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Writings of Seba Smith were almost ae famous tn America a century
ayo as were those of his transatlantio iporaty, Charles Dickens. A
ereation of Smith's “Major Jack Downing of Dotontngeville” decame a
national dymame for political solseacres and sharpers,

“Major's” homespun letters to the

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Wnusual hurry and
Kitchen particularly
commotion. The oven was
Morning till night, and al-
it till morning. There
ind cake, and plum
je cake, and Christ-
New Year's cake.

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was
the

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ir Christmas dinner,
large plates for break-
Afterwards; and
saucers, for each of the
children. There was a pair of
puddings and Indian puddings
‘The roastings on the morn-
were in full keep-
the rest of the preparations.
sirloin of beef, two fat
‘were roasted, two geese, and
dozen chickena. And then an-
half dozen of chickens were
into an enormous chicken pie.

ait

oh

7H

in

dinner fulfilied every expecta-
entire satisfaction to
table of extra length
the long dining hall,
by & goodly ciccle
}. besides many of the

young. The loin

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Cleared to the very bottom; and three
large

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‘and as night approached, It grew
colder,

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dling about the fire this evening.”

So the large fireplace in the long
dining-room was piled full of round
sticks of heavy wood almost up to

round jackets, and stouter boys in
Jong-tailed coats, and rosy-cheeked
girls in shawls, and blankets, and
cloaka, and muffs, and tippeta. Some
‘of the middle-aged and elderly people
who had remained to pass tho eve-
ning, sat in the fore-room with Mr,
and Mrs. Briggs, while the young
folks Were huddled into the end ‘room,
till the supper table should be spread
in the lo dining-ha)l.

“There's Ivory Harlow’s bells,” said
James, as a sleigh came with a merry
fingle up to the door; and instantly
the windows were crowded with heads
looking out to see who had come with
him.

“Why, there's four of ‘em, as true
as I live,” said Susan, as they crossed
the stream of candlelight, that poured
from the windows and spread across
the door yard. One of the younger
boys had already opened the door,
and in a moment more the newcomers
Were ushered into the room, viz:
Ivory Harlow and his sister Betsy,
and Harriet Gidbs, and a strange gen-
tleman, whom Ivory introduced to the
company as Mr, Stephen Long, the
gentleman who was engaged to keep
the district school that winter. And
then he turned and whispered to
James, and told him that the schoo!-
Amasiar—had arrived at their house

“A sleigh came with a merry

Jingle “up to the door.”
that afternoon, as he was to begin
the school the day after Christmas,
#0 he thought he would bring him.
“I'm giad you did,” said James,
though at the samo time his heart
belied his words, for he felt afraid
it would spoil half the fun of the eve-
ning. The boys and girls all at once
Put on long and sober faces, and sat
find stood around the room as quiet
4a though they had been at a funeral,
Presently Busan whispered to James
and told him he ought to take the
schoolmaster into the fore-room.
James at once took Mr. Long into
the other room and introduced him to

weather while James retreated back
fato the énd room. The moment the

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dea-
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face,
on the
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of the
fore

felts, of blind ma:
improving the tini

At once the whole company burst
Into a laugh, and several of the
Juniors, feeling such @ burden sudden.
ly removed from them, fell to pound-
ing each other's shoulders.

“I gucsa we'll have something or
other a-going bime by,” said James;
“whatever the company likes best:
Dut I guess we'll have supper first

The words were but just uttered
when the call for supper was given,
and the fore-room, and the end room
Poured out their respective companies
Into the long dining-hall. It was soon
perceived that, long as tho table was,
they could not all be seated at once,
and there began to be some canvass-
ing to determine who should wait.
The elderly people must of course sit
down, and the schoolmaster must
course ait at the first table, and then
it was decided that the youngest of
the yoting folks should sit down, too,
because the eldest of the young folks
chose to wait and eat by themselves.
To this last arrangement there was
‘one exception; for Miss Harriet Gibbs,
when she saw the schoolmaster seated
on one side of the table, had somehow
or other, taken a seat on the other
side directly opposite to him. And
when, as the young folks were retir-
ing from the room, Ivory Harl
looked at her and saw she had con-
cluded to remain, Susan thoug!
saw considerable color ¢
Ivory’s face.

After the first compan:
had eaten up mince, ap
tard, and “punkin ples.” of th
est class, together with a r
Portion of Various kir

bur? I'm for

sweetmeats, and had given
the second company a
had gone

to a similar extent, the grea
hall was speedily cleared. :
Tho elderly people were Again seat-
@d in the fore-room, where a brisk
fire was blazing so warmly that they
could sit back comfortably clear to
the walls; and aroun ad
& goodly array of mugs and pitchers
of cider, and bowls heaped with mel-
low apples, red and yellow and green.
“Now, then, what shall we have to
begin with?” wald James.
"Suppose we have a quiet dance to
begin with
“Oh, I'd rather t
has more life in it” said Harriet
Gibbs. “Let's have “hunt the slipper’

or ‘forfeits, I don’t care which."
"Oh, get away with them," sald
Bill Dingley. "Let's go right into

blind man’s buff at once; that’s tho
stuf for Christmas,”
You know we must please the
Indies, Bill,” said James Briggn “I
guess we'll have a sort of game at
forteits first."
“Well, agreed,” said all hands.
Accordingly the company arranged
themselves in a circle around the
large hall, holding the palms of their

hands together, and James took a
Plece of money between his hands
&nd passed around to each one of the

company, and made the motion to
put the coin into the hands of each

Button, button, who's got the but-
ton?” said James to the head one,
when he had been around the circle.

“Harriet Gibbs,” was the reply.

“Button, button, who's got the bute
ton?” sald James to the next

“Betay Harlow,” answered the next

At last, when James had been clear
Ground the circle and questioned each
one in like manner, he called out

“Them that’s got {t, rise,”

At,once up hopped Sam Nelson, a
aly Tittle redheaded fellow about a
dozen years old, whom no one sus-
pected of having it. Every one of
fhe company, therefore, had to pay
& forfeit.

"I move we redeem, before we go
ny further," said Ivory Harlow,

‘The motion was seconded ail
‘round, and the forfeits were accord:
ingly collected, and James, selecting
& couple, held them over Harriet
Gibbs’ head.

“Whose two pawns are these?” said
he, “and what shail he and she do to
redeem them?” :

"The lady shall kiss the schoolmas-
ter," said Harriet, “and the gentle
man shall go into the fore-room and
kiss Mrs. Briggs.”

“Misa Harriet Gibbs and Mr. Ivory

Harlow, go and pay forfeit,” said
James. *
"Oh, le me! I shan’t do no sich
thing,” said Harriet with a halt
ream,

“Then you don't have your ring

audible evidence that she ha
i ng

walked leisurely,

What he did the

¢ hearty 1
rly people th
they inferred that he did son

from the ¢}
died,

what shall he and she
them?" said James.

"They shall k rough
@ chair ba:

“Suna: i Mr. Long have

Mr. Long see bent upon re
deeming his pawn y rate, and
he followed Susan the chat

ered

“The bustle at blind man’s~

elderly
door.”

the
the

buff drew
people to

‘labed hor hand and tossed it at him.
“That won't do,” cried half ¢ dozen

He
PWhea fr, Long found he could not
jeer AG Pawn th the. chair,
Je declared he would redeem it with=
‘Out the chair so setting the chair
‘down, hg advanced upon Miss Susan,
who both \ands tightly 0
face Fafter nome tusslin
pany Meard the appropri’
TTR ata ajar pation UM po
ny rt \.
i “4 the chare

allies were am Various,

Yuhe fseveral "persona who
eras judges: When Bi Dingiey
stood as judge, he declared he wasn’
ia favor of any half-way punish
ments, and he according! edjudged
the delinquents to kiss ey j

ys, there was hurry and bustle,
The oven was hot from morning till night and

the general vote seemed to be in favor
of blind man’s buff. James had Mo
blind first. He whirle
with as much ease

though he had nothing ove
and he 5 he compan:

g trom

other, like @ flock of fri
eons.
after anothe:

end room. WI
this

However, he caught them
and sent them &
hile they were running
way and ti Ivory Harlow
help noticing now
tet Gibbs

the schoolmaster was.

she would run right again
fore she saw him,

and then
fall down,
id have

‘The brisk
blind man’s buff drew

running

ple to the door of
where they looked on. When Jai
1 caught about half the
3. Briggs could n
longer.

t among
d in the game; and she ran
rand quicker than any
there. So upon the ale

was the ve
And when at last she
and caught, James was a ii
zled to know who it was, fo:
aln sure he had caught all the
larger girls. But when he pac his hand
upon her head, and face, and neck,
and shouldera, he exclaimed.

Well done, mother; this is you
Now you shall blind.”

“Oh, no, I can't do that, James,"
said Mrs, Briggs, retreating toward
the fore-room

“Yea, but you must,” said James,
us are the last caught.”
yea, yes, you must, you must,"
echood the young folks from all sides

Well,” said Mra. Brigga at last, “if
Mr, Briggs and the rest of ‘em will
come out and run, Til) btind.”

The elderly people stood and looked
St each other a minute, and at last
they haw-hawed right out, and then
half a dozen of them came out upon
the floor to join the game. The hand.
Kerchlef waa put upon Mra, Briggws
eyes, and the old folks commenced
running, and the oli folks stepped
heavy, and the young folks laughed
loud, and there was a most decided
racket. Mra. however, was
spry as a cat, and caught her prey
fast.

was cornered
16

When this run was ove

handa of the young folks and after
several of them had been Blinded, it
came at Jast to Bill Dingle:
Bl went into it like a days work.
He leaped upon his prey like a tiger
among sheep. He ran over one, and
tripped up another, knocked one this
way and another that, Thin wound
up the blind man’s buff.

Mra Briggs then came out and
told Susan to get a table out in the

and in the kitchen particularly.
almost from night until morning,

She then brought
of Christ-
em on &

ere were young

“we'll see

to be married
> cakes have each of
them; and
hat has the

de, and I the cake

pass

it” said
we his cake at

1 haven't

n took thelr
axsed on to

Miss Sally Dingley ran’ across the
room and boxed Hill's cara, and then
came back and said shed take &
piece of cake.

For who knows.” said she "but
what I shail the ring: and who
knows but what I shall be married
defore any of you, now?”

After the young Indies had eaten
their cake, Mrs Briggs called upon
them that had the rings to step for
ward the door Upon which,
Ivory Harlow stepped out on one sida,
and Harriet Gibbs om the other.

“Ah, that ain't fair: that's cheatin’
that's cheat cried out little Sam,
Nelson. -

Why, what do you mean by that,
Sam?” sald Mra. Briggn.

“Cause,” said Sam, "E see Sus
when she was eating the calen, take:
Uhe ring out of ber mouth, and ap
A into Harriet Gibbs” hand

At this Susan blushed, Harset
looked angry, and the company
laughed.

By Unis time it waa §
and the elderty people