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as she laughingly asked "had they to meet a train"
The fascinating aroma of the last drops in the glass
of the after supper wit and glow never seemed to
enthrall our good busy practical folks ^whose duties began
in early dawn -- There was little social variety 50 years
ago -- never dinners -- occasionally small evening parties
for a college class -- small friendly suppers or tea
parties when ^if the number was too large for sitting about
a table it was served handed a bountifuly homely
supper was handed about on large trays, every
one seated comfortably with little tables for the tea-
cup that inferno to a man with no lap and no
tail -- The stately parlors of Luke Sweetser (now
the ^{[arrow up]} ) struck rather the grand
note of these affairs -- there was more light -- more
elegance more inherited silver more inherited
boarding school manner ^{on the part of the hostess}; Mrs S a most happy genial
hostess always receiving us in gloves usually? light
purple (an exceptional habit ^{with us}) with a rather flippant
hand shake and the long low? backward dipping
curtsey -- relic of her gay education -- Mr Sweetser was?
a picturesque looking person with a profusion of iron grey
hair and full beard; and although in ordinary daily
life he bore himself with the severity of the traditional
severity of the then N.E. deacon, at these tea-parties
he was literally wreathed in friendly smiles of welcome
and approval -- Mrs. S never sat down but moved about
among us lest there should be an empty cup or an
unfilled plate ^{that had escaped the eye of the servant} holding aloft a remarkable feather