Year: 1877

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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 he liked light hair
auburn hair-of all things. And Gym
thia 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
a new one.


And so the conversation, once started,
went on as briskly as could be about the
paring-bee and the spelling school, and
the new singing-master who was coming
and how Jack Thompson went to North
ampton to be clerk in store, and how
Elvira Reddington, in the geography
class at school, was asked what was the
capital of Massachusetts, and had an
swered Northampton" and all the
school laughed. John enjoyed the con-
versation amazingly, and 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 comfortable living room, with its
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 a party they began to
enjoy themselves.


But the real pleasure only began with
the games. The party was nothing with
out the games, and indeed it was made
for made 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 in
to the business enthusiastically


But John was destined to have dam
per 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. Alta certain word in the song,
the one in the center throws the cushion
at the feet of some one in the ring, in
dicating thereby the choice of 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 holding the
cushion, and at the fatal word she threw
it down, not before John, but in front of
Ephraim Leggett. And they two kneel
ed, and so forth. John was astonished.
He had never conceived Of such perfdy
in the female heart. He felt like wip-
ing Ephraim 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 straw-he
threw the cushion down before Melinda
Mayhem with all the devotion he could
muster, and dagger loo> at Cynthia.
And Cynthias pertidious smile only en-
ragged him the more John felt wronged,
and worked himself up to pass wretch
ed 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 Il
goose as he was-that she had better
ask Ephraim. That seemed to him very
smart; but he got more and more miset-
able, and began to feel that he was ma
king 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 see
Cynthia home.


1t was after half-past nine when the
great festivities at the Deacon $ broke
up, and John walked home with Cynthia
over the shining crust and under the
stars. 1t was mostly silent walk, Tor
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 uncommonly
bright. Cynthia did not deny it, but
waited a minute, and then turned abrupt
ly away, with,


Goodnight, John" "


Goodnight, Cynthia! r"


And the party was over, and Cynthia
was gone, and John went home in a kind
of dissatisfaction with himself.


1t was long before he could 90 to
sleep for thinking of the new world
opened to him, and imagining how he
would act under a hundred different cir
cumstances, and what he would say, and
what Cynthia would say; but dream
at length came, and led him away to a
great city and brilliant house; and
while he was there, he heard a loud rap
ping on the under floor, and saw that it
was daylight.