r relatives had lost
members from their households. All the gayety would be reserved for the
evening. But Cary said they would miss Betty very much.

They had a pleasant afternoon, and Betty was finally prevailed upon to
stay a little while in the evening. Cary was congratulated by the elder
relatives, who said many pleasant things and gave him good wishes as to
his future success. One of the cousins proposed his health, and Cary
replied in a very entertaining manner. There was a birthday cake that he
had to cut and pass around.

"I think Cary has been real delightful," said Betty. "I've never felt
intimately acquainted with him, because he has always seemed rather
distant, and went with the quality and all that, and we are rather plain
people. Oh, how proud of him Uncle Win must be!"

He certainly was proud of his gracious attentions to the elders and his
pleasant way of taking the rather tiresome compliments of a few of the
old ladies who had known his Grandfather Cary as well as his Grandfather
Adams.

Aunt Elizabeth and Aunt Priscilla sat up in the room of Miss Recompense
with a few of the guests who wanted to see the young people gather.
There were four colored musicians, and they began to tune their
instruments out on the rustic settee at the side of the front garden,
where the beautiful drooping honey locusts hid them from sight and made
even the tuning seem enchanting. Girls in white gowns trooped up the
path, young men in the height of fashion carried fans and nosegays for
them; there was laughing and chattering and floating back and forth to
the dressing rooms.

Madam Royall came with Miss Alice and Helen, who was allowed to go out
occasionally under her wing. Eudora had been permitted just to look on a
while and to return with grandmamma.

The large parlor was cleared of the small and dainty tables and articles
likely to be in the way of the dancers. The first was to be a new march
to a patriotic air, and the guests stood on the stairs to watch them
come out of the lower door of the long room, march through the hall, and
enter the parlor at the other door. Oh, what a pretty crowd they were!
The old Continental styles had not all gone out, but were toned down a
little. There were pretty embroidered satin petticoats and sheer gowns
falling away at the sides, with a train one had to tuck up under the
belt when one really danced. Hair of all shades done high on the head
with a comb of silver or brilliants,