I'd fixed up purty smart, considering, and was jest sticking my breast-pin a leetle more in sight, when the door opened and cousin Mary come in. If I hadn't expected it was her, I'm sartin I shouldn't a known her no more than nothing, she was so puckered up. She had on a silk frock ruffled round the bottom, and her hair hung in great long black curls down her neck, eenamost to her bosom, and she had a gold chain wound all round her head, besides one a hanging about her neck, and her waist warn't bigger round than a pint cup. I never was so struck up in my life, as I was tu see her. Instid of coming up and giving me a good shake o' the hand or a buss--there wouldn't a been any harm in't as we were cousins--she put one foot for'ard a little and drew t' other back kind o' catecornering, and then she sort o' wriggled her shoulders, and bent for'ard and made a curchy, city fashion. Sez I tu myself, "If that's what you're up tu, I'll jest show you that we've had a dancing school in Weathersfield since you left it, Miss Beebe." So I put out my right foot and drew it up into the holler of t'other foot, and let my arms drop down a sort a parpindicular, and bent for'ard--jest as a feller shuts a jack knife when he's afeard of cutting his fingers--and keeping my eyes fixed on her face, though I did have to roll 'em up a leetle--I reckon I give her a purty respectable sample of a Weathersfield bow to match her York curches. "Pray be seated, Mr. Slick," sez she, a screwing her mouth up into a sort of a smile; but when I saw how she was stuck up I warn't a-going to be behind hand with her, so I puckered up my mouth tu, though it was awful hard work, and sez I, "arter you is manners for me, Miss Beebe." With that she sot down in one of the rocking-chairs and stuck her elbow on her arm and let her head drop into her hand as if she warn't more than half alive, and sez she-- "Take an ottoman, Mr. Slick." I guess I turned red enough, for I hadn't no idee what she ment, but I sot down on one of the foot-stools at a ventur, and then she said, "How do Mr. and Mrs. Slick du? I hope they're well." I felt my ebenezer a gitting up to hear her call her husband's own uncle and aunt sich stuck up names, and sez I, "Your uncle and aunt are purty smart, so as to be jogging about, thank you, Miss Beebe." I hadn't but jest got the words out of my mouth when there was a bell rung so as to make me jump up, and in a minit arter cousin John come in. Your loving son, JONATHAN SLICK. * * * * * LETTER II. The Family Dinner and Effects of July Cider. DEAR PAR: "Wal, I see you've found the way, cousin Slick," sez he. "Mary, my dear, is dinner ready?"