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A Children's Party In Connecticut

A Children's Party In Connecticut image
Parent Issue
Day
31
Month
August
Year
1860
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Frank E.i.ory was to sive the party ■Ris father nwned iho large wash and blind fac#ory. and his moiher was the 'aiimu s cook o! ttiu village. ■ They liv !y outintf at Mr. Einrv'ë " Aunt Kitty iisud to say. "1 liever Co n ihere hut M:ss Euiery is boilmg 'r bakiniti runsting ur Htuwing, and flio wilt be ut 10 chip on the teakettla and wuy ■ Come Aunt Ki ty, sit light up uiid Ikivb a cup of Wm,' and her tea k ülwiávs só ïuco, ber biscuits ara hhvay bruvvned j mt riht, tnü tior piucrust will fiiirly nit-lt in your inonth I deciiiie it duus suem as it ovt-rything thiit oinan put liur hand too, ulwuye) comes out right " ith ui-h a rtputution for skill and genernsity 3u wül not wotuler tbut these littie fo ks, who ükcd good things to eat, antcipatcd a ploauant time at Mr. Émery's. Tho way Frank issued his ïnvitations wasth'6. He bounuediMi theplay ground in front 1 the red schooi house one morning, and oalled out-' Bys I look berö ! I'am going to havo a party tomorrow night, and ara going to have vou all come 1" " A party ! a party !" echood several voices. "Q-oiflg to havo any girla go?" askod Will Baker, tussing his ball up into the air. " Yen," said Frank, 'going to have 'em 11" "Oh. ho!" lai.sfned Johnny Ogden. What a bouby I A party without gids! Hu, hu! ' -You nettdn' si.y anything ;" retortei Wil! ; 'I asked agi.laud then dido't go after her, ïf I urn 11 bioby." This a shwp uut for Jchnny. It wa.- i.u.j .1.1 winter before tuut he had engagöU liis little favorito, Fanny King, to atcompuny hun to vV il] Bakor s party, to wfeich hu, wiih the niher biys uiid girls bao bdon iuvited But, as is eomiiivK) in scattorod distriula it si hnp(jouaiï that Julnmy's tatbur lived nearly u mile frotn Wiil'n ia ona directiun, and FaDny' as far in iiiimher, ud the careful inoiher rigialy judged thut so long a u;ilk !.') the now audcold t)fa win erV evening would nol ho ba. cticiul to her b -y's oio ip prociivitie, ui.d wisüly and prudutiily ki t him at home. J.ihuny was óbiis tivo vvlion his gullaiitry was cono.arned, uud ihe uharp hits of tho b y npon this Bubjtict liever failed to wound hliü. Wliile this sctjne was beiag nioted on. the play ground, a group ol giiis in h.ir c;.ln.'o" drwmM lid girighain mu bonnet!, were at phiy undenioalh the bank, upon tli green gras plat, ciuod to the wiitei'n edjje. 'Hurk! ' K;iys one, "hear thoae boys tiilk ! I thpught I heurd Frank Emery SüV lie was gdiny to have a party I" Bella WiOxlow threw ott hur bunnet :uid pulled back her ïïngluts to listen. 'I guesN vou did " shesuld, ''lor I hear them "talking abou. the gids gog" ';01i, oh ! wnn'i it bc nioo ?" criad little Öusy Croodman, clapping hur hands. ''What if tis ?" rejoined her older istur conttíinptüously. ' You iittln tliings woti't frn." 'VVhy r.oi?" " Because there won't nnybody ask yon '" wis the repiy. By this time the teacher had arrived, iind soou the scliohtMvvere cullod to order But the news oí the p:irty flevv through the pchool, and bv rece.ss timo, esery sch liir, Iroin A lic Ditne, the elde!-t trirl uho vvore !o itr Iren-bs, do.vn to the lour.year old, Eiidiu WmikIow, who sat in his own hltle thair bv the teacher' desk, knew that Frank Eme i y was to h:ivn a party to-inorrow night at hix o'clock, iitid that, ii' it was pleurtantand warm, the table (-uld ba set in the jiTtipe itrtxir, atul that A unie llague, whuhad beun there ttiat vevy uoorning in an urrand ior her mother, smv Mrs. ! Ernery inakmg tartv nd cookies in the shajie o! "hearls and handf," and all kindn of wonderful thinif-s At Boon tho matter wu talke.l over aniony the girls w.th tho qiiestious, "Has anybjxiy asked yon ?■' and "Who myou going writh ? ' and by night i.earlv every hoy h;id tnude his ehoiie, and nerh uvery fjirl knuw "vhi sha was go'ng wirti." Bell v i iilii w, who ü8 the preltiust girl in fchool, had the pleasure of grciously dtclining Heveml otters irm variousboys, Frunk Einerv having found an early opportuniiy nf Mouring tlie pleasure uf lier escort to hiii.sclf, with the charge to Bell 'not to teil any one who bad aeksd her." I do Dot know bo manv qnestioü? wore missed in the ulnas next dW, or ïow many problema went unsolved or, iow mach the teacher' pationce wms tested by inat' ention on the part of the ckotam Thoy wore not "up-town childrn." wüthsr was tha party a tasnonable one li ke Mrs. Morlou's, and blonde berthes" and "s.lver tissues" are yet to our girls unexpoctnd mysteries. Besida, lif'a in these "unpaved distriuls" flows in ■ inore even ourrent Our pleasures are less excilinsr, and our exoitement leas intense. We liva slower, but longor, and if' e onjny less, we aiiffor lw. But I think tliat it is evident thut tl.e teuuhor had not lived so nng as to have forgotton her own ihildhood, for. at nearly a qnarter of au hour hefore the usual time, we knew by the merry fihouts that carne f rom the direction of the schoul Imus, that the school was d:a;nÍRsed. A few minutas before sis. Frank Einery camu out of li is fatlier'.s yard drea-ed up in his be-r, and took his way i.cio-tt to Eeqnira V inslow's. S).)n (ie ru-appeared, le.iding by the handhiw Uvwrite, Bell, who toukod verv sweot in her b uo dren and white apron, with her ringleta froshly curlud, nd dropping over the fair neck. 'Tf ol8 heepgia the ret will foüow," runs in aiK-ient Boying, nd now the other boys Ventura f. rtfi. Johnny Ogden, whose gallai.try this time uas not to be mpeach, ont for Ano Sague, and Will. Baktr was early ut Mr. (joodman's, whose briglit eyed Jennie was his, chosen star of the evoning. Purhaps the children wno read this slory m.iy be krteretfted to know how our littlo g .Ms were dressed for the oc Ciision. Soine oí thein wore pink and white ginghaii), and soma newly inaie calicóes ; otbers went in light delumos, whilfl one ortwo were dressed in priutei mus'in or lawn. Bell Win.sliiw wore slippers, and two or three bad gaiter boots, but the greter part of them vveni in tbeir thfekw)Jeáíioí bccause, as tbeir oareful raothera said, t was a plüiisant evening, aml thay " would, liktíly aa not, be running out in the dew." Whcn they arrivod nt Mr. Emery s, the girls were shown tutho"parloi% bed room," thero to lay asido bonne s and .shawls, while hs 'boys lelt their hats and caps in the entry. Then in quile a flutter Í expeolulion, they weia raarshal'1 to the garden. Thora the tablta running the whole lngth of the arbor, was set, and tnade qiiitc an nnpoing uipoirance, with its flowing white clotl) and nice urray of d'shes. Under ü rs. Emery's superintöndence they were soated, the boya in ft row on one side and tho Lrirls on the othcr. In tho cun Ut of the t ble was n huge strawberry sbort-eakö, bigenough to afford a generoiis sliue to each. Then, upon either side, were ranged platea of big doiigh nut, nice apple tarte, the v itable ' heart and hand" cookies, and all kinds of delicate "wonders" and "miracles" that know bo well how to grow utider the hands of a New England housakeepor. -'Ent all you want, children," s;,id Mrs Emery "lIt won't hurt you, for I made evorything myself, and 1 kn."vv how o conk for children. I like to see you enj y yourselvea " And you taay besure t waj a pleasant sight, that row f beaming fuces under thü flieker ing ühadovv of green leaves, with the fragraoce oí the grape blossoms and thü sivoet breath of the garden near. When the children had finished, the fragmenta were gathored up, and clean pintes put on for the "men folks," Mr. Emery'n shop hand, who had come from their day's work, and eeoined to eniy eatingin the arbor as mucn ai the children. Thenoamua race acrxss tha luwn, and swinging in the orchard, until a quarter 10 eight o'clock, when oandlei were lighted in the house, - tallow uandlett,- (ifiink of that, ye city ;hil droiiÜ - and the sport besad in earnesi, [t woul J be a difficult matter to depcribo tho proceudings f the evening to tha aoiwtiated. One miut have lived and kncwn in themsèlvê the hnundir g litrhtness and exuberui.ce oí children brought up amone the monntüin-', and by the uida of villy streams gnornt of tho furma of fai-huw and eiiqnette. First vv.is tho gamo of "steven," whioh f UBÜally the bigioriing oí r .itsiic gattiéting. Then "auadleV evew" inJ o tier ring g(HRM uu' il röiraint gradua ly woru off, and pirit rose in porportion, vvhe.i curau inore boisturouii onec, such a cUpping out," und the "ropd py," neitlier df wliich Í will attempt to dwcribe: Let it suflSce to nay, thutfortho chiloreu's pi usure citine aiOiind, all tno w.(in. tha orthodox hour of uirie, whon Mie. Emory appeared, to sav U 'is time to go home. liNot qirte," said Mr. Emery. "I do notconsider any parcv eiidod without a gamo of blind maa'B bun. ■' Well ïhen. fathor," said Frank, "vou must be blinder." "Well,.I wil!," said Mr. Emery. ''bat come out n tho big kitcliun, where there's plenty of room ' Airs Emery huighi gly tied a folded handkeix-hief over her liusbaiid'ti aveu, and then wfïat a scaippéring ! Afier a great deal of runaing ar.d stumblitig, rushing, dodging, anu Eiiding, Mr. fcjmary oornered and caught oue littie girl, whorn he proiifiuneod, at the tirst Louoh to be Blla Winslow! Tlien amid thu laucrhs and shunts of thu childi'en the blindar was takn off, Bulla was lii'-üd in tns arnis, and reoeived a heariy kisa upon her i'csy chetks. ■■Nmv," said ho, '-th.s onda tho pnrty kiwtiiily. 'Ti.s high tima suob Iittlo fo k wora at homa " Bo the boys got their hats, and the ríe thtñr l)onnol and went. out, in duo form, b.'avnly, notwith.-stnmJing Uiu ty hiughs and jokes of the ulder lad# and lassen wbo had struyed in ie koo the fuu They were in their teeüs, and had outgrown the district school acd childrcn's parties. I did not miss, one from thü troop of cnildrun that went by lo si;iool tin; nuxt ui' rning. and I thought that all had oyes a.s bright and uheeks as rosy as ever. I arn a believur in tuch ctiildrun' ]iar íes. Give thutn plunty ;f fun and i'rolic whiie they are children. i'or, b}'and by, perhapp, thêrö w'ill bo no time for playing, and iho riimembrance oí a ploasant childhood is likü a wellsprin in the haart, keepinj it l'resh and green, it may be, through the du.t and din that cornos with tho jears of life. %3LT Tho Pacific and Atlantio Telegrapk liue is now ccmpletod to Wiiilia, i 2S0 ïTiike frm gan Fr:iU' I