“We little thought, when we passed it early this morning,” said Elizabeth Eliza, “that we should come back to it for our maple sugar.”

“It is odd the secretary did not tell you they were going to join the sugar festival,” said Mrs. Peterkin.

“It is one of the rules of the society,” said Elizabeth Eliza, “that the secretary never tells anything directly.  She only hinted at the plan of the New Hall.”

“I don’t see how you can find enough to talk about,” said Solomon John.

“We can tell of things that never have happened,” said Elizabeth Eliza, “or that are not likely to happen, and wonder what would have happened if they had happened.”

They arrived at the festival at last, but very late, and glad to find a place that was warm.  There was a stove at each end of the hall, and an encouraging sound and smell from the simmering syrup.  There were long tables down the hall, on which were placed, in a row, first a bowl of snow, then a pile of saucers and spoons, then a plate of pickles, intended to whet the appetite for more syrup; another of bread, then another bowl of snow, and so on.  Hot syrup was to be poured on the snow and eaten as candy.

The Peterkin family were received at this late hour with a wild enthusiasm.  Elizabeth Eliza was an especial heroine, and was made directly the president of the evening.  Everybody said that she had best earned the distinction; for had she not come to the meeting by the longest way possible, by going away from it?  The secretary declared that the principles of the society had been completely carried out.  She had always believed that if left to itself, information would spread itself in a natural instead of a forced way.

“Now, in this case, if I had written twenty-nine notifications to this meeting, I should have wasted just so much of my time.  But the information has disseminated naturally.  Ann Maria said what a good plan it would be to have the Circumambients go to the sugaring at the New Hall.  Everybody said it would be a good plan.  Elizabeth Eliza came and spoke of the sugaring, and I spoke of the New Hall.”

“But if you had told Elizabeth Eliza that all the maple syrup was to be brought here—­” began Mrs. Peterkin.

“We should have lost our excursion for maple syrup,” said Mr. Peterkin.

Later, as they reached home in the carry-all (Hiram having gone back with the wood-sled), Mr. and Mrs. Peterkin, after leaving little boys at their homes all along the route, found none of their own to get out at their own door.  They must have joined Elizabeth Eliza, Agamemnon, and Solomon John in taking a circuitous route home with the rest of the Circumambients.

“The little boys will not be at home till midnight,” said Mrs. Peterkin, anxiously.  “I do think this is carrying the thing too far, after such a day!”

“Elizabeth Eliza will feel that she has acted up to the principles of the society,” said Mr. Peterkin, “and we have done our best; for, as the little boys said, ‘we did see the kettle.’”