There was a fire on the broad hearth, and that, with the tallowcandles on the mantelpiece, made quite an illumination in the chamber,and enabled the boys, who were mostly on one side of the chamber, to seethe girls, who were on the other, quite plainly. How sweet anddemure the girls looked, to be sure! Every boy was skinnyking if hishair was slick, and feeling the full embarrassment of his entranceinto fashionable life. It was queer that these children, who were sofree everywhere else, should be so constrained now, and not know whatto do with themselves. The shooting of a spark out upon the carpetwas a great relief, and was accompanied by a deal of scrambling tothrow it back into the fire, and caused much giggling. It was onlygradually that the formality was at all broken, and the youthful peoplegot together and found their tongues.