Year: 1877


August.


1t turned out that John did not go af
ter all to Cynthia Rudds party, having
broken through the ice on the rive
when he was skating that day, and, as
the boy who pulled him out said, come
within an inch of his life" But he took
care not to tumble into anything thai
should keep him from the next party
which was given with due formality by
Melinda Mayhem.


John had been many time to the
house of Deacon Mayhem, and never
with any hesitation, even if he knew that
both the Deacon's daughters-Melinda
and Sophronia at home. The
only fear he had felt was of the Dea-
cons big dog, who always surlily watch
ed him as he came up the tan-bark walk
and made rush at him if he made the
least sign of wavering. But upon the
night of the party his courage vanished
and he thought he would rather face all
the dogs in town than knock at the front
door


The parlor was lighted up, and as
John stood on the broad tagging before
the front door, by the lilac bushes he
could hear the sound of voices girls
voices-which set his heart in futter
He could face the whole district school
of girls without finching-he didn' t
mind 'em in the meeting house in their
Sunday best; but he began to be con
sclous that now he was passing to new
sphere, where the girls are supreme and
superior, and he began to feel for the
first time that he was an awkward boy.
The girl always takes to society as
naturally as duckling does to the pla-
cid pond, but with semblance of sly
timidity; the boy plunges in with a great
splash, and hides his shy awkwardness
in noise and commotion.


When John entered, the company had
nearly all come. He knew them every
one, and yet there was something about
them strange and unfamiliar They were
all little afraid of each other, as peo-
pie are apt to be when they are well
dressed and met together for social pur-
poses in the country To be at real
party was a novel thing for most of
them, and put Il constraint upon them
which they could not at once overcome.
Perhaps it was because they were in the
awful parlor, that carpeted room Of hair
cloth furniture, which was so seldom
opened. Upon the wall hung two GER
tifcates, framed in black certify
ing that, by the payment of fifty dollars,
Deacon Mayhem was life member of
the American Tract Society, and the
other that, by a like outlay of bread cast
upon the waters, his wife was life
member of the A. B. CT. Ma portion
of the alphabet which has an awful
significance to all New England child
hood.


There was fire on the broad hearth,
and that, with the tallow candles on the
mantle-piece, made quite an illumination
in the room, and enabled the boys, who
were mostly on one side Of the room, to
see the girls, who were on the other,
quite plainly. How sweet and demure
the girls looked, to be sure! Every boy
was thinking if his hair was slick, and
feeling the full embarrassment of his
entrance into fashionable life. 1t was
queer that these children, who were so
free everywhere else, should be so con
strained now, and not know what to do
with themselves. The shooting of a
spark out upon the carpet was great
relief, and was accompanied by deal of
scrambling to throw it back into the fire,
and caused much giggling. 1t was only
gradually that the formality was at all
broken, and the young people got to-
gether and found their tongues.


John at length found himself with
Cynthia Rudd to his great delight and
considerable embarrassment, for Gym
thia, who was older than John, never
looked so pretty. TO his surprise he had
nothing to say to her. They had always
found plenty to talk about before, but
now nothing that he could think of
seemed worth saying at a party.


=" 1t is a very pleasant evening", said
John.


g 1t is quite SC" replied Cynthia.


Did you come in a cutter?' asked
John, anxiously.


No; | walked on the crust, and it
was perfectly lovely walking" said Gym
thia, in burst of confidence.


Was it Slippery? continued John.


John hoped it would be slippery
very-when he walked home with Gym
thia, as he determined to do, but he did
not dare to say so, and the conversation
ran aground again. John thought about
his dog and his sled and his yoke of
steers, but he didn't see any way to
bring them into conversation.


Had she read the " Swiss Family Rob
inson?" Only little ways John said
it was splendid, and he would lend it to
her, for which she thanked him, and
said, with a sweet expression, she would
be so glad to have it from him. That
was encouraging.


And then John asked Cynthia if she
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 ike the col
or of her eyes?


No; John didn't like the color of her
eyes exactly.


-"Her mouth would be well enough il
she didn't laugh so much and show hel
teeth"