the complete writings-4-第13章

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　blush　at　hearing　her　name。

But　now　John　was　invited　to　a　regular　party。　　There　was　the　invitation。；　in　a　three…cornered　billet；　sealed　with　a　transparent　wafer：　〃Miss　C。　Rudd　requests　the　pleasure　of　the　company　of；〃　etc。；　all　in　blue　ink；　and　the　finest　kind　of　pin…scratching　writing。　　What　a　precious　document　it　was　to　John！　　It　even　exhaled　a　faint　sort　of　perfume；　whether　of　lavender　or　caraway…seed　he　could　not　tell。　　He　read　it　over　a　hundred　times；　and　showed　it　confidentially　to　his　favorite　cousin；　who　had　beaux　of　her　own　and　had　even　〃sat　up〃　with　them　in　the　parlor。　　And　from　this　sympathetic　cousin　John　got　advice　as　to　what　he　should　wear　and　how　he　should　conduct　himself　at　the　party。




XIII

JOHN'S　FIRST　PARTY

It　turned　out　that　John　did　not　go　after　all　to　Cynthia　Rudd's　party；　having　broken　through　the　ice　on　the　river　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　that　should　keep　him　from　the　next　party；　which　was　given　with　due　formality　by　Melinda　Mayhew。

John　had　been　many　a　time　to　the　house　of　Deacon　Mayhew；　and　never　with　any　hesitation；　even　if　he　knew　that　both　the　deacon's　daughtersMelinda　and　Sophronia　were　at　home。　　The　only　fear　he　had　felt　was　of　the　deacon's　big　dog；　who　always　surlily　watched　him　as　he　came　up　the　tan…bark　walk；　and　made　a　rush　at　him　if　he　showed　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　flagging　before　the　front　door；　by　the　lilac…bush；　he　could　hear　the　sound　of　voicesgirls'　voiceswhich　set　his　heart　in　a　flutter。　　He　could　face　the　whole　district　school　of　girls　without　flinching；he　didn't　mind　'em　in　the　meeting…house　in　their　Sunday　best；　but　he　began　to　be　conscious　that　now　he　was　passing　to　a　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　takes　to　society　as　naturally　as　a　duckling　does　to　the　placid　pond；　but　with　a　semblance　of　shy　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　a　little　afraid　of　each　other；　as　people　are　apt　to　be　when　they　are　well　dressed　and　met　together　for　social　purposes　in　the　country。　　To　be　at　a　real　party　was　a　novel　thing　for　most　of　them；　and　put　a　constraint　upon　them　which　they　could　not　at　once　overcome。　　Perhaps　it　was　because　they　were　in　the　awful　parlor；that　carpeted　room　of　haircloth　furniture；　which　was　so　seldom　opened。　　Upon　the　wall　hung　two　certificates　framed　in　black；…　…one　certifying　that；　by　the　payment　of　fifty　dollars；　Deacon　Mayhew　was　a　life　member　of　the　American　Tract　Society；　and　the　other　that；　by　a　like　outlay　of　bread　cast　upon　the　waters；　his　wife　was　a　life　member　of　the　A。　B。　C。　F。　M。；　a　portion　of　the　alphabet　which　has　an　awful　significance　to　all　New　England　childhood。　　These　certificates　are　a　sort　of　receipt　in　full　for　charity；　and　are　a　constant　and　consoling　reminder　to　the　farmer　that　he　has　discharged　his　religious　duties。

There　was　a　fire　on　the　broad　hearth；　and　that；　with　the　tallow　candles　on　the　mantelpiece；　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。　　It　was　queer　that　these　children；　who　were　so　free　everywhere　else；　should　be　so　constrained　now；　and　not　know　what　to　do　with　themselves。　　The　shooting　of　a　spark　out　upon　the　carpet　was　a　great　relief；　and　was　accompanied　by　a　deal　of　scrambling　to　throw　it　back　into　the　fire；　and　caused　much　giggling。　　It　was　only　gradually　that　the　formality　was　at　all　broken；　and　the　young　people　got　together　and　found　their　tongues。

John　at　length　found　himself　with　Cynthia　Rudd；　to　his　great　delight　and　considerable　embarrassment；　for　Cynthia；　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　beforebut　now　nothing　that　he　could　think　of　seemed　worth　saying　at　a　party。

〃It　is　a　pleasant　evening；〃　said　John。

〃It　is　quite　so；〃　replied　Cynthia。

〃Did　you　come　in　a　cutter？〃　　asked　John　anxiously。

〃No；　I　walked　on　the　crust；　and　it　was　perfectly　lovely　walking；〃　said　Cynthia；　in　a　burst　of　confidence。

〃Was　it　slippery？〃　　continued　John。

〃Not　very。〃

John　hoped　it　would　be　slipperyverywhen　he　walked　home　with　Cynthia；　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　Robinson〃？　Only　a　little　ways。　　John　said　it　was　splendid；　and　he　would　lend　it　to　her；　for　which　she　thanked　him；　and　said；　with　such　a　sweet　expression；　she　should　be　so　glad　to　have　it　from　him。　　That　was　encouraging。

And　then　John　asked　Cynthia　if　she　had　seen　Sally　Hawkes　since　the　husking　at　their　house；　when　Sally　found　so　many　red　ears；　and　didn't　she　think　she　was　a　real　pretty　girl。

〃Yes；　she　was　right　pretty；〃　and　Cynthia　guessed　that　Sally　knew　it　pretty　well。　　But　did　John　like　the　color　of　her　eyes？

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

〃Her　mouth　would　be　well　enough　if　she　did　n't　laugh　so　much　and　show　her　teeth。〃

John　said　her　mouth　was　her　worst　feature。

〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Cynthia　warmly；　〃her　mouth　is　better　than　her　nose。〃

John　did　n't　know　but　it　was　better　than　her　nose；　and　he　should　like　her　looks　better　if　her　hair　was　n't　so　dreadful　black。

But　Cynthia；　who　could　afford　to　be　generous　now；　said　she　liked　black　hair；　and　she　wished　hers　was　dark。　　Whereupon　John　protested　that　he　liked　light　hairauburn　hairof　all　things。

And　Cynthia　said　that　Sally　was　a　dear；　good　girl；　and　she　did　n'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　possible　about　the　paring…bee；　and　the　spelling…school；　and　the　new　singing…　master　who　was　coming；　and　how　Jack　Thompson　had　gone　to　Northampton　to　be　a　clerk　in　a　store；　and　how　Elvira　Reddington；　in　the　geography　class　at　school；　was　asked　what　was　the　capital　of　Massachusetts；　and　had　answered　〃Northampton；〃　and　all　the　school　laughed。　　John　enjoyed　the　conversation　amazingly；　and　he　half　wished　that　he　and　Cynthia　were　the　whole　of　the　party。

But　the　party　had　meantime　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　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　without　the　games；　and；　indeed；　it　was　made　for　the　games。　Very　likely　it　was　one　of　the　timid　girls　who　proposed　to　play　something；　and　when　the　ice　was　once　broken；　the　whole　company　went　into　the　business　enthusiastically。　　There　was　no　dancing。　　We　should　hope　not。　　Not　in　the　deacon's　house；　not　with　the　deacon's　daughters；　nor　anywhere　in　this　good　Puritanic　society。　　Dancing　was　a　sin　in　itself；　and　no　one　could　tell　what　it　would　lead　to。　　But　there　was　no　reason　why　the　boys　and　girls　shouldn't　come　together　and　kiss　each　other　during　a　whole　evening　occasionally。　　Kissing　was　a　sign　of　peace；　and　was　not　at　all　like　taking　hold　of　hands　and　skipping　about　to　the　scraping　of　a　wicked　fiddle。

In　the　games　there　was　a　great　deal　of　clasping　hands；　of　going　round　in　a　circ