d not withdrawn his glass, while the
Colonel was pouring, for fear it should spill, and now it was running
over.

--It is very odd how all a man's philosophy and theology are at the
mercy of a few drops of a fluid which the chemists say consists of
nothing but C4, O2, H6. The Deacon's theology fell off several points
towards latitudinarianism in the course of the next ten minutes. He had
a deep inward sense that everything was as it should be, human nature
included. The little accidents of humanity, known collectively to
moralists as sin, looked very venial to his growing sense of universal
brotherhood and benevolence.

"It will all come right," the Deacon said to himself,--"I feel a joyful
conviction that everything is for the best. I am favored with a blessed
peace of mind, and a very precious season of good feelin' toward my
fellow-creturs."

A lusty young fellow happened to make a quick step backward just at
that instant, and put his heel, with his weight on top of it, upon the
Deacon's toes.

"Aigh! What the d' d' didos are y' abaout with them great huffs o'
yourn?" said the Deacon, with an expression upon his features not
exactly that of peace and good-will to men. The lusty young fellow
apologized; but the Deacon's face did not come right, and his theology
backed round several points in the direction of total depravity.

Some of the dashing young men in stand-up collars and extensive
neckties, encouraged by Mr. Geordie, made quite free with the
"Ma,dary," and even induced some of the more stylish girls--not of the
mansion-house set, but of the tip-top two-story families--to taste a
little. Most of these young ladies made faces at it, and declared it was
"perfectly horrid," with that aspect of veracity peculiar to their age
and sex.

About this time a movement was made on the part of some of the
mansion-house people to leave the supper-table. Miss Jane Trecothick
had quietly hinted to her mother that she had had enough of it. Miss
Arabella Thornton had whispered to her father that he had better adjourn
this court to the next room. There were signs of migration,--a loosening
of people in their places,--a looking about for arms to hitch on to.

"Stop!" said the Colonel. "There's something coming yet.--Ice-cream!"

The great folks saw that the play was not over yet, and that it was
only polite to stay and see it out. The word "ice-cream" was no sooner
whispered than it passed from one to another all down th