Homesteading 



dances, announcing the successive movements by 

 such expressions as " Ladies, cross your lily- 

 white hands and gents your black and tan," and 

 so forth. 



Then there was a concert got up to help a poor 

 neighbour, and the amount of talent, vocal and 

 instrumental, which some districts can produce 

 on occasion is amazing. A " box social," too, 

 was held at a neighbouring schoolhouse to raise 

 money for the erection of a stable as an adjunct 

 to the school-building. For this function a 

 number of boxes of dainty provisions are pre- 

 pared by ladies ; these boxes are prettily decor- 

 ated, and then sold to the men by auction, the 

 purchaser of each box gaining thereby the privilege 

 of enjoying its contents with the lady who has 

 prepared it. Bob, who seemed more intent on 

 raising money for the stable than on taking 

 supper with any particular fair one, bought one 

 box for which there was keen competition, and 

 then resold it at a handsome advance, making 

 his excuse to the fair provider of the feast that 

 it was all in a good cause. Large sums may 

 often be raised in this way, and on the present 

 occasion the auction produced about sixty dollars, 

 which was very welcome towards the expense 

 of building the stable. 



One night a little bunch of us paid a surprise 



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