cold weather came on apace. Mr. Adams seemed to feel it more and
gave up his horseback rides. He interested himself very much in the
library plans, but he grew fonder of staying at home, and Doris was such
a pleasant companion. Cary had never been fond of poetry, and now he
threw himself into his profession with a resolve to stand high.
Manhood's ambition was so different from the lukewarm endeavors of the
boy.

His father did enjoy his earnestness very much. Sometimes he roused
himself to argue a point when two or three young men dropped in, and the
old fire flashed up, though he liked best his ease and his poets, or
Doris reading or singing some old song. But he did not lose his interest
in the world's progress or that of his beloved city.

Doris was very happy in a young girl's way. One did not expect to fill
every moment with pleasure, or go to parties or the theater every
evening. There were other duties and purposes to life. As Aunt Priscilla
did not go out after the cold weather set in, she ran up there nearly
every day with some cheerful bit of gossip. Madam Royall had grown very
fond of her as well. There was the dancing class; and the sewing class,
when they made garments for poor people; and shopping--even if one did
not buy much, for now such pretty French and English goods were shown
again. Then one stopped in the confectioner's on Newberry Street and had
a cup of hot coffee or tea if it was a cold day; or strolled down
Cornhill to see what new books had come over from London, for the
Waverley novels had just begun, and everybody was wondering about the
author. Or you went to Faneuil Hall to see Trumbull's Declaration of
Independence, which was considered a very remarkable work. There were
the sleigh-rides, when you went out in style and had a supper and a
dance; and the sledding parties, that were really the most fun of all,
when you almost forgot you were grown-up.

Cary was always ready to attend his cousin, though she quite as often
went out with Mr. and Mrs. Gray and Eudora. When he thought of it, it
did seem a little curious that Doris had no special company.

But a girl was not allowed to keep special company until the family had
consented and she was regularly engaged. Young men and girls came to
sing, for a piano was a rarity; there were parties going here and there,
but Doris never evinced any particular preference.

So spring came again and gardening engrossed Doris. She had been
learning ho