"I see," said Cheston, "you are having your parlours papered."--"Yes," replied Mrs. Marsden, "we could not possibly have a party with that old-fashioned paper on the walls, and we sent to the city a week ago for a man to come and bring with him some of the newest patterns, but he never made his appearance till last night after we had entirely given him up, and after we had had the rooms put in complete order in other respects. But he says, as the parlours are very small, he can easily put on the new paper before evening, so we thought it better to take up the carpets, and take down the curtains, and undo all that we did yesterday, rather than the walls should look old-fashioned. I _did_ intend having them painted, which would of course be much better, only that there was no time to get _that_ done before the party; so we must defer the painting now for three or four years, till this new paper has grown old." "But where is Albina?" asked Cheston. "The truth is," answered Mrs. Marsden, "she is very busy making cakes; as in this place we can buy none that are fit for a party. Luckily Albina is very clever at all such things, having been a pupil of Mrs. Goodfellow. But there is certainly a great deal of trouble in getting up a party in the country." Just then the black girl, Drusa, made her appearance, and said to Mrs. Marsden, "I've been for that there bean you call wanilla, and Mr. Brown says he never heard of such a thing." "A man that keeps so large a store has no right to be so ignorant," remarked Mrs. Marsden. "Then, Drusa, we must flavour the ice-cream with lemon." "There a'n't no more lemons to be had," said the girl, "and we've just barely enough for the lemonade." "Then some of the lemons must be taken for the ice-cream," replied Mrs. Marsden, "and we must make out the lemonade with cream of tartar." "I forgot to tell you," said Drusa, "that Mrs. Jones says she can't spare no more cream, upon no account." "How vexatious!" exclaimed Mrs. Marsden. "I wish we had two cows of our own--one is not sufficient when we are about giving a party. Drusa, we must make out the ice-cream by thickening some milk with eggs." "Eggs are scace," replied the girl, "Miss Albinar uses up so many for the cakes." "She must spare some eggs from the cakes," said Mrs. Marsden, "and make out the cakes by adding a little pearl-ash. Go directly and tell her so." Cheston, though by no means _au fait_ to the mysteries of confectionary, could not help smiling at all this making out--"Really," said his aunt, "these things are very annoying. And as this party is given to Mrs. Washington Potts, it is extremely desirable that nothing should fail. There is no such thing now as having company, unless we can receive and entertain them in a certain style."