“You are to repair to the house of Widow Careful, accompanied by such witnesses as we shall appoint, and then, having first paid her the sum you owe her, you shall ask her pardon for the insult you offered her.  You shall likewise to-morrow after school stand up in your place and before all the scholars ask pardon for the disgrace you have been the means of bringing upon the society, and in particular you shall apologize to Master Luckless for the disagreeable circumstances you were the means of bringing him into.  Till after this is complied with you shall not presume to come into the playground or join in any of the diversions of the school, and all persons are hereby admonished not to keep you company till this is done.”

Riot was then dismissed to his room, and in the afternoon he was taken to the widow, who was pleased to receive his submission graciously, and at the same time to apologize for her own improper treatment of Master Luckless, to whom she sent a present of a nice ball by way of amends.

Thus ended this important business.

A PLOT OF GUNPOWDER:  AN OLD LADY SEIZED FOR A GUY

Ascribed to WILLIAM MARTIN ("PETER PARLEY”)

Gunpowder!  Yes, it is a dreadful thing, and many a little boy has lost his eyesight by it.  Next to playing with fire, I do not know anything so bad as playing with gunpowder.

Every one knows of the fifth of November, the day set apart for commemorating the deliverance of King James and his Parliament from the horrible plot to blow them up with gunpowder, and how on that day Guido Fawkes, who was to have put the plan in execution, has his effigy paraded about.

Well, it was on the fifth of November, in the year 1789, when Peter Parley was a boy, that the circumstances took place of which I am going to give a relation.  The boys of those days, I think, were more fond of Guy Fawkes, and bonfires, and squibs, and crackers than they are now.

I remember it was the first of November, early in the morning, that a lad, who was on a visit to my father, and who was my second cousin, got out of bed and said to me (for we both slept in one room): 

“Peter,” said he, “do you have a guy in this town?  I had a famous one last year, and such a bonfire as you never saw, for we burnt down a haystack.  I should like to have a guy this year; do let us make one.”

I was only about twelve years old, and very fond of a bit of fun, and so I said: 

“That is a good idea.  I was thinking of the same thing last night, because the clerk gave out in the church that there would be prayers on the fifth of November, on account of the Gunpowder Plot; and, as I came out of the church porch I saw a very old woman sitting there.  She looked just like an old witch, and I said to myself, ’I should like to seize her for a guy.’”

“Seize an old woman for a guy!  Well, that would be the drollest thing that ever happened,” said he; “and I should like to go you halves.  Shall we go partners in it?  We can easily get a chair and tie her down in it, and get a dark lantern and some matches and all that.”