Reuben slept on, and that so soundly, that when tea was ready he was not
awake, and he would probably have been wholly forgotten if the young
ladies on their way down stairs had not made so much noise by the door
of his room, that startled and alarmed, he began to cry violently, and
his good friend Mary could not easily appease him. However, the child
was really refreshed from his sleep, and the kind girl having washed his
face and hands herself, and smoothed his pretty curling hair, led him
down with her to the room where the tea was served, and provided him
with all he wanted, and withal with such a large lump of sugar, the like
of which he had never perhaps, not even in his dreams, possessed before.
Whoever has read of Mrs. Indulgence in "The Infant's Progress" may have
some idea of Mary's management of Reuben, but if the little one could
have spoken or reasoned on the point, how heartily would he have said
that he pined for his own dear mamma's judicious kindness and controul,
under which he used to sport all day happy and joyful as a butterfly on
a bright summer's morning.

After tea, which did not last very long, the tables were cleared away
and the plays began--the elder children, as might be expected, taking
the lead, and for awhile all was order and propriety. Fortunately for
the young ones they had no lights near them from which they could be in
danger, for the lamp hung from the ceiling and the fire was allowed to
go out in the grate. The tables, as I said before, were moved away, and
the seats were piled one above another so that a good space was left in
the room for the games, and only two chairs were kept for Mr. and Mrs.
Jameson, who had sent word to say they were coming down to see the
sport, and as they were very fond of a dance, they expressed a wish
that the evening's amusement should begin in that way.

The boys were somewhat annoyed at this, as they wanted more active