of a lobster. One by one
they rushed from the room, till at length a smothered cacchination from
one of the little ones awoke cousin Betty, who exclaimed:

"Who is sobbing there? My dear friends do not distress yourselves, I
find myself considerably more comfortable."

This "clapped the climax," and the room was unavoidably deserted for a
few minutes; but at length Effie found courage to return, and, by
placing the light in another position, was enabled to keep watch for the
remainder of the evening.

There were some very amusing stories told in the family of cousin
Betty's adventures, one of which I will relate here. She was at one time
making one of her long visits at Mr. Wharton's, when, getting out of
yarn, and not being willing to remain long idle, she began to worry
about some way to get over to the village. The horses were all out at
work upon the farm, except Old Prancer, a superannuated old horse, who
was never used except for Mrs. Wharton or the girls to drive; for,
whatever claims "Prancer" may once have had to his name, it had been a
misnomer for some years past, and no one suspected him of having a spark
of spirit.

When Mr. Wharton came in to dinner, and cousin Betty consulted him as
to the best means of getting over to the village, he told her that the
best thing he could do for her would be to put the side-saddle on to Old
Prancer, and let her ride over. To this cousin Betty consented, not
without a slight trepidation, for she had never been much of a
horse-woman, but still, as she had known Prancer for many years, and he
had always borne the character of a staid, steady-going animal, she
thought there could surely be no risk in trusting herself to him.

Soon after dinner, cousin Betty, with a very short and very scanty
skirt, was mounted on the back of Old Prancer. She felt quite timid at
first at finding herself upon so lofty an elevation, (for Prancer was an
immense animal;) but when she found how steadily and sedately he went
on, and that neither encouragement nor blows could induce him to break
into a trot, she lost all her fears, and began to enjoy her ride saving
that the pace was rather a slow one.

But just as cousin Betty began to ascend the hill leading into the
village, the sound of martial music burst upon her ear, and she
remembered hearing the children say that this was "general training
day." Cousin Betty did not know that Prancer had once belonged to a
militia officer; and if she