s no lack
of space, but their room is considered better than their company
everywhere else, in spite of the pretty speeches one sometimes hears as
to the charm of entertainments where all ages are gathered together,
and the glory of growing old gracefully as they do in England. I am
not complaining, for between you and me we wouldn't be hired to go to
one-tenth of the places to which we ought to be invited, so far as our
physical state is concerned; but it would be soothing to be asked
occasionally and not to be treated as though we were moribund, and
bidden only to Class Day spreads and to church weddings without a card
for the reception. Once in a while lately Josephine and I have taken
it into our heads to put in an appearance at the Assemblies, where,
though we had been respectfully and cordially received, it has been
evident to us that we were regarded as social Rip Van Winkles, and that
at least half the company were inquiring who in thunder we were, and
the remainder, who did know us, were wondering why in time we came.

A remark of Josephine's served to crystallize these reflections. "Do
you know, Fred, that I think on the whole we shall have a happier day
if we pass it quietly together, and simply have the children to dine.
So many of the people of whom we were fond at the time we were married
have passed away, that I am sure we should be appalled by the thinness
of the ranks when we began to reckon who are left. Besides, I don't
think that a notice not to bring silver would really protect the poor
wretches who didn't wish to bring any. It would seem too evidently to
mean that they needn't bring any unless they chose to, but that it
would be acceptable all the same, which would worry dreadfully those
who like to do whatever others do. Don't you think so? You see
everybody understands that nobody really objects to receiving silver.
Besides, it would involve no end of fuss, and we should be so occupied
with the arrangements that we should forget to pay any attention to
each other, so that it would be a dreary day to look back upon."

"Indeed, Josephine, I agree with you entirely," said I. "Unless such
affairs go off just right they are stiff and ghastly. People who are
bent on paying us a compliment will have an opportunity to come to our
funerals before very long."

"Not together, though. Oh, Fred, wouldn't it be the crowning thing of
all, after so much happiness, if we _could_ die at the same time a