Our social committee, of which I was then chairman, wanted very much to have a lawn party; but the season for such things was quite over, as the evenings were too cool. However, a bright idea occurred to one of our number, and we decided to have an indoor lawn party.

The Saturday afternoon before it was to take place, four of the committee took a team, went out into the woods, and secured a lot of pine boughs, autumn leaves, etc., and Monday evening, which was the evening before it occurred, we increased our force of workers, and went to the vestry to turn it, as far as possible, into an outdoor scene. We trimmed the chandeliers, posts, and every available spot with boughs, strung Japanese lanterns all across the room, made a beautiful bower in one corner for the orchestra, for which we had three pieces, a piano, a violin, and a cornet. In the opposite corner of the room we had a canvas tent where fortunes were told at five cents each (by palmistry) by one of our young lady gypsies. Hammocks were swung from the large stone posts, and a standing double swing was placed on one side of the room, where the younger people enjoyed themselves hugely.

Small tables were put into odd corners of the room, where ice cream and cake were served by ten young ladies in pretty summer costumes. Lemonade was served from an old well, which was a large square box or packing case, covered with canvas, painted to represent a stone wall. To this we attached a well-sweep made from a branch of a tree, tied on a large new tin pail, and served the lemonade in small glasses at two cents a glass. During the evening we had a male quartette gather around the well and sing "The Old Oaken Bucket," and other selections. The orchestra played the whole evening with very short intermissions. On one side of the room was arranged an artistic corner where peanuts were sold at the usual price of five cents a bag.