structures, somewhat resembling saw-horses. Beside each were several
boards, and close inspection would have shown that both the surface of
the horses and one side of these boards, were well smeared with rosin.
These were the horse-fiddles, contrived for the purpose of promoting
wakefulness by night, on the part of the silk stockings. Given plenty
of rosin, and a dozen stout fellows to each fiddle, drawing the boards
to and fro across the backs of the horses, pressing on hard, and the
resulting shrieks were something only to be imagined with the fingers
in the ears. The concert given to Squire Woodbridge the night
previous, had been an extemporized affair, with only one horse-fiddle,
and insufficient support from other instruments. To judge from the
conversation of the men and boys standing around, it was intended
to-night to give the Squire a demonstration which should quite compensate
him for the unsatisfactory nature of the former entertainment, and leave
him in no sort of doubt as to the sentiments of the people toward the
magistracy and silk stockings in general, and himself in particular. A
large collection of tin-pans had been made, and the pumpkin vines of
the vicinity had been dismantled for the construction of pumpkinstalk
trombones, provided with which, some hundreds of small boys were to be
in attendance.

Although the loud guffaws which from time to time were heard from the
group of men and hobbledehoys about the horse-fiddles on the green,
were evidence that the projected entertainment was not without comical
features as they looked at it, the aspect of the affair as viewed by
other eyes was decidedly tragical. Mrs. Woodbridge had long been
sinking with consumption, and the uproar and excitement of the
preceding night had left her in so prostrate a condition that Dr.
Partridge had been called in. During the latter part of her aunt's
sickness Desire Edwards had made a practice of running into her Uncle