A., she pledged herself
to preserve the decencies as these had been codified in Little Arcady by
the Sons and Daughters of Temperance. For my part I drank to her
continuance in the wondrous favor of Heaven.

Thereafter, I am bound to say, Miss Caroline conducted herself with a
discretion that was admirable. Upon more than one occasion I was made to
notice this. One of them was at an evening entertainment at the Eubanks
home that autumn, to which it was my privilege to escort her. "A large
and brilliant company was present," to quote from a competent authority,
and the refreshments were "recherche," to quote again, this being, I
believe, the first of our social functions at which Japanese paper
napkins were handed around. Eustace Eubanks entertained "one and all" by
exhibiting and describing lantern views of important scenes in the Holy
Land; Marcella sang "Comin' Thro' the Rye" with such iron restraint that
the most fastidious among us could have found no cause for offence, and
Eustace sang an innocent song of war and bloodshed and death. All went
well until Eustace, being pressed for more, ventured a drinking song.
Whether this had been censored by his household I have never learned.
Perhaps there had been demurs--there were almost certain to have been;
and possibly Eustace had held out for the thing because of the rare
opportunity it afforded for the exercise of his lowest tones. Perhaps it
had been deemed wise to indulge him in this, lest in rebellion he break
all bonds of propriety and revert to the "Bedouin Love Song." At any
rate he sang "Drinking," a song that lauds the wine-cup as chiefest of
godless joys, and terminating in "drinking" thrice reiterated, of which
each individual one finishes so much lower than it begins that the last
one seems to expire in the bottomless pit.

Many of those present appeared to enjoy this song. Even Marcella Eubanks
seemed for once to have soared above mere principle into the unmoral
realm of "Art for Art's sake." But it falls to be said, and I say it
with a pride which I think should not excite cavil, that Miss Caroline
frowned splendidly from the first moment that the song's true character
was revealed. She superbly evinced uneasiness, moreover, when the thing
was done, as if to say, "One can't tell _what_ may occur in a place
where _that_ is permitted!" And her performance was not observed by
myself alone. Marcella saw it and sped to her brother, who, after
listening to hurri