They had been busy for several hours putting up strings of lanterns, and now they were lighting them, row after row.

Big lanterns, and little lanterns, round ones and square, of every size, colour, and shape, lit up the darkness of the summer night.

Huge red dragons swung between the white, vine-covered pillars of the porch.
Luminous fish and beasts and birds, hanging from the shrubs and trees on the lawn, set every bough a-twinkle, while all through the grass and all through the flower beds the flashing of hundreds of tiny fairy lamps made it seem as if the glow-worms were holding carnival.
There were tents pitched on the lawn and tables set out here and there, and every tent was brilliant with festoons of light and every table had a canopy fringed with flaming balls of ruby and emerald and amber.
But the most beautiful part of the whole dazzling scene was the old locust avenue, strung from top to bottom with lights.

The trees seemed suddenly to have burst into bloom with stars, when all down that long arch, from entrance gate to mansion, shone the soft glow of a myriad welcoming lanterns.
[Illustration: "LET'S ALL SIT DOWN ON THE STEPS."] "Let's all sit down on the steps and enjoy it before the people begin to come," said the Little Colonel, after the first burst of surprise and enthusiastic admiration was over.
"Everybody in the Valley will be heah in a little bit to say good-bye to you all, and we told 'em to come early, because your train leaves so soon." Even as she spoke there was a sound of wheels turning in at the gate, and the band in the honey-suckle arbour began tuning their violins.

It was not long before the place was gay with many voices, and people were streaming back and forth over the lawn and porches.