sat down with
tremendous emphasis. Close behind
them came the rest of the raiders, who
with one accord strewed themselves over
the ground, until in some places they
were collected three or four deep. The
shrieks Of the ladies and the stronger
remarks Of the men filled the air. Nc
sooner would struggling wretch regain