s, lived over in Hammersley Street, which was really a
continuation of Houston. And they might like to see grandfather, who was
in his ninetieth year and still kept to his old French ways and
fashions.

Miss Butler was very enthusiastic about the callers. "Why, you are quite
French," she said, "only _they_ show it in their looks."

"We have had so much English admixture," and Father Underhill laughed
with a mellow sound. "But I've heard that my great grandmother was a
useless fine lady when they came to this country, and had never dressed
herself or brushed her hair, and had to have a lady's maid until she
died. She never learned to speak English, or only a few words, but she
could play beautifully on a harp and recite the French poets so well
that people came from a distance to see her. But her daughters had a
great many other things to learn, and were very smart women. My own
grandmother could spin on the big wheel and the little wheel equal to
any girl when she was seventy years old."

"How delightfully romantic!" cried Miss Butler.

"There's a big wheel in the garret at Yonkers, and a little wheel, and a
funny reel," said Hanny, who was sitting on Miss Butler's lap, "and we
used to play the reel was a mill, and make believe we ground corn."

"I've done many a day's spinning!" exclaimed Mrs. Underhill. "The
Hunters raised no end of flax, and we spun the thread for our bed and
table linen. One of our neighbors had a loom and did weaving. Cotton
goods were so high we were glad to keep to linen. Ah, well, the world's
changed a deal since my young days."

They were disturbed by an influx of guests. The fashionable young men
came late in the afternoon and evening. The gilt candelabrum on the
mantel was lighted up, and it had so many branches and prisms it was
quite brilliant. Then there were sconces at the side of the wall to
light up corners, and these have come around again, since people realize
what a soft, suggestive light candles give. The Underhills had no gas in
their house, it was esteemed one of the luxuries. Even the outskirts of
the city streets were still lighted with oil.

Steve came in and teased the girls and begged them to eat philopenas
with him. He seemed to find so many. And he said the best wish he could
give them for 1845 was that they might all find a good husband, as good
as he was making, and if they didn't like to take his word they were at
liberty to go and ask his wife.

Quite in the ev