imitive hour of nine o'clock, at which,
in early New England days, all social gatherings always dispersed.
Captain Kittridge rowed his helpmeet, with Mara and Sally, across the
Bay to the island.

"Come and stay with me to-night, Sally," said Mara.

"I think Sally had best be at home," said Mrs. Kittridge. "There's no
sense in girls talking all night."

"There ain't sense in nothin' else, mother," said the Captain. "Next to
sparkin', which is the Christianist thing I knows on, comes gals' talks
'bout their sparks; they's as natural as crowsfoot and red columbines
in the spring, and spring don't come but once a year neither,--and so
let 'em take the comfort on't. I warrant now, Polly, you've laid awake
nights and talked about me."

"We've all been foolish once," said Mrs. Kittridge.

"Well, mother, we want to be foolish too," said Sally.

"Well, you and your father are too much for me," said Mrs. Kittridge,
plaintively; "you always get your own way."

"How lucky that my way is always a good one!" said Sally.

"Well, you know, Sally, you are going to make the beer to-morrow," still
objected her mother.

"Oh, yes; that's another reason," said Sally. "Mara and I shall come
home through the woods in the morning, and we can get whole apronfuls of
young wintergreen, and besides, I know where there's a lot of sassafras
root. We'll dig it, won't we, Mara?"

"Yes; and I'll come down and help you brew," said Mara. "Don't you
remember the beer I made when Moses came home?"

"Yes, yes, I remember," said the Captain, "you sent us a couple of
bottles."

"We can make better yet now," said Mara. "The wintergreen is young, and
the green tips on the spruce boughs are so full of strength. Everything
is lively and sunny now."

"Yes, yes," said the Captain, "and I 'spect I know why things do look
pretty lively to some folks, don't they?"

"I don't know what sort of work you'll make of the beer among you," said
Mrs. Kittridge; "but you must have it your own way."

Mrs. Kittridge, who never did anything else among her tea-drinking
acquaintances but laud and magnify Sally's good traits and domestic
acquirements, felt constantly bound to keep up a faint show of
controversy and authority in her dealings with her,--the fading remains
of the strict government of her childhood; but it was, nevertheless,
very perfectly understood, in a general way, that Sally was to do as she
pleased; and so, when the boat came to shore, she took t