On  Sundays,  at  sundown,  when  the  winter  rain

had  very  likely  dulled  everybody's  sense  of  more

moderate  humor,  the  blue  law  of  quietness  was

lifted  from  the  atmosphere ;  and  between  five  and

six  o'clock  we  spread  butterfly  wings  again,  and

had  blind  man's  buff.     We  ran  around  the  large

centre-table,  and  made  this  gambol  most  tempest-

299


MEMORIES   OF   HAWTHORNE

uously  merry.  If  anything  had  been  left  upon
the  table  before  we  began,  it  was  removed  with
rapidity  before  we  finished.  There  was  a  distinct
understanding  that  our  blindfolded  father  must
not  be  permitted  to  touch  any  of  us,  or  else  we
should  be  reduced  forthwith  to  our  original  dust.
