nd 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
daughters--Melinda 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
voices--girls' voices--which 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