whose cheeks would flush at the mere idea of
asserting personal superiority over any one. Nevertheless, they trod
the earth firmly, as girls who felt that they were born to a certain
position. Judge Ferguson was a gentleman of the old school, devoted to
past ideas, fond of the English classics, and with small faith in any
literature later than Dr. Johnson. He confessed to a toleration for
Scott's novels, and had been detected by his children both laughing
and crying over the stories of Charles Dickens; for the amiable
weaknesses of human nature still remain in the best regulated mind.
To women and children, the judge was benignity itself, imitating the
Grand Monarque, who bowed even to a chambermaid. He believed in good,
orderly, respectable, old ways and entertainments, and had a quiet
horror of all that is loud or noisy or pretentious; which sometimes
made his social duties a trial to him, as was the case in regard to
the Seymour party.

The arrangements of the party, including the preparations for an
extensive illumination of the grounds, and fireworks, were on so
unusual a scale as to rouse the whole community of Springdale to a
fever of excitement; of course, the Wilcoxes and the Lennoxes were
astonished and disgusted. When had it been known that any of their set
had done any thing of the kind? How horribly out of taste! Just the
result of John Seymour's marrying into that class of society! Mrs.
Lennox was of opinion that she ought not to go. She was of the
determined and spicy order of human beings, and often, like a certain
French countess, felt disposed to thank Heaven that she generally
succeeded in being rude when the occasion required. Mrs. Lennox
regarded "snubbing" in the light of a moral duty devolving on people
of condition, when the foundations of things were in danger of being
removed by the inroads of the vulgar commonalty. On the present
occasion, Mrs. Lennox was of opinion that quiet, respectable people,
of good family, ought to ignore this kind of proceeding, and not think
of encouraging such things by their presence.

Mrs. Wilcox generally shaped her course by Mrs. Lennox: still she had
promised Letitia Ferguson to be gracious to the Seymours in their
exigency, and to call on the Follingsbees; so there was a confusion
all round. The young people of both families declared that _they_ were
going, just to see the fun. Bob Lennox, with the usual vivacity of
Young America, said he didn't "care a hang