They reached Deacon Spear’s at length; but only Mrs. Spear was at home.  She was very deaf, but could explain that the family had taken all their syrup to the annual festival.

“We might go to the festival,” exclaimed the little boys.

“It would be very well,” said Mrs. Peterkin, “to eat our fresh syrup there.”

But Mrs. Spear could not tell where the festival was to be, as she had not heard; perhaps they might know at Squire Ramsay’s.  Squire Ramsay’s was on their way to Grandfather’s, so they stopped there; but they learned that the “Squire’s folks had all gone with their syrup to the festival,” but the man who was chopping wood did not know where the festival was to be.

“They ’ll know at your grandfather’s,” said Mrs. Peterkin, from the carry-all.

“Yes, go on to your grandfather’s,” advised Mr. Peterkin, “for I think I felt a drop of rain.”  So they made the best of their way to Grandfather’s.

At the moment they reached the door of the house, a party of young people whom Elizabeth Eliza knew came by in sleighs.  She had met them all when visiting at her grandfather’s.

“Come along with us,” they shouted; “we are all going down to the sugar festival.”

“That is what we have come for,” said Mr. Peterkin.

“Where is it?” asked Solomon John.

“It is down your way,” was the reply.

“It is in your own New Hall,” said another.  “We have sent down all our syrup.  The Spears and Ramsays and Doolittles have gone on with theirs.  No time to stop; there’s good sleighing on the old road.”

There was a little consultation with the grandfather.  Hiram said that he could take them back with the wood-sled, when he heard there was sleighing on the old road; and it was decided that the whole party should go in the wood-sled, with the exception of Mr. Peterkin, who would follow on with the carry-all.  Mrs. Peterkin would take the arm-chair, and cushions were put in for Elizabeth Eliza, and more apple-pie for all.  No more drops of rain appeared, though the clouds were thickening over the setting sun.

“All the way back again,” sighed Mrs. Peterkin, “when we might have stayed at home all day, and gone quietly out to the New Hall!” But the little boys thought the sledding all day was great fun,—­and the apple-pie!  “And we did see the kettle through the cracks of the shanty!”

“It is odd the festival should be held at the New Hall,” said Elizabeth Eliza; “for the secretary did say something about the society meeting there to-night, being so far from the centre of the town.”

This hall was so called because it was once a new hall, built to be used for lectures, assemblies, and entertainments of this sort, for the convenience of the inhabitants who had collected about some flourishing factories.

“You can go to your own Circumambient Society, then!” exclaimed Solomon John.

“And in a truly circumambient manner,” said Agamemnon; and he explained to the little boys that they could now understand the full meaning of the word, for surely Elizabeth Eliza had taken the most circumambient way of reaching the place by coming away from it.