any engagements for them." She then left the room for a consultation, the gentleman following, and on his representations that it would further his projects, which the whole family had reason to hope might succeed, the invitation was accepted--the Misses Disney, of course, having been obliged to second it.

"Ma will be much surprised at our inviting the Mendenhalls for to-morrow," Ellenetta ventured to remark to Mrs. O'Conner, after that lady had done bowing Mr. Augustus out of sight, he having escorted them home.

"Why so?" asked the widow.

"We make it a rule, never to invite company, without first consulting her, as it is not at all times convenient for her to prepare for them."

"Oh, leave your ma to me!-mas must make up their minds to submit to a little inconvenience sometimes, and as it was your place to give the first invitation, the sooner it was done the better. I did it for your own benefit, knowing that the more sociable your intercourse became, the more likely it would be to continue. And besides, you ought to love me too much to be dissatisfied with any thing I do."

"The

Though trembling for the effects of their communication, the girls lost no time in informing their mother of the prospect before them. Mendenhalls coming here to dine on half a day's notice!" she exclaimed, sinking overpowered into a seat; "is it possible, that after all my training, all the lessons I have given to teach you your duty, you should do such a thing!"

"Indeed, ma," said Ellenetta, "we could not help it. Mrs. O'Conner proposed it, and we could not countermand the invitation. We regret it as much as you do."

"The forward, giddy-headed flirt!-she disgusts me more and more every day; she does not care how much trouble she gives people, provided, she accomplishes her own ends. The Mendenhalls!-people that keep ten servents-a French cook and an English butler, that have three carriages, and import their own wines, and olives, and anchovies! to be coming here on half a day's notice, to a family dinner, as one may say!"

"But it's only three of them, ma- the young people," said Charlotte Ann.

"It's the young people I dread. Older persons are more accustomed to the varieties of life, and are less apt to be finical. The very thoughts of that sniggering, goggle-eyed cousin coming here, is enough to give one the hysterics. He was at Cape May when your father and I were there, and he completely sickened us with his airsfixing his spectacles to stare at people that he suspected were not genteel, jabbering French, whether people understood it or not, despising American cookery, and talking about Peregrine pies-"

"Perigord, ma," interrupted Charlotte Ann. "Well, well-I always have to think of the old book Peregrine Pickle, to remember the name at

all--and now what is such a fellow to do at our table? It is too late to go to market to-day, and there will be no time to-morrow. What with that ridiculous widow's constant run of spongers, and having no ice, we can keep nothing on hand, and that abominable Matty, she can't cook a dinner worth eating, nor prepare a dessert, to save her." "We'll have to provide some dessert that will be easily prepared," said Ellenetta; we can have some lemon custards, or floating island, or something of that sort, and Richard can bring some strawberries from market, and we will intercept the milk carts and get some cream."

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"I wish we had never left the city--it was just jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire."

"Oh, ma, if only you wouldn't say that!" said Charlotte Ann, "it sounds so ungenteel."

"I am too much aggravated!--if we were in town, I could have a dinner that any body might sit down to. I could have got something extra from the cook shops, and blanc mange and jellies, and Charlotte au Russe from the confectioners; -but here-oh, girls, girls, what shall I do!"

"Dear ma! if only you would not trouble yourself so much when we have company!" said Ellenetta.

"I can't even have ice cream and water ices, for though we might get ice from town, Richard will be too busy to attend the freezers, and if I were to ask the women to do any thing out of their particular line, they would all clear themselves. Then we did not bring out our French china, nor the silver, and of course I can't go in to pack them to have them brought safe!"

"Certainly not, and so we'll have to do with out," returned Ellenetta, "excepting that we ought to have the silver pitchers and a few other things, which pa can give to Richard, particularly the forks. Cheer up, ma, we'll get through very well-if you could only learn to call the dishes by French names, they would go off so much better! Even mutton chops appear imposing when pronounced coutelettes de mouton."

Against the next morning Mrs. Disney was better reconciled. The milk carts were intercepted, Thomas had been sent to market, and the girls held themselves in readiness to assist their mother. But to the vexation of all, when the provisions arrived from town, the plate was not with them. Mr. Disney had been absent from the store, and the man had been afraid of waiting lest there should not be time to prepare some of the things for dinner.

"It is impossible to do without the silver forks," said Charlotte Ann, "the Mendenhalls would think us perfect barbarians;" and as there was still several hours till dinner time, Richard was sent back, with orders not to return without the indispensables.

During operations in the kitchen, Mrs. O'Conner had been engaged with equal activity up stairs at her toilette, and as the girls passed her room on their way to dress, they found her in white

robes, even more flowing than usual, and with an extra allotment of flowers in her hair. 66 Quite classical enough for fastidious Augustus, am I not?" she asked, "if you don't take care and be more candid, I shall engage in a new conquest. What would you think if I should go to the woods and bring up your incognito by force? I am going to reform and oppose clandestine flirtations with all my influence."

"Just as you please," answered one of the girls, "it is not very likely that the young man has been staying in the woods all night."

"We'll see, I intend to surprise you, and besides, I must fulfil my promise to Miss Kate;" and taking pains to arrange her bonnet carelessly over her curls, the widow made them a curtsey, and skipped off towards the woods, complimenting herself on her ingenuity in contriving an excuse to waylay the Mendenhalls, and to be found by them in a romantic situation. To her surprise, on entering the woods she saw the stranger of yesterday lying under a tree, idly chipping its bark with his pocket knife. She glided towards him softly, and to heighten the effect of her approach, repeated, as she did so, a quotation she had committed to memory for a similar scene with Mr. Augustus,—

"Move among these shades, With gentleness of heart, with gentle hand Touch, for there is a spirit in the woods;"

"Don't be amazed," she continued, as the young man regarded her with a stare and a smile, which the contour of his face naturally made a grin, "I am not a wood nymph, but the most intimate of the two fair maidens with whom you saw me yesterday. They have not, however, told me all, so pray do gratify me by naming the one on whom you have set your heart."

"D'are all dwo boorty," answered the stranger. "Oh, you are as tantalizing as they are; but pray why don't you make an effort and see them more openly? I see you carry your flute in your pocket a much more suitable instrument for a concealed lover, than that frightful gun; even it might be the means of accustoming their parents to your advances. Why don't you serenade them?"

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"I moost be vell baid ven I does blay." "So you shall-the softest glances, the sweetest smiles will reward-but I shall be detected-yonder comes my own cavalier, and it won't do to make him jealous;" and having seen the Mendenhalls enter the woods, she turned aside to surprise them, and to devise excuses for the non-fulfilment of her promise.

The guests duly arrived, and Mrs. Disney assisted in doing the honours of the reception, having been persuaded by the girls that she could at any time lay aside her state cap and collar, and return to her culinary duties. The Mendenhalls were seated, Miss Julia as dignified as behoved her, Miss Kate on the qui vive for the German Baron, and Mr. Augustus enchanting the widow with his compliments, and mystifying her with his French, when the rumble of a carriage was heard, prognosticating an addition to the company. As it stopped, a lady was seen inside, assisting a flock of children, who were scrambling over each other in apparently endless succession. Five-six-seven!" counted cousin Gust, and Mrs. Disney and her daughters, with unanimous acclamation, pronounced them to be Mrs. Perkin Spriggs and her family.

The heart of the hostess sank. She had projected a neat dinner for the original party, consisting of seven, which needed nothing but a vocabulary of French names, to remove all her doubts and scruples, and she could not have been more dismayed if the apparitions of her innocent lamb and chickens had stared at her through the eyes of the seven hungry children--all of whom came pushing and struggling into the room, with the prelude of "Strawberries! strawberries!--where are you got your strawberries?"

Hush, darlings!--don't be so impatient," said Mrs. Spriggs, taking off some of the hats and bonnets and wiping some of the perspiring faces. "I have been so long promising them this little excursion, that I anticipated a difficulty in restraining their spirits when we should have arrived. They have not forgotten the jubilee they had here last year, the memorable strawberry feast--"

"Strawberries! strawberries!--we want some strawberries!" reiterated the little mob.

"The poor little dears!" smiled their mother, "it is so difficult to teach children any tact, whatever is uppermost in their minds must come out: It is natural to them, and I think it is injudicious to restrain them, as it destroys their simplicity of character. But you must have patience, and Mrs. Disney will give you some when it is convenient."

"We're hungry now," grumbled one of the eldest, "you would only give us three sugar crackers a piece in the hack, and now you a'n't a going to cheat us out of our strawberries."

"Indeed! that is very unfortunate," returned Mrs. Spriggs, but, no doubt, you can always purchase an abundance. Families who have lived in the city understand what a luxury they are, and generally keep themselves provided with them, particularly as their friends in coming out to visit them, always look for strawberries and cream, as peculiarly a country treat."

Mrs. Disney admitted that she frequently had them brought out from market, and having now, for the first time, an opportunity, she introduced the Misses Mendenhall.

"I am very happy to make the acquaintance of the young ladies," said Mrs. Spriggs; "though we see each other at ohurch every Sunday, we have not before had an opportunity to be introduced."

The young ladies exchanged glances, for though she might, of course, have seen them at church, it was by no means a matter of course, her husband being only a retail merchant, that they had seen her.

"You must excuse me, my dear Mrs. Disney," pursued Mrs. Spriggs, loosening her sleeves from two or three sets of fingers, "but I take the liberty of an old friend, to beg you to give my troublesome little pets a cake or something to eat; their ride has improved their appetites surprising. ly, and at home, I allow them something every hour. They grow so fast that they require it, and, indeed, it is one of my doctrines, that children should be almost always eating."

Mrs. Disney was in another strait. She had no cakes on hand, a recent invoice of Mrs. O'Conner's beaux having consumed the last supply, and she concluded to substitute a feed of bread and preserves. As she rose to do so, one of the children ran against her, wiping his hands across her handsome silk dress, and exclaiming, "Ma! ma! come out to Gates and Green! Wash and I found the strawberries, and they've smeared our faces with them, because we wanted to leave some for sis, and Toady, and the baby!"

"Hush! hush! darling," said the imperturbable mother, while Mrs. Disney hurried out and discovered a realization of her wildest fears. The boys had smelt their way into the pantry, where the strawberries, nicely sugared, were placed on a shelf, and finding a pitcher of cream standing by, had emptied it over them, and were now almost at the bottom of the dish, still ladling up its contents with their hands. "You little wretches!" exclaimed the terror-stricken Mrs. Disney, to which they responded by a loud laugh as they scampered past her in all directions.

"The little rogues! how playful they are!" said

the mother, catching the sound in the parlour; "Miss Ellenetta, will you oblige me by ordering the servants to keep an eye on them lest they should get hurt?"

Ellenetta left the room to obey her request, and in season to share her mother's consternation. Time, however, was now too precious for protracted lamentation, and some means to repair the loss must be devised. A dozen little niceties were suggested, but on consultation, it was decided, that either there were not materials at hand, or that it was too late to prepare them. "All I can do, then," said Mrs. Disney, "will be to make some paste, and send the women into the garden to get the gooseberries from those three bushes, for tarts, and to cut the rhubarb to make a few pies."

"But, ma, have you forgotten, or did'nt we tell you about Mrs. Applegarth?"

"You said she was here the last day I went to town; what of that?"

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Etta, you will set me crazy! how did she happen to do that?"

"She said that she always considered a share of those little things her perquisites, for she had planted the four stalks of rhubarb, and always trimmed the gooseberry bushes with her own hand. That she intended the next day to have a family dinner party of her sisters and their children, and as all esteemed anything off her father's old place, the Wimbleton property, better than any thing else, she had taken the liberty of coming out to claim her little privileges. You know, ma, it would not have done to disappoint the poor old lady, and hurt her feelings by opposing it."

"It was all pretence-her notorious stinginess --she would rather drive ten miles to beg a quart of fruit, than go to market in the next square to buy it. I was never so worried in all my life, and all the India preserves are gone too-all eaten by that abominable widow and her train. What shall we do?"

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Have preserved peaches--any thing we can get, with the custards, and some raisins, and almonds, only don't distress yourself. But as there are not custards enough for those brats, we must keep them away from the table. You'll have to apprise Mrs. Spriggs of it-she is so strange about her children."

The dinner hour drew near, and Mrs. Disney watched anxiously for Richard with the plate. The eatables were done and then overdone, and still he did not appear. The children grew more and more clamorous, and at last, with a faint hope that the expected articles might arrive before the soup was sent out, the table was prepared. have ordered the servants to set a table for the children, in another room, said Mrs. Disney to Mrs. Spriggs, "and I shall see that they are well waited on."

"I

"If you please, my dear Mrs. Disney, I should

much prefer having the four eldest eat with us," replied Mrs. Spriggs; "one of my objects in taking them from home, is to teach them to behave gracefully in company, by allowing them to observe the manners of my friends;" and Mrs. Disney having neither courage nor tact to resist the interference, felt herself forced to submit.

"We must wait for the silver forks, ma," said the girls, "the Mendenhalls would think us perfect savages to eat without them, and would never enter our house again;" but soon even they were obliged to assent to having the dinner brought in, and with the promise of a dollar a piece, the chambermaid and dairy woman were bribed to take Richard's place in waiting. The soup passed off, Mr. Mendenhall eating two spoonfuls, and calling it soup inconnu, and Mrs. Spriggs instructing her ravenous children, that though it was polite for grown persons only to have one plateful, she would allow them two, but not more, as that would spoil their appetite for the other courses. Still Richard did not appear, and Mrs. Disney, with much effort and constraint, assured her guests that nothing but some accidental detention of her messenger prevented her from giving them silver forks; that she had been obliged to send to town for them, as she had thought it would be unsafe to bring her plate out with her.

"Mrs. Disney was so unfortunate as to be compelled to change her servants," said Mrs. O'Conner, by way of helping her out, "and she was afraid that the new ones might not prove trustworthy we all know how such things are." Apprehending mischief, Mrs. Disney glanced round at the two attendants, and saw them both flouncing out of the room. She waited a few minutes for their return, and then, while Miss Kate was taking up two or three peas on her fork at a time very significantly, and Mr. Augustus was mumbling a sort of French, which only he and his cousins, who had practised with him, could understand, she slipped out to the kitchen. She found the absentees, with the cook, waiting for her in ominous silence. "Come in, girls, we will soon be ready for the dessert," said she.

"We don't darken that door again," replied the chambermaid.

"You may as well be your own servants, as you are so fond of the name; I don't take that off of nobody," added her coadjutor.

"It's easy to see that some people a'n't much used to silver, as they are so afraid of having it stole," said the cook; "they ought to live alone, and then, may be, they would feel safe."

In vain Mrs. Disney expostulated, they left her talking, and swept out to pack up their things, while she returned to her place, expressing in terms more heartfelt than elegant, her new trouble and vexation.

Meanwhile, the younger detachment of the Spriggses, having been let loose by the cook, had invaded the dining-room, and were clamouring about their brothers at the table, who, like a VOL. XXVII.-22

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swarm of locusts, were clearing all before them. Mrs. Disney grew more and more nervous as the numerous dishes were emptied, one after another, and right glad she was when Mrs. Spriggs gave up for a new course. Then came the young ladies' share of the trial. They were obliged to assist in removing and replacing the dishes, and never having learned that it was possible to peform even domestic labours gracefully, their tight dresses and their embarrassment made them appear almost as awkward as they felt. Presuming that every movement had sunk them lower in the estimation of the Mendenhalls, they became hopeless of retrieving their characters for refinement, and made no effort at keeping up a conversation. Thus the dessert passed without sociality, for even the flirtation of Mr. Augustus and Mrs. O'Conner became inaudible, through the clatter and wrangling of the children, who had surrounded the side table, and were screaming with their mouths full, clashing the plates, overturning gravies, dropping meat upon the matting, and while, ever and anon, running to their mother to complain, leaving the marks of their greasy hands on the dresses of all whom they passed.

Even Mrs. O'Conner was less fluent than usual, for the idea of remaining in a house deserted by servants, was far from agreeable to her love of comfort. She generally visited at places where she was allowed the best attendance, as well as the greatest liberties, and her thoughts were somewhat occupied with planning what she should do next. An invitation from the Mendenhalls was now desirable as an accommodation as much as any thing else, and she summoned her ingenuity to exact it. Being unsuccessful with the young ladies, she directed herself to the cousin, at the same time showing her graces by caressing her canary birds on the perch, and feeding them from her lips-which latter operation she generally found effective in drawing compliments. At length Miss Julia showed signs of moving, and making a bold effort, she called to her, "What do you think of my suggestion, Miss Julia?--your cousin expresses so much regret at leaving me that I have told him he had better take me along."

"No doubt he thought it a very agreeable proposition," replied Miss Mendenhall.

"I must insist on taking you at your word," said the gentleman.

"Whether I will or no?-well, it is woman's province to yield, so I'll have to surrender. But see that you treat me well, now that I have submitted so magnanimously;" and without waiting for more, she ran to Mrs. Disney and her daughters, telling them that Mr. Mendenhall, determined to support his reputation of invincibility, was leading her away from them, a captive. Accordingly, she had her bonnet brought down with the others, and leaving a score of charges about her birds, she curtsied herself away, forgetting in the success of her manœuvre, the embracings which generally marked her appearances and exits.

As the party strolled off, the carriage returned from the city for Mrs. Spriggs and her children, and in it was Richard, whose detention with his precious cargo was owing, in the first place, to the continued absence of Mr. Disney, and in the second, to a break down of his wagon.

It is needless to repeat the discussion of the events of the day which followed among the three wearied entertainers, after the guests had departed, it being, as may be conjectured, sufficiently unpleasant and unsatisfactory. They united to wash the dishes, an occupation seldom in good credit among ladies, and Richard was deputed to the part of dairyman.

This state of affairs continued the next day and the next. Mrs. Disney had written to her husband to find her a new corps of domestics, but as that is generally a work of time, she concluded to go to the city on the third day, and assist in it herself. The night previous, while the girls, under the novel sensation of being tired with work, were lying in bed, arranging labour-saving plans for the morrow, they were surprised by a strain of music, really delightful, which seemed to ascend from the yard. "Some of Mrs. O'Conner's admirers, I suppose," said Ellenetta, and they both rose to peep out. There was a bright moonlight, and they recognized beneath the windows, the figure of the young stranger of the woods. "What would Mrs. O'Conner say if she knew this?" whispered Charlotte Ann.

"It is very strange,' returned Ellenetta, "what if he should really be a Count or Baron?"

"Mrs. O'Conner knows so much of the world that she ought to be right," said Charlotte Ann, "but I don't think he is as handsome as Mr. Butford."

"Nor as Mr. Dillworthy; but if he is a nobleman, who would mind that! I rather think he looked most at you when we met him."

"No, it strikes me he looked longest at you, Etta; but what if it was Mrs. O'Conner he was taken with; you know she said she saw him the day the Mendenhalls were here."

"If he has been in the habit of watching the house as she supposed, he could easily have discovered her absence," said Ellenetta, whose admiration for their late guest had considerably abated, for she was always flourishing her white dress about the yard and porches, so that she could be seen at any distance. He means the compliment for us, that's clear; I wonder what will be the consequence?"

Full of this new subject of excitement, the girls could scarcely listen to the music, and long after the serenader had departed, they lay awake indulging visions of titles and of tossing their heads at the Mendenhalls.

The next morning Mrs. Disney was driven by Richard to town on her important mission, leaving her daughters, whom she had noticed unaccountably mysterious, and elated about the serenade, to guard the premises. The idea that they were,

perhaps, observed by the gallant foreigner, made the duty rather agreeable than otherwise, and after putting on white dresses, they flitted around the house and fed Mrs. O'Conner's canary birds with much assiduity. But the arrival of dinner time, recalled them to the sober realities of life, and they entered the dining-room to set out the cold ham and cheese, which were to preserve them from the vulgar operation of cooking. They were about to take their seats at the table, when a step on the porch startled them. They looked out, and beheld their new admirer before them, twitching off his cap, and bowing like a schoolboy in the olden time, with his foot thrown far up in the air behind him. Blushing and trying to look grave, the young ladies handed him a seat, and attempted to enter into conversation with him, but his accent was so imperfect, they could understand little he said, and though he bowed and simpered constantly, it was evident that they were equally unintelligible to him.

At length, Charlotte Ann signed her sister to the door, whispering, We ought to invite him to dine with us, shouldn't we?"

"No doubt he will expect it," replied Ellenetta, "and we will have to put silver forks on the table -these foreigners are not accustomed to any thing else."

"And we had better get out the silver pitchers; it will look more aristocratic," said Charlotte Ann; "I suppose, also, that we had better bring up a bottle of pa's Madeira--Germans never think of taking dinner without wine."

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'Very well," replied Ellenetta, "I'll get the things out of the sideboard. Then do you go to the spring and have some water ready, and I'll try to unlock the cellar to get the wine."

Agreeably to this arrangement, Ellenetta placed the forks on the table, while Charlotte Ann went to the spring, which was at some distance behind the house; and then excusing herself, she hurried into the cellar. It was an office she had not been accustomed to, and she had some difficulty in unlocking the wine closet, and not less in finding the article required. She was at length surprised by a loud call from her sister, and hastening up, she found her alone in the dining room. "The pitchers! the castor! the forks and spoons!" exclaimed Charlotte Ann; " Oh, Etta, he has robbed the sideboard!" It was too true. They had left the sideboard open, and all its treasure was rifled, while on looking out, they saw the stranger running towards the woods, with a large bundle in his hand, as fast as his limbs would carry him. Oh, what will ma and pa say!" responded Ellenetta; "but it was all Mrs. O'Conner's fault; we never would have thought him a gentleman if it had not been for her!" and after they had given utterance to their horror, they locked the doors, lest he should come back again, and then sat down and cried.

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Before evening their mother returned, and much to their dismay, she was accompanied by their