of the semicircle was extremely pretty, and it also afforded room
for attendants and buyers to gather around the lower ends of the
respective tables.

The central ornament of each was a banquet-lamp, corresponding in color
with the table on which it stood; that on the red one had a red
porcelain vase in an iron stand, with a red shade; the green lamp had a
green pillar and green shade; the yellow table bore a brass lamp, etc.

The red, orange, and violet tables contained a bewildering variety of
articles for sale, and it was an interesting study to note the ingenuity
with which the respective colors had been introduced into the
fancy-work, painted china, etc., displayed to tempt purchasers.

On the orange table, for instance, were small gilded straw baskets,
filled with delicious home-made molasses candies, tiny emery-cases
covered with brown velvet, and surrounded by petals cut from deep yellow
cloth, perfectly representing the daisylike flower known as "black-eyed
Susan," sunflower penwipers, handkerchief-cases, made by folding an
embroidered handkerchief over a square of yellow perfumed silk, the four
corners meeting in the centre, laundry-bags, embroidered with yellow
silk, sachet-cases with yellow buttercups strewn over them, teacups
decorated with gold, etc.

The red table bore similar testimony to the cleverness of those who had
supplied its wants, while the violet one was a marvel of daintiness and
suggestion of spring-time loveliness. The banquet-lamp had a silver
stand and shade of violet silk and white lace; near it was a sofa
cushion of sheer white linen lawn embroidered with violets, and
surrounded by a wide insertion of lace, finished with a ruffle edged
with lace. Beside this was a little bag, of white silk, with a pattern
of lilac sweet-pease, in the bottom of which a needle-book was inserted,
and not far off lay a table-centre embroidered with violets.

The yellow table was tempting, with a large glass bowl filled with
lemonade, served with a variety of yellow cakes. The green one dispensed
ice-cream. The blue, besides tea, sold pretty blue-and-white china cups
and saucers, tied together with blue ribbon; and the indigo one was
sought by lovers of chocolate.

The attendants at each table wore its colors. And another pretty feature
of the occasion was a large pine-tree, standing in one corner of the
hall, from whose branches hung oranges made of yellow paper, each one
containing some prize for the