r glasses.

"Now, please tell about her; I know it 's something funny to make you
laugh so," said Polly and Fan together.

"Well, it was droll, and I 'm glad I remembered it for it 's just the
story to tell you young things.

"It was years ago," began grandma, briskly, "and teachers were very much
stricter than they are now. The girls at Miss Cotton's were not allowed
lights in their rooms after nine o'clock, never went out alone, and were
expected to behave like models of propriety from morning till night.

"As you may imagine, ten young girls, full of spirits and fun, found
these rules hard to keep, and made up for good behavior in public by all
sorts of frolics in private.

"Miss Cotton and her brother sat in the back parlor after school was
over, and the young ladies were sent to bed. Mr. John was very deaf,
and Miss Priscilla very near-sighted, two convenient afflictions for the
girls on some occasions, but once they proved quite the reverse, as you
shall hear.

"We had been very prim for a week, and our bottled up spirits could no
longer be contained; so we planed a revel after our own hearts, and set
our wits to work to execute it.

"The first obstacle was surmounted in this way. As none of us could get
out alone, we resolved to lower Sally from the window, for she was light
and small, and very smart.

"With our combined pocket-money she was to buy nuts and candy, cake and
fruit, pie, and a candle, so that we might have a light, after Betsey
took ours away as usual. We were to darken the window of the inner
chamber, set a watch in the little entry, light up, and then for a good
time.

"At eight o'clock on the appointed evening, several of us professed
great weariness, and went to our room, leaving the rest sewing
virtuously with Miss Cotton, who read Hannah More's Sacred Dramas aloud,
in a way that fitted the listeners for bed as well as a dose of opium
would have done.

"I am sorry to say I was one of the ringleaders; and as soon as we got
up stairs, produced the rope provided for the purpose, and invited Sally
to be lowered. It was an old-fashioned house, sloping down behind, and
the closet window chosen by us was not many feet from the ground.

"It was a summer evening, so that at eight o'clock it was still light;
but we were not afraid of being seen, for the street was a lonely one,
and our only neighbors two old ladies, who put down their curtains at
sunset, and never looked out till morning.