to
harness old Sol and Nancy to the hay-rack, decorate it with green oak
boughs, making a canopy over it, and all ride to town together, taking
up six or eight of our neighbors, to swell the party.

Theodora and Ellen hailed this plan with delight, but Gram objected both
because of the fact that the hay-rack had no springs, and also upon
grounds of decorum.

"Why, people would think we were a part of the 'fantastics,'" the old
lady exclaimed. "I will never ride in any such gipsy fashion!"

This vigorous declaration tabled the hay-cart scheme. But as we were
milking that evening, Addison obtained the Old Squire's consent to
harness Nancy into the horse-cart, and decorate it for us young folks;
while our elders drove to the village with old Sol in the beach-wagon.
Boughs were accordingly fetched and a canopy made over the cart and by
nine we all retired, so as to secure as much sleep as possible before
three A. M.

But the Pluvian powers forbade the excursion. The southern sky, indeed,
had looked a trifle dark and wet, the previous evening. Raindrops on the
roof waked us shortly before three. We hoped it was but a passing
shower. At daylight, however, the rain was pouring profusely. Wealthy
actually cried; Ellen scolded a little; Halstead made certain irreverent
remarks; while Gram sought to inculcate resignation in the abstract.

It proved one of those profuse southerly rains, such as often occur in
Maine during the summer season. We milked in the barn and put the cows
out to pasture in the midst of the downpour, for it was a warm rain.

"No celebration to-day," remarked Addison; but the Old Squire thought
that it would slacken by noon and perhaps clear.

All the morning it rained too hard even to go fishing. Addison went up
to his room to read Audubon awhile. Halstead went out to the wagon-house
and having appropriated an auger, draw-shave and hammer, took an
umbrella and set off for the old cooper shop below the orchard. Seeing
me standing in the wood-house door, he said, "You can go down to my
shop, if you want to. I wouldn't invite Addison, but I will you."

I ran out to his umbrella, and we went down to the old shop. When we
reached the door, Halstead remarked that I need not _see_ the way he
opened it; so I stepped around the corner for a moment, till he called
to me. I then entered after him and stood around while he set to work on
several odd-looking pieces of wheeled gear. Then with his permission, I
ki