promise to be more attentive for the future.

Al length, the ebony disc of Felix's face, rising pleasantly above a
snow-bank of neck-cloth, appeared at the door, and announced dinner,
when Mr. Armstrong offering his arm to Mrs. Bernard, preceded his
friends into the dining-room. Faith accepted the Judge's escort, and
Pownal tried to wait on Anne, but somehow or other (and we suspect her
of complicity in the affair), the divine secured the prize.

Before the company sat down, which was in an order having reference to
their supposed tastes and attractions, at a request from the host, an
appropriate grace was said by the minister, which happily avoided
the extremes of too much brevity on the one hand, and of too
great prolixity on the other; or, in other words, it was neither
irreverently short, nor impertinently long.

The dinner was of that kind which still graces the hospitable boards
of old Connecticut. At one end of the table a roasted turkey, which
had been stuffed a couple of days before, in order that the spices,
composing a part of the ingredients, might penetrate and flavor
the flesh of the noble bird, turned up his round full breast to the
carving-knife; at the other end, another turkey, somewhat smaller,
boiled and served with oyster sauce, kept company with her mate, while
near the centre, which was occupied by bleached celery in a crystal
vase, a mighty ham balanced a chicken pie of equal size. Besides these
principal dishes there were roasted and boiled fowls, and ducks, and
tongues, flanked by cranberry and apple sauces, and mashed turnips and
potatoes. On the sideboard (for be it remembered, it was "when this
old cap was new," and a practice which now is considered, at least,
questionable, was then held in all honor, and its neglect was never
dreamed of, and would have drawn down an imputation of nigardliness
and want of breeding) stood bottles of wine, and flagons containing
still stronger liquors, together with a large pitcher of delicious
cider. Upon the removal of the first course followed various kinds of
puddings, and pies, and custards, and tarts, and sillabubs, and they,
in their turn, were succeeded by apples and different sorts of nuts,
with raisins and figs, with which the repast was concluded. Such was
an old Thanksgiving dinner. The present preliminary soup was unusual
or unknown. It was an array capable of supplying the wants of a much
larger company, and but a small part could be consumed