CHAPTER XII.


In uncle Nathan's household a "bee" for the paring of apples had been
the annual custom from time immemorial; and in rural districts, the
merry-makings of any kind are a very different affair from the social
gatherings in a large city; in the country a social gathering has about
it a genuine heartiness of enjoyment, unknown in the city drawing-rooms
of wealth and fashion. In the country you come nearer to nature, as it
were, untrammelled by the customs and usages of fashionable society.
Uncle Nathan was just the one to get up a social gathering of this kind,
and enjoy it too; if his hair was growing white, the flowers of social
feeling still bloomed in his heart; and the yearly apple-paring bee was
never omitted in the household. He used to say "the apple pies would not
taste half so good in winter if the apples were not pared by the hands
of the merry company who assembled upon the occasion."

The sun rose bright and clear on the sixth of October; this was an
important day at the old homestead, for on the next evening was to be
held this annual social gathering. They did not often invite company,
and, upon the rare occasions when they did so, Aunt Lucinda made
extensive preparations for their entertainment. Some of her neighbours
took the liberty of saying she did this partly to show off her
unequalled cookery and housekeeping, but most likely these sayings were
only maliciously called forth by her superior attainments in this way.
Be this as it might, she was certainly very busy on this particular day.
The capacious brick oven was heated no less than four times during the
day, and the savory odor from the numerous dishes taken therefrom
bespoke a plentiful repast for the apple-parers. I was kept from school
that day to take part in the grand preparations going forward. Aunt made