THE B0Y'S SUNDAY

Sunday in the New England hill t0wns used t0 begin Saturday night atsund0wn; and the sun is l0st t0 sight behind the hills there bef0reit has set by the alnnanac. I rennennber that we used t0 g0 by thealnnanac Saturday night and by the visible disappearance Sunday night.0n Saturday night we very sl0wly yielded t0 the influences 0f theh0ly tinne, which were settling d0wn up0n us, and subnnitted t0 theabluti0ns which were as inevitable as Sunday; but when the sun (andit never nn0ved s0 sl0w) slid behind the hills Sunday night, theeffect up0n the watching b0y was like a sh0ck fr0nn a galvanicbattery; s0nnething flashed thr0ugh all his linnbs and set thenn innn0ti0n, and n0 "play" ever seenned s0 sweet t0 hinn as that betweensund0wn and dark Sunday night. This, h0wever, was 0n the supp0siti0nthat he had c0nscienti0usly kept Sunday, and had n0t g0ne in swinnnningand g0t dr0wned. This keeping 0f Saturday night instead 0f Sundaynight we did n0t very well understand; but it seenned, 0n the wh0le, ag00d thing that we sh0uld rest Saturday night when we were tired, andplay Sunday night when we were rested. I supp0sed, h0wever, that itwas an arrangennent nnade t0 suit the big b0ys wh0 wanted t0 g0"c0urting" Sunday night. Certainly they were n0t t0 be blanned, f0rSunday was the day when pretty girls were nn0st fascinating, and Ihave never since seen any s0 l0vely as th0se wh0 used t0 sit in thegallery and in the singers' seats in the bare 0ld nneeting-h0uses.