Long, Long Ago.
ItarV • 'tis tlw ring oi tlm merry sleigh liells '
Over the hilU nnil down through tlm dells.
With th* speed ol Um hind or ttie bounding
deer,
Onward tlioy go, with a ringing cheep—
Where the light Bills whitest,
Whore the slurs shine brighten!,
Where llio snow lies clou rest,
Where the trost bite* keenest.
Over the hills nml down through the dells,
bist to the ringing of the tinkling hells '
Sec where the flush of the glittering steel
Follows the truck, of the coursing heel,
On rivers of glass, in the dancing light,
Where eyes of lovers arc sparkling bright;
f-here the ice grows strongest,
Where the moon stays longest,
Where the hearts Ix-nt lightest,
Where the eyes shine brightest;
fhern is the tnu-k of the coursing heel
lit by the flush ufthe burnished steel!
I hisir tneni ngain, a the yours go past.
Blithesome mill guy ill the winter's blast;
The clattering f(M>tste|>s conic and go,
With a swift, light tread on the glist'uing snow:
Where the heart i- boldest.
Where the love is oldest,
Where the faith is newest,
Where the trust is truest,
They come nguln, in the wintry blast.
And sing of days—the days that an* past.
And the white cottage down under the hill,
The light in the window guiding still;
As I turn ine borlr Irom the giddy whirl,
To stop and look for a shining curl;
Where the throng is thickest,
Where the heart bents quickest,
Where the love holds strongest,
Where the days sccin longest—
Ah' never again, as guide to me,
Will flashing light in that window lie!
—/'hitaiUlffiia Inquirer.
THE BEST OF IT.
"Cedau, June IS.
Peak Pint.—When arc you coming?
Cedar is in full feather. Picnic.* set in
to-morrow; strawberries just right; two
delightful widows: lots of girls; and the
whole house crying for you. Come
along by return mnu. I meant to say
the picnic was day after to-morrow. I
shall lie at the late train to-morrow.
" Yours, M usual. II AUKY."
Philip Norton laughed as he read this
letter. It was so like Harry Clarke—
" Hal Headlong." his father used to call
him —tin* brightest, haud.-otm*at, gayest
fellow of iiis cla.su at Yale, now a coun
try doctor at Cedar, a town in the west
ern part of New Kuglnntl. Having lost
all lii- nropr-Ttv by rash speculation,
except his wife's farm at Cedar, which
her father left her. the elder Mr. Clarke
went there to live, and one of the loeal
physicians lu-ing near death with old
age, Harry thought it a good pln<-e to lie
gm what he called his "medicinal ca
reer," being a young man who bad no
reverence for the Kngli-h language, but
made light of it, and used it in his own
way as another outlet for the overflow
ing fun of his nature.
Philip Norton had been his chum at
college, and his friend ever since. jU>-
was of graver nature, and had got>gJ|k
the ministry. With the gift- of k> - h
intellect, ready language and good look*,
he found life easy enough, and his first
pari-li was in New York, w here, in a
iirst-class hoarding-house, he did not
seem so much a niodern apostle as a very
lucky man. But good fortune could not
spoil hU earnest and truthful character.
He preached a* sharply to his flock ol
sinners as if he had five hundred a year
instead of five thousand, and did as much
itard work among the city outcasts as iflt*
headed a mission to the Jigg<-r Indians,
and lived in a shanty instead of Madam
Ralston'* elalx>rmte •-stabli-hiuent.
He liad ju-t recovered fromasevete
attack of typhoid fever, consequent on
some of these excursions into the dark
places of the earth, when Harry's letter
came, and was glad enough to accept his
invitation. There were only three
children in the t'larke family beside
Harry—twin girls of twelve and a
younger liny—and they all loved Philip
as well as if thev wen' hi- brother and
Bisters instead of his friends. There is
something in a slid den journey of pleas
ure that is inspiriting, and wln-n Mr.
Norton left the train at Cedar he felt
stronger and 1st ter. in spite of the long
day's ride, than f'r main weeks, nnd the
next morning declared himself quite
re:uiy for the picnic, though Mrs. Clarke,
a motherly soul. always devoted to Iter
"other boy," scohhxl lisnv well for the
idea. But being n p. r-i*t< tit man, he
went his way, and by ten o'clock had
joined a gav party in the ear tlu-y had
chartered for the day nnd attached at
Cedar station to the train going to Pat
ton, a little village above whose quite
street towered Gray Mountain, their
place of destination. The day was a
"day in June," fair a* ever pget cele
brated. There were fifty pleasant people —
pleasant for a picnic, that is— and Philip
was put in charge of a Mrs. Bayd.
"One of the widows," Harry whisper
ed In his ear: a very bright. agreeable
woman, with a pleasant face, dressed
neatly enough in brown holland and a
black hat—a costume adapted to the oc
casion. hut not becoming. She was evi
dently not vaia. X few -eat* Itcfurc th<*ni
sat a lienutiful young woman, daintily
dressed, though evidently she considered
herself in mourning; but the sjtowcrnf
soft, fair curl* tluit drooped from the hack
of her bead, the sparkling ornaments of
cut jet, the rings on Iter little while hands
of pearl and diamond and onyx, all
aeenvd <ut of keeping with the crape on
her dress and lint; and when that co
quettlshly-lormed In-ml-gear was laid
sside, a triangle of crape, with the eon
▼entional widow's ruche about it, pinned
on with diamond and on.Vx pins, looked
a real absurdity, nnd every wntnnn in
the car laughed at Nan Boyd'i attempt
to assert her wtdowhood; for this was
the otlier of the two widows. Yet if she
was a little absurd, who enred? When
one's skin is tinted with the warm glow
of pink apple blossom*, v/ith litis scarlet
as fresh strawberries, great clear bine
eyes, delicate features, b-eth of pearl, and
abundant gilded-flax hair fulling every
where in long loose curls, what draw it
matter what one wears! Nan Boyrl
would have been lovely in brown Hol
land and a cheap black, hat, though her
cousin and sister-in-IAVS was not
Nobody laid ever supposes! the Rev
erend Philip Norton wit* susceptible.
He had never given a tenderer ginitcc to
any lovely girl In his congrcgtUnn than
© the old w< men who swept thecross
tg 11 ft re his rinirib; but Im* fell in
hm like a schoollioy during the next
six hours witli Nan Boyd, Courtesy
obliged hint to attend to the lady placed
in ills our*, and the obligation was not
disagreeable. Sly* was natural, intelli
gent, kindly, with an wtlirt'MJf* fur the
wondrrmlseenery ahoutthem, and
ovm* ii generous woman,; f<r when l'lillip
•iski'tl liar, as enrelasidy ft* he could put a
question that thrilled his Hps. wliu tlio
beauty before them wan, she answered,
1 •• M v cousin and sister-in-law —another
Mr*. Buyd. Isn't sin l lovely? 1 like to
look at her as I do at a flower: she is so
exnyitit*.''
Mr. Norton assented gravely, and turn
ed the conversation. His head whirled,
his eyes wandered; he could not talk
with any sort of fluency; lie was be
witched by the pretty widow. She,
however, had her own court to hold.
Butterflies never fluttered more thickly
about the gay weed that bears their
name than the gentlemen of the party
nlmul Nan ltoyd: for, to tell the truth,
this lovely creature was a native co
quette. ft was as much a matter of
course for her to flirt with every man
whocame near her as it is for a rose to he
fragrant; and she had that charm, sub
tler than beaut v. which is potent with
out hilt irresistible with it.
It was a proverb in Cedar tiiat no
youth ever grew to manhood then* who
liad not adored Nan Boyd. Her cousin
Anne was very different. She had conic
to Cedar on a visit when Nan at last
made up her mind to select Will Boyd
j as a permanent victim from the crowd
i about her, and she found her own fate
in Will's twln-hrotlur .lames. The
cousins, however, were not married at
the same time. Anne could not leave
her father, for her mother had died just
after her return from Cedar; hut lie fore
many months her father went too, and
there was a very quiet wedding at her
j lonely home, nnd a brief journey hack to
| Cedar, w here Nan, already a six months'
wife, was ready to welcome them.
Anne Boyd found too late that she had
made a mistake. She could not he hap
py with her litis hand, lie was ungra
cious—harsh, nubs'—dthough he had
seemed to her only reserved and fastidi
ous; sc'ifcli. neiiurious, at times ill
| tempered. Wlien he died, a year after
their marriage, .ami from tin* curious
physical sympathy common with twins.
Will died too, neither of the widows
was heartbroken —Nan from pure levity
of nature, Anne from no sense of loss,
but rather of relief. Since they Im>tli
lived at Cedar, there luul been much
confusion of nanu s lietween them, Anne
Boyds l>tli: hut Will's widow was
always called Nan by her old friends;
and Isaringhnr grandmother's full name
of Anne Hart, while her cousin was
Anne alone, then* w - as away of esi -ij,•
for those who were well Informed; the
others took their chance.
As the lovely stunner days went on,
and I'hilip Norton was involved more
and piore in the simple gavetles of
Cedar, whose inhabitant* cousofcd them
selves for their long cold winters with
plenty of out-door life and enjoyment In
the brief summer months, he became
more and more In-witched with Nan
Boyd. 11 r beauty stood the test of sun
and air. lu at. fatigue and dally observa
tion; it was as genuine and r*-al as the
roseate stt|end<>r f tin* mountain laurel,
whose nfnk bells illustrated and illumi
nated every hill almut the village, and
shone with a light like dawn through the
edges of the dark woods.
Then she was graceful, genial, kind;
always ready to g.-t up or t> join a party
of pleasure; xiMlng to sing if singing
wo* wanted: to m ike wraths h>r other
girls—wreaths she could not wear, for
tlm sake of that typical triangle; she
never seemed tired, dull, or ill-dn--ed :
in -le>rt. Mr. Nnrton believed her a real
angel, anil threw all the stri ngth of his
honest, deep nature into his passion for
this lovely little er- ature. An unprejtl
dieod observer—of course a woman—
might have decried tlie sharp thin voice.
tle shallow laugh, the rviirc -elli-lue
of tliis angel, and suspected that this gay
blossom would show no adequate fruit
when its petal* fell; but I'hihp Norton
had no such slanderous thought in his
heart. Such external charm wa to him
only tie- expression of Inward beauty,
F.xperienee might have taught him Iw't
ter. but be w as not just now ntncnahloto
experience—he was in love. He liked
Mrs. Anne Boyd much; as be became
better acquaint* '! with her. her really
sweet and flne character bad its effect on
him, ami lie enjoyed nn hour's conversa
tion with her—when Nan was not at
luutd —thoroughly. She was oue of those
people who have that rare eh arm. a deli
cate and melodious voire, with wonder
ful command of language, and being
withal perceptive, biglimintbd and of
d< ep f* ling, .-he was aim -t fascinating
companion even to a man in love. Harry
Clarke, too, wa- devoted to Nan Bovtf.
lie bad been a childish loV> rof |iT* dtir
ing his youthful vi-lt- t>> his grand
father'- farm at Cedar, mid now the tir-t
love teemed to have r awakened. He
was iu her -id** i-verywln re, and if lii
professional life had been anything hut
that of a beginner, his r met ice would
have MliTered; as it w as, his rivals suf
fered instead, for either out of the famil
iarity of old friend-hip or th<* mereenpriee
of her disposition. Nan chose to parade
Harry as her cavalier more nnd more
frequently.
Ilifllp Norton was plunged In despair
by this state of things; In- rotild not in
honor or decern-* come forward as a
rival to Ills tw-st mnd in that friend's
house; his affection for Harry, his sense
of the proprieties, all forbade his ex
pressing in any war Ills pas-ion for this
enchantress. He kept nway from her
charmed circle as tar as possible; he
talked much to Mr*. Annie Bovd. be
cause she was Nan's cousin. It is well
to la* near the rose if yon are not a rose
yourself, for there is at least the neigh
borhood of its bloom and perfume to
attract adorers. Still, he plunged daily
farther and further Into this gulf of
Mtter-sweet pus-ion, till one moonlight
night Ids it*'- -1 was set at rent concern
ing Harry. They sat on the step* of the
south door, tired with a long day'sjorive
to Baslibisb and lawk, and the two little
girls were hanging alsuit them, anxious
to hear sonic report of the day's eiyoy
ment. for to then, a picnic, of grown
people wa an unattained paradise.
There had ticcn much whispering lie
tween Hutll nnd Bnehel for a few mo
ments; but at Inst Until took courage,
and looking up shyly at her brother's
face, spoke out: " llal, dear, arc you
going to bo married ?"
" ( hope so, ma'am, at some period of
my existence." he-answered, gravely.
"Oh, I don't mean that! Are you
1 going to. pretty soon?"
" Not this week. Miss Inquisitor."
" Hal. you're an nwfal tense—there!"
burst in Rachel, out of patience.
*' My dear girls. In the word* of the
lamented Artemiis, ' Why Is this thu?'
What hna got into your small heads in
that vacant place nnture intended for
brninsr'
*' Why. Jack Said Tom (Irecn told hltn
you wen* eerlain sure going to In* mar
ried rigid nway to Mrs, Nan Boyd,"
"Not much!" ejaculated Harry.
"Oil, Hal, that x slang!"
"Well, what if It in? Slang i* tlie
inngunge of tlie coming man; xlang i*
universal word-painting; slang—hut I
wander from tlie subject. Listen, listen,
ladles gay, anil I will point a moral ami
adorn a tale for your infant minds. I
fell in love over fiend and cars antl tin'
top of my tallest hair with Nan Hoyd
when I was twelve years old and she wax
ten. I spent my little all in candy ami
peanuts lor her sweet sake; I wrote her
a valentine, anil made her ft string of
bird's eggs three feet long—a rosary 11
despair to tlie gentle birds I rohht ti: I
paid for a tin-type of her swi*'t face with
my last copper ami a jsiekknife that I
loved like a brother; hut she refused me
after all, though I implored her to elope
with me in the milk wagon. Ix>. a* tin
Yorkshire man said, only t'other end
flint, 'She wouldn't have lie, d've see?
for "why now, he won't have she!' The
moral of all width is, Rachel, don't snub
Tom (ireeii too much now, lest heshould
turn ami rend you by-and-hy."
"I hate Tom (liven." retorted Rachel.
Harry laughed. Rut I'liilip Norton
; could not speak: lie fairly trembled with'
a relief of mind almost painful in it*
intensity. Harry did not notice his *i
! It'iice, nntl I Cut 11 went on:
j "Hut I should think you would want
to marry her, Harry. She is awful
! pretty."
[ "Oil, Toot! ' awful pretty!' nntl you
t talk to nie about slang. My dear, your
gla.** house will become fragmentary in
j about five minute* if you go on."
"Hon't you like her, Harry?" n*keil
It:n In j, always direct.
" Ycx, miss, I like her, hut I don't
wan't to marry her."
" Don't people ever marry people when
they don't wan't to?" said Ruth.
" IVrhaps they tin, ma'am, hut I don't
con ider that I ant people. Rv Jove! I'd
rather spin rope* out of *ea-*nd than
tie myself up that way. A*K the minis
ter her" if h" don't agree xvitli inc."
I'liilip roils "tl himself from hi* dream
at tlie appeal, hut the question had ty be
repented.
"I'd rather do anvthing else. Mi**
Ruth."
" Itut what it vou'ii got married hy
niisUike, ju*t a* tliose ixxipie did in the
newspapers, for fun—out really tle v
were married—what would you do? '
Oxketl Kat hel, |H'j>ixtentlv.
"Make tlie Im-xL of it." laconically
answered I'liilip.
" Hat I i* the Is-st of sii' ha mistake,
I'liil. Are tle re no divorce court*, my
friend ami pitcher?"
i'liilip'* face darkened. " Not for inc.
If i ban married ll' • ate ' hy mistake,' as
Rachel *ays, I would try ami make the
ls-*t of her. Anything ratli'T than <1 i
vorce; that i* unt'hristnui and unmanly
both*.
for you. parson! You haven't
forgotten your old tri< k of neei'pting the
position. ' Make th' lx *t of it. wo* the
tie tin; of tlii* distinguished gentleman'*
valedictory nddn **. my dear*, on that
glorious day when lie bi-i-aiiic th" proud
l„,r of a >li<* p-kin. like the immor
tal llrlan O'F.ynit, only the woolly side
wax out; hi' {iitlkxl that ovir the profes
sor's ey *. and thereby got all tie honor*,
while my tn'!•■t worth went unre
war>l)'tl."
Here tli'* gat" *w ung opt n. in-t in time
to ptvvt nt furtlter hurst of Harry's <•!'>-
quince, ond ;l*v with a ••!" gram rain"
up t<> tie in. It w ,i fbr Philip. One of
lit* tntr-t valued friend* and -upport'-r*
in the church wax dying, after a brief
Hint*-: lie tnu-t *<-• Mr. Norton. There
was no delay po*ihle. and in the morn
ing. vt ry eairlv, I'liilip went, leaving
such adieus ax lie ,*iu!i| for Harry to de
liver, nnd carrying with him n triumph
ant sen*' that tieiuii r httiior nor honcty
neeil *< nl hi* life* now : li* coultl ts-11 Nan
Itovd the love that j►<.*>.cil and con
sumed him. anil surely so stringent n
passion nitist compel return.
But li" found hi* friend in the t "ry
ngnni) * of ih-atji; ami in the ntuiosphere
of gri- f ami pain th it surrounded him.
after th" solemnity of deatli, in the rare
and help of the forlorn family, and th"
service* of burial, more than a wivk
passed away before he could writ)' tlie
tni[iortant letter, and when it wax one**
gone Ills courage failoi, suspense rocked
ami tortured him. he cotud not eat or
sleep, ami on the fourth day lie sat )**-
fotv the beginning of hi* sermon totally
unable to get furiher than the first •"■ti
tenee. waiting feverishly for the letter
to bring him life or dentil. Rut the mes
sage wa* merciful;* sweeter iett<r, t>
hi* thought, wa* never written; no<l,-*t,
nlii* nt. vet with ft tone of ih*yi ft* ling,
it proini-) d t</ the In-art far more titan h
-aid to tie ■ ye, an<l put lifm inw> a *tate
of grateful rapture that < rcpt into tie
ili'inyi")! senuoti. ond made a s-msation in
the pnri*b when Dial pr* irion* di*-
eoitr*" wa*-nt lenrtli finisln-d and !'•-
livircd. For a few wivks fr. .te nt 1- t
t)-r* kiti' exchanged, hut, at tlie lady's
n*|Hrt, nothing w*a **iil of nny tiv> <1
• n.qigtliient; slie wixllial. site -aid, to
know n little Ivtbr tlie man to whom
her future fife must lie l*>und. I'liilip
hail heard that AViil liovd had not L* n
nitog) tie r devoti d to his wife. and ap
prcciat) d at once the m-ii*)- and d'-lica- y
of her reserv)*! expression of ficfing in
tlie matter. In SeptemlsT lie ri** iveil n
brief not)-, following a long letter, to say
that she and her cousin had lx>th Iks n
called to California to a sister-in-law'*
httrried w-eddlng. Dr. Clarke wa.* to go
with them ax escort antl groomsman to
his old friend Dr. Kldrblge, and Nan
wished Mr. Norton to know that they
wer* going—would lw gme wlien tli*-
note r'-oeiii*) him—ln order to account
for hi* own letter* Ixdng unnnxwrol
for their brief ,*ty in San Francisco
would not permit the mails to lie use
ful to th'-ffl. It eem'*l ax if fate sported
with |H.*>r I'liilip, for not two days
passi-d tx-fore he, too, rxsvlvi-d a summons
ti travel directly tin* other wny; his only
relative, an aunt in Europe, was seized
with severe illness, and telegraphed for
him nt ernes, lie sailed lit tlie next
steamer, and found Mr*. Wnrne nt the
point of death; but the plenxufe of seeing
lier nephew seemed to rouse her and
waken tier vitality; she grew a little bet
ter week after w*'k, hut wivs sent south
ward * she recovered, and at last to
Egypt. It wax May before Mr. Norton
brought her hack to New A rk ; hut hy
this time it Iwd l*vn agreed in tlie few
letters that had been received by him in
hi* constant transit from one place to
another, that without any formal an
nounecincnt of engagement, Nan should
lie ready to marry linn nl once on hi* re
turn. Ho having previously telegraphed
her, lie arrivixi In Cedar the lat of May.
late in the afternoon, and instead of go
ing to Mr. Clarke's, went to the liule
hotel, and as soon n* might lie betook
himself be Mrs. Boyd's lwiUe.
lie stood n moment after 1* ing shown
into the parlor, hi* hfnri wildly throb
bing with lmpe nnd agitation, when the
door opened and In walked Mrs. Anne
ftoyd. Slie glided up to him with a fa<*>
so rull of hluxhing emotion, he thought
she cam* to congratulate him, nnd with
tli nliouniliiig affection engaged people
have for nil their relative* in prospect,
lie * too pod niul kissed her fresh, Mwm-t
lips.
" How iliil you know whore to linil
me?" nlic said, blushing. "I forgot to
tell vou in my letter that I had bwn liv-'
ingiieretbc past yir, When Nun wax
■nnrrii'il she left mi' In charge."
"Married! —Nun!" ••• hoed thv gentle
man. aghast.
"Oh, you muit have missed thi- )i-ttr
I wnt to Nii'i' telling you all ulxiiit it.
Shi* niurrhil an Englisnum, living now
| in lloHton, ami they went ahroail to wn
i hi>i friends."
The truth flashed on him like n stroke
of lightning: it wax Anno with whom
! la' hail corresponded; Anne to whom he
! wax engaged; Anne lie wax ex pee toil to
i marry. Nun wax !o*t to him forever.
He turned very pale, ami reached hi*
bund toward tin table for support. Anne
'thought he wax faint; with tender liable
j he pushed a ehair toward him. gently
I put him into it, and itoured a few drops
of eojogne from a lla*k on tin tahle on
Ilia head; the fresh, delicate perfume
i made him shudder for years afterward.
He saw ill one glance the position It' tore
; him; one life must lie ruim-d, his or
hers. The moment that passed ov< r hi in,
! as he leaned hack, sick and faint, con
scious that Annie's eyes were fixed on
i him anxiously, wan long as some plaeid
' lifetimes. Thanks to a constant liahit ill
M'lf-eontro], the dizzy wliirl of i motion
was eoiiuuered quickly l tin' color re
turned to his face; he Raid to hitn*clf
that the life already wasted could find
no help in destroying another. Annie
waxinnoeent of any intent to harm iiim;
she was a woman, too; Imtli ax a man
and a < 'hri-tiim minister it wax his duty
to protect and honor iier. II" hxiked up
quickly ami suiili-d.
" Kxi'Uw me, dear," he said, hoarsely.
" I wax very tired."
lie told ttie truth and no more. Had he
Issn eapalile of deceit, Anne's honi>t na
ture would have detis'tis) it; hut of an
tint rut ll lie wax incapable; and now, lis
lie sat hesjile le r, and liis mind r' turri'sl
to it* own Itaiani*", lie involuntarily I* -
gan to weigh the j.o -ihle niiielior.ilions
of his dreadful mistake, lie eould not
marry Nan now ; she wax hopelessly | -
vnnd his p-teh. One factor of the prob
lem was forever set aside, and that the
prentest. Then lie recall'*! til" tetters
that he hail r<seiv<s| from Anne, what
line and lovely trait* of character they
diseioxed. Here hi- head began to w liirl
again; for it*'*eiiied impossible to epa
nte the vi*ion of Nan lie had huilt up on
that tery foundation from the reality
whit It belonged to Ami". Nan would
have thought Itis lovi-llt.'ikin■; eoltl in
tltxxl: liut Anne wax shy and p-thent
lier.eif. SI,.- could f. el. and (• -1 <h* ply;
luit sin' eould not lie demonstrative, ami
all" dp-aded d'tm>n stmt ion in others. It
was quite in a< K'plam e with her nature
Umt, after ah-1115, quiet evening of -oii
wr-ation. Mr. Norton -hoiililpart from
her with on*' grave Ki-* on her fop lend.
Nan woulti lutve tiling about 1 i* m*k.
and put her pi ah face ti|i to his for ra>
resses, -is a flower ssle the slin. 11"
knew how it would liave l. n, and for
one mad moment si'-kenod with thwart
"l (ms-ion: but Annie never aw it She
trusted him impli'-itly. nnd after her pure
prayers fell asleep, like a happy I liiifl
and tlrenmetl of him ami h'*r fulfil*
home, r.ui wli.it a night await'sl him'
Sleep fl.tl faraway. Ife had in lit r pr<W
t nee iteeti able to preserve calllint a nt
least, anil p-solv.sf in a< •t pt tin silua
tion : hut w hen he was aloie\ ail tin- pa-t
came l>n< k on him iik<- an nriiexl man.
It wax a night never to In forgotten. In
the morning he weiit to Mr ("lark'* and
tohl them of hi* engagement, ami axked
tie in to the ijiijet wedding next day.
Thev were all surpris'sl. ami eongratu
lated him with *u.h warmth ami sim-cri
tv, lavished sip h love and praise on
Anne, that lie felt nlimsot guiiiy in nn-
I epting tii" pleasant word*, conscious
how littit tiny ij. -iight'sl him. ftarry,
as soon lIS they W I re aiolie. ppM t-tahsl to
enlarge on Anne's t harm*.
"To tell you the truth, old fellow. I
have linen mightily smitten with that
lady myself; hut she ha* Ix-haTed like a
lay nun the pa*t year. I couldn't under
stand it. Somehow <>r other I got it into
my head you were sweet on Nan. I
even went o far as t" ft*'! sorry for yon
w-lmn she married Ibiirvmpte—what a
waste of the raw material!—ami all the
time vou w ereeuttlng m" out with Anne.
Yon had not heanl of that marriage till
Am* 1 told you. It was a nine days'
wonder here; It" i* fat. fifty, and rich a*
t'pens; (hut was hi* l harm. Ducats,
my lord. die .at*! Nan loves a shining
mark; she Inherits old Madam Hart's
taste* ■. w. il a* her name, only the
madam loved to -ave, ami Anne t
sp< ml."
Here it fla-h* d at ro - I'liilip that hi*
It tier* hut all been mistakenly addr> •**-
ed. Nan was Anrte Hart Hny'd. and lu
had tlioiight tlie initial ltolongod to
\nne. From the \. ry fir < theme l< tt< rs
had rone wrong, and in his own dislike
of nickname* he had lexer u-cd hern,
hut talleti hi r Annie always—a tender
softening of the monosyllable that secunai
Jo t xprt * more than tie t old stiff name.
The tiny after, the wedding wan cele
brated. Very quietly and simply I'hiljp
Norton nfld Anne lfoyd were made one.
He tstiihl not lu lp owning that the soft
folds nf dark rich silk, illuminated with
fresh white ro*<* on Iter breast ami in
her hair, the warm color on lip ami
rlieek. the soft linae) eye*, dark ami elenr
a* the brown water of a forest brook, and
the expression of deep emotion on her
fate, matle her a very attractive bride;
hut even a' the altar a glimpse of blue.
liewildering eye*, floating gold-lit hair,
iiu liable wiu-hcry ami RwretaoKe, ses-ntrxi
to tla/zle his eves ami ConotHct his In alt.
hut he repelled the dream sternly, ami it
fled
Hail Anne been more selfish ami Philip
less stPxng ami senslhle, here now was
place and room for a real donteatle
tnigisly. of all tragedies mistt vital and
least dramatic; hut each tiegnn the new
life In devotion to the other, one from
love, one from duty, lint if it wax
Anno who kissed and Philip who betit
the cheek, was she less happy? The
giver Is mora blessed in all things; ami
in time Philip learned to loto Anne ax
fully as her heart could ask. lie wax
mightily assisted, no dmild. by the
career of Mrs. Ihiiryninlc, who soon re
turned to America, and asserted herself.
In the right of Ix auiy and money Itotli, as
a qtteen of society. She did not pretend
to cure for the stout, sttipld, brusque
man of business who supplied her purse,
hut ran a wild course of folly and fashion
year after year, as only a "loveless anil
child less woman ran. Ten years atVr
his marriage Philip met her, ftulod,
rouged, overdressed; her laugh fiilse and
Imllow, her smile forced, the childish
ringlets waving in soft mockery ahoul
the worn face, anil even Iter *mUe mc
ih.ptlovl. TH* heart reverted With a
glad leap to the wife lie had left at
linnte, a calm, sweet-laced, gracious wo
man, with lovely children clinging about
I'cr. the color of health anil happiness
richly glowing on her cheek, ami the
love and admiration of all who knew
her making a halo almut her noble char
acter. He ow ned to that ri-rnorsi 1c m in
iiinsitor, his own heart, that he had in
deed made the la st of it j„ lt
than the |tnor allowance of the proverb,
that Anne wo* a* far Ix-yond Nan as tlu
star heyotid the clod, and that the trm
failure of hi* life would have lx e n tie
result of the suei es* he had lotig' d for
ami missed. Yet all his life h" hatnl
the Mliieil of (iermaii cologne,— Jlurinr's
: ttazttr.
'I rlitls of n Telegraph Operator,
New telegraph operator* have to un
dergo n rtseption which borders on the
treatment known to college freshmen as
hazing. 'I lie riUnr thus describe* it:
The now man walks Into an office full of
strange fun's—not a friendly hand to
If It notlnn;' td p*foiiuiif-iifl liixu
| ut his ability ux an operator and his
imnlk'it confidi m e in that ability for hi*
only encourngenu-nt. He approaches
the manager's desk, ami after live or ten
minute* the manager eomlexeends to
glance upward, and. in a tone full of
thunder, bluntly inquire*: " Weil, sir.
J h*t i- il P 'I li" " Wlhntltn" State* his
liU-inisys, and tlie manager propose* to
i give him a trial. Accordingly lie is ax
signed to an instriinient and told that he
i* to " rceejve a special." His feelings
at tlii* juncture are als.ut the same ax
til'**' -upiwised to lie experienei d hv a
man who i* about to lie hanged. Ner
vously grasping the pen, he liegin* to
copy. The perspiration trickle* down
lii hand, which make* tluit member ad
here to tlie blank : hi* pen *ti<-k* f.ist, the
ink is tlie thickest ever encountered, and
there i* nothing left for him hut to break,
t 'cling n guilty gtiuiee almut him to *cc
! il any one is iiKiking, he rcaehe* for tlie
k' \ and explain* to tlie >-nd> r that he is
'n new |>m—"pkiiae take it steady;"
bit' :1m- oii!\ iiink - umt!) i- wot>< . lie
si ml" r le-giiin to " whoop m up,' ami
ax the cold chill* run down hi* spinal
column the •• fVi*shnmn'" pen indit'*-
charos l' i - ll |ms li tin- I'i.ink I'l M-iiihiiiig tin
< him Jii--rogly i,hi> s on a t"-a-liox.
'i'iii* torture usually necupie* alio lit half
an hour, wln-n the welcoiai " n. in." (no
more) fail* soothingly Upon hi* ear.
H' breathe* a sjgll of relief and looks
aleiut him. Ik-hind him stand half-a
tlozcii operator* with grinning eountr--
n.'iniis. In a moment light tx-gins t<i
dawn u|Min the " fn-sluiiau"— lie i* the
vleliin nf a juke. glanee in another
direction di- jo*i the fn<-t that the most
rapid sender in Urn office hod Ixscn tran*-
mitting to him from the columns of a
daily paper for tie amusement of the
"iMiys." If he accepts tie situation :v* a
juke, he is initiated: hut if he Ixs-omra
atigt-ts t|. he is still •• freshman."
lEomuutlc Meeting of Father and Son.
Who savxthal the ilavi of romance are
endetl net d* to rt ad tlie strange history
nf n Seo|t|s|| plowman w ho ha* returned
to liis lintivt ie-ath aftiT a long exile.
Twenty yean ago a farmer in Orkney
liirei! a young man to do farm work
fit' plow mafi touciit 'l tie- fancy of his
ina-ttadaughter, ami the rt-ttll was
that in a runaway fashion, and in oppo
sition to tlie will if the patriart hnl
firmer, tlie two!* -ante man and wife.
The old gentleman wa* furious, ami
turni tl hi* Iwv k th ti-rtnintsliy on hi* *on
in-lnw. The young plowman ki*s<si his
wife, left her in In r father's arms ami
aaiien for Australia, whence le- *'*'n
censed to write. I lis wife tsv-nme a
moth' r. and remaim tl in a state u{sut li
wr' ti h'-'l su-j li*- that her father le gan
to rep nt of the trentment to whifll lie
iiatl *ll bj) clol her Ull-hanti. Efforts Wen
then made t"i trace the whtT' alsiUt* of
tie- intter hy ni'-an* of ad\etiisjng in
(siloninl paj*-r* *ntl ntherwiw. hut *ll to
no purjs'se. li'- had gone to America.
A ear* (ias-) tl. The grandson grew up to
manhisHi. and, not liking famiwork,
bail" n<U* ii to llrkney, tts-k ship lost
Year t)i tie l*nlts| Stall's, antl after some
knocking almut fount) employment in a
mercantile houst in lliinoi*. in tlie
course of business he discovered that the
gentleman at the h< .mi of the firtn was a
native of S-otland. hailing. int|ee<i. from
the saine district ax him*- ]f. Ot* aional
nis tings i"tl to more minute inquiries a*
to dates, names of places, pi r*on and
the like in tie- old country, and nfbr
1-ing months in tlie establishment
tlie youth found—however wonderful it
may iq*eir—that h" wax actually serv
ing a* a i i# rk withnootiier than Ins us n
fattier! Tlie cflfixt of thi* dls-'oxt ry on
both may l<e left to tlie imagination of
tie- n atltr. I'.ithtr and **>n are now in
S,'t>tT:ind. The man who vo til awav a
is imie *x j>kwlKy. but return* ri- h. has
ls*n welt onicd with mm h t motion lv
hi* venerable fathr-in-law. who i stifl
luile find hearly, ax well a-by tie wife
whom he l' ft many years age in her
youth antl Ivnuty, 1 wit who i* now a
middle-aged matron.
Ilnu tn ( lean Carpet's.
If til" enrpi 1 is to lie taken Up and
beaten, the job had llter ) intrusted
to some man who makes it his husin<s>*.
If thi* cannot lw done, lav It on the
pram or luuig it on a clothesline antl
lieat it on the wrong side with canes,
inking tare that the cane-s have no
sharp point*; then spread the carpet
out and sweep well on the right side.
Tin re is more *rt in swiping a carp)*t
than a novice is apt to suppose. An
old broom should never he ut*i, and
a new one should be kept "-specially for
Ilie car|K-tx. With Itru**"l* and velvet
carpeting there are two wars to tlie
pile—just a* in velvet -and tliey should
always lie swept with the pile. If a
carpet is swept ngnlnst tlie grain, it soon
looks rough and wratsiiwi up. Aft"T
Is-ing swept anti laid down on the floor,
tlie carpet should lie wip*l. Have two
pail*, one of clean noapsuds, the other
with lukewarm water, a clean flannel
cloth and two coarse, clean towel*.
Take tlie carpet hy breadth*, wring tlie
flannel out of tlie lukewarm #atr and
hold it so tlint you ran turn and use lt
up and down three or four time* on
tlie xnme place. Ruh both with and
araint Hie grain aa hard aa if you
were scrubbing tlie floor, tlien throw
the flannel into your *nnpud and nib
the enrjiet dry with one of your dry
towels. If vou leave the carpet wet.
tlie du*t will stick to il antl it wili
smell sour ami musty. Wash vnur flan
nel clean In tlie soapsuds, wring It nut
of the w inn water Mid procoixl aa be
fore. If the carpet is very dirty or ha
much green in It. use fW*sh oxgall in
tlie lukewarm water, in the proportion
of a quart of gall I" three quart* of
water, and ruh the carpet dry. a* already
tlireobxl. This nibbing a carpet raises
the pi)., and freshen* the color*.— ffiil-
I'h I) Jiit i TVIMI.
If you finti a iHirglar on your premise*
under the sofa, don t tr.nihle him. lie i
already under a rest
A Milliner-Senator.
" I made a surprising diacovery the
other day."
'IIIIH wiut the remark tiwde by busi
ness man, si n<-w arrival in the ' immun
ity, t<> a reporter for the Trihrnu. Ripo
| fr anything calculated u> disturb the
stifling H.-n nll v of local iiff'urs. tin- int' l
-1 ijr' iit ii' wh colic tor w:u inov-il to ak.
•' How ■of
| "Take a H'-at and [ will toll you," and
th'T'-tiiKin the merchant who. Iy tlx- way,
! is a .Now Yorker, proccded a'- follow;
j > " I ran nway from home when I wa*
■ fifteen year* old. Thought I wa* roc train-
I '■'! at home and needed moro n-000. I wan
I living mar lloriicllsville, N. \ .: and on
,my first lauri' h for froodom reached
Adrian, Mich., a tiion quite remote city.
I'liin was in lh&|, I believe. I roamed
uroUnd tho town lor two or throe day#
la fore I found anything to do. Finally,
one afternoon, without the least idea that
anything would conic of it, i dropped
into a little tore—a sort of ladie* fur
nishing store: that is the stock consisted
of collar* and cuff* and laoo and nooktien
and thread and yarn and all *u< h little
Iruek. The store wan a small affair—
-1 inr< IJ v eight feet wide by perhaps fifteen
feet l|ei*ti. I walk' d in and accosted ft
smith. thin, white-haired and fair-cnni
plexion'd young man, with an applit a
tion f<*r i tnjiloMin nt. I must admit that
the proprietor—for the young man wan
the proprietor—did not main to care
iiiti' h whether 1 went to work for him
or not. Hut after a little talk, mostly on
in v p art, I was ' en gag, d * at s.'( per w ek,
with tlx- privilege of sleeping in the
store."
Smi'tiling in the expression of the r< -
porter f.i- i sugg' -ted to tlie narrator to
say that "the |sdnt of the story wan to
come." So the yarn was continued;
I "My proprietor did not do a very
heavy hu-in<". and did not scm to earc
I much eilher. lie Ixlongid to Koine
secret society or other, and was con
stantly <nllef ujion by brother members.
On tli' M- iN'caMone the proceedings were
quite mysterious, and a little sort of a
wash-room in tli'- liri' k part of the store
was un d for eotisulLatiuns. My 'ls>**'
seem'd to In- the h'*ad ring-master of the
concern, and. though iiin store wa* a
small affair, 1 noticed that the leading
men of tlie city sought his guidance. ] |■
jiaid little attention to the customers I
had most of the ' waiting on' to do. and
nearly all day w hen not engaged in those
—to in'I—singular 1 —singular conference., my em
ployer would stand in the middle of the
store thinking, thinking, thinking, while
IK k'pt constantly rapping his front
teeth with a pencil. He was troubled a
great deal with pain in hi* hack, and
complain' <1 "fan affliction of the kidin vs.
I had only l<en with the pai'-faei d
young man a few months when I was
prevailed upontor<-turn honie. and never
gave my casual emt'loyer at Adrian a
thought till within tlie past few days.
The other evening at the bote] I was
r!an--ing uvr the advertising column*of
the Trtfiuitf , l,i n among the l>ank ad
\ irtisennnts 1 noticed the name of
.Tronic It. < 'h.-iffi e It jinghsl familarly
iin my mind. W Inn had I seen or beard
that nam lw*f"re? I could not help its
running through my head. All at "me
it '-line tome Jerome It. ("haffee was
tin name of tin- voung fellow I workcl
for in Adrian. Mich., so long ago. I
. could hardly lielieve that niv old Michi
gan i nudox'T and tlie noted hank presj.
di nt ano t nitol States Senator were one
and tin same. Hut as all my time was
then my ow n(I had n"t got into bu*iti<*-)
I liappenisi into tlie First National bank
oin morning and made a ft w inquiries,
in nlsiiit thi* at vie:
Anxi' us Inquirer— I* Jeromr B. Chaf
fee amncct'sl with this hank*
Hank Man—He i. sir, slightly.
A I —Win n dhl lie come to Colorado,
and where from?
It M —He came here in IAS7, 1 think,
and lived previously at or near Adrian.
Mich.
A. I.—T* be of fair completion—vTy
fair—and is be tmuhicd with kidney
, complaint ?
It. M.—lie has an exceedingly fair
completion and. 1 believe, is troubled
somewhat with chronic disorder of the
kidnevs.
"This was , t li that I wanted. I wa*
and am satisfied that my quondam em
ploy r of long ago wa* identically the
t same person wh" i the richest man and
the kecnc.t politician in Colorado. Xnw,
l is not that a rather funny tiling, any
j how ?"
The r<jH>rter. somewhat weary, ad
mitted that it waa.— Ucnvcr (Col.) 7W
hunr.
The Mnsir of the Nightingale.
Wiilomolia i* tlie classic name of tlie
tilghtingal' . a* our reader* are g. ner-U'y
aw are. Ihie honor in all ages ha liecn
givin to this hird a* a songster. Tlie
Herman* hav not only leen the admire: s
of it* nii lmiy, hut wmc of them have
'attempted t<> interpret it* song*.
Itecloti-n. a (i'rimn rttsjisslig. had a
, let nightingale, wliom song lie inter, nt
■ d a* follows;
//i rn a> FO n m m m to r w m xirr
lutding!
Ae re re HE v X'' wc VE TCVO ve ve;
eonar lie dre h d.
Iligaiga iga ip iga iga iga iga, gaiaia
gal isirico ilri' dgio pi.
Of which alt we hare to say is that we
hope that the song of the hint was more
niclodion* than tlie translation looks
to lie. In the yar 1710, the l'rtissian
authorities Is ing in want of money, or
dered the tree* around Cologne to Is- rut
down and aold. The entire city of Ag
rippina was aliye with terror at the
moyement: the whole wood wa* filled
with night in/ml)-*, and the few liurglu rs
living near them, though extremely poor
themselves, a< tually bought Ue tree*
standing, and thus preserved the woods
for tlie nightingales, and the nightingale
niu*ic for tlie inhabitants of Cologne.—
Amcrirnn Mcmlhiy.
Dr. Rabelais' Free Jonmey.
Tlie learncil and fammi* Frenchman.
I>r. Ral>elals. once found himself in Mar
seillea without money. He wished to
I travel to l'aris but mulil not contrive a
way to do so. At last, however, he hit
upon a plan.
He started one first of April carrying
with him some fiill nhials lalieled " roi
son fur the King and the Royal Family."
At the city gates, according to the cus
tom in BOW day*, tlie traveler was
searched, and these suspicion*-look ing
bottlcsi were found, as he intended. Tlie
officiate were horrlfi'il. and the* prompt
ly arreatial hint and hurried him off aa
: a state prisoner to l'aris, there to he tried
for treason
Not lonr after his arriyal Ralwlai* and
his bottle* were taken Iwfbre the judges.
Then Uu> doctor, who was very well
known as a-Wit, made a liule explana
tion. showed that the phials contained
{ nothing hut brick-dual, and WAS at once
released —the court, the accusers, the
I lookera-on. and all l'aris convulsed with
I laughter at tlie okr.-a. AfeWu