utlying dates which by now, must have produced in her immediate
people such indecision as to the date upon which Her Majesty really
did come into the world. That day, and that only, was the observed, the
celebrated, a day with an essence in it, dawning more gloriously than
other days and ending more regretfully, unless, indeed, it fell on a
Sunday when it was "kept" on the Monday, with a slightly clouded feeling
that it wasn't exactly the same thing. Travelled persons, who had spent
the anniversary there, were apt to come back with a poor opinion of
its celebration in "the old country"--a pleasant relish to the
more-than-ever appreciated advantages of the new, the advantages
that came out so by contrast. More space such persons indicated, more
enterprise they boasted, and even more loyalty they would flourish,
all with an affectionate reminiscent smile at the little ways of a
grandmother. A "Bank" holiday, indeed! Here it was a real holiday, that
woke you with bells and cannon--who has forgotten the time the ancient
piece of ordnance in "the Square" blew out all the windows in the
Methodist church?--and went on with squibs and crackers till you didn't
know where to step on the sidewalks, and ended up splendidly with
rockets and fire-balloons and drunken Indians vociferous on their way to
the lock-up. Such a day for the hotels, with teams hitched three abreast
in front of their aromatic barrooms; such a day for the circus, with
half the farmers of Fox County agape before the posters--with all their
chic and shock they cannot produce such posters nowadays, nor are there
any vacant lots to form attractive backgrounds--such a day for Mother
Beggarlegs! The hotels, and the shops and stalls for eating and
drinking, were the only places in which business was done; the public
sentiment put universal shutters up, but the public appetite insisted
upon excepting the means to carnival. An air of ceremonial festivity
those fastened shutters gave; the sunny little town sat round them,
important and significant, and nobody was ever known to forget that they
were up, and go on a fool's errand. No doubt they had an impressiveness
for the young countryfolk that strolled up and down Main Street in their
honest best, turning into Snow's for ice-cream when a youth was disposed
to treat. (Gallantry exacted ten-cent dishes, but for young ladies
alone, or family parties, Mrs Snow would bring five-cent quantities
almost without asking, and for ve