s suit that he had hired in Boston, and there was a large
white rose in the lapel of his coat. He was accompanied by Miss Tilly
James, the pianist, who wore a handsome wine-colored silk dress that had
been made for the occasion by the best dressmaker in Cottonton. As she
took her place at the piano and ran her fingers over the keys, she, too,
came in for a liberal round of applause. Professor Strout bowed to the
audience, then turning his back upon them, he stood with baton uplifted
facing the chorus and waiting the advent of the town committee. Every
eye in the audience was fixed upon the programme. It contained the
information that the first number was an opening chorus entitled,
"Welcome to the Town Committee," written and composed by Professor
Obadiah Strout and sung for the first time with great success at the
last annual concert.

The door at the rear of the platform was opened again and Deacon Abraham
Mason, the Rev. Caleb Howe, and Mr. Benoni Hill, the members of the town
committee on singing school, entered. Deacon Mason was accompanied by
Quincy Adams Sawyer, and all eyes were fastened on the couple as they
took their seats at the right of the platform, the Rev. Mr. Howe and Mr.
Hill being seated on the left.

Quincy Adams Sawyer in appearance and dress was a marked contrast to the
stout, hardy, and rugged young farmers of Eastborough. He had dark hair,
dark eyes, and a small black mustache curled at the ends. His face was
pallid, but there was a look of determination in the firmly set jaw,
resolute mouth, and sharp eye. He wore a dark suit with Prince Albert
coat. Upon one arm hung an overcoat of light-colored cloth. He wore
light-brown kid gloves and in one hand carried a light-colored Kossuth
hat.

As soon as the committee and their guest had taken their seats,
Professor Strout tapped upon his music stand with his baton and the
members of the Eastborough Singing Society arose to their feet with that
total disregard of uniformity and unanimity of motion that always
characterizes a body of undrilled performers. Each girl was obliged to
look at her own dress and that of her neighbor to see if they were all
right, while each fellow felt it absolutely necessary to shuffle his
feet, pull down his cuffs, pull up his collar, and arrange his necktie.
Despite the confusion and individual preparations the chorus took the
opening note promptly and sang the "Welcome to the Town Committee" with
a spirit and precision