Tho Solid Lovor.
IT* ratur lo (lie bow or of brr I lute,
Twnngltng Hi* sweet guitar ;
He ce!le.| h*r In *ong hla •now-wbllv dovn—
| Hla Illy, hia fair, bright star t
lie aatig that hla lute waa heyoivt <v n>|re—
U la tulce WM a awart aa hla Song ;
lie aahl ahe waa pnre ami gentle and fair
I And I thought that he waata't far wrong.
Why, he aang. and playad till the mooo waa high -
And eweet wi the lote-lMirn etrain
Till the night raught tip each treniuloua igh
And echoed each aweet refrain.
He told how he loved her o'er and o'er,
With paaeion in ttary word ;
In song that I never heard before—
And sweeter onea never waa heard ?
And I waa I jealous? Well, certainly not?
I wa- glad to hear hi* lav ;
fc I even echoed hltn—oft and low-
When lie aang what 1 wanted to say.
For while he stood 'math the wlmlnw till,
Sinking my du!tug's cli irma,
I wit in tho | arl r, dark ami still,
With the (girl that he sang) in :ny arms.
And what in Ihe thunder did I have to lie mad al-ut
—Jut I iff l\en mi
MAY'S SACRIFICE.
"My last honf res'- in you, May."
"In mo, ftther?"
Miiy Wancii node an-wi r in a toe
of surprise, ruining her *ad anxious eyis
to her father's face.
As it her g.i/.e di-compoacd him. Mr.
Warren turned his head, and his glance
_ iiid-i '-d ri'.-ilo'-ly around the apart
input. HP was an old ninn, with at ill,
spare figure, thin, gray hair, and w.i*
jg silting in an arm-chatr by a table on . r
ed with papers, while his pretty dauglt j
ter. May, sat bosid" hid) on an ottoman.
She repeated the words;
Mn me, father?"
"Ye.-," lie replied, startii a' from a
moment's ahitracliou. "Do you remetn
i< r Colon el 1, 'iphton. my dear?"
"Colonel heighten ? Anohl man with
a heavy beard partly gray, and pleasant
blue eye*, lie dined with us a few
weeks ago. Yes, 1 remrm! • r him,
father."
"Not so very old. May—not so old as j
I am—and one of the finest men living.
He is wealthy, very wealthy, too."
He met his daughter's questioning
gaze fully now. as if he wished her to
read something in his face. She kej t
j lit r dark eyes fixed searcbingly upon hi
i Countenpuee, the ebb and fh>v* .if the
-oft color upon her cheeks bet raying the
\ quick pulsation of her heart.
"What do you tut.in. father?" she
asked, at length.
"I taw him last night. He offered to
help ine—save me, if
'"lf what, father?"
"It I would give you to him."
The words < one hurriedly fi.cn Mr.
Warren's lips, n .s if h„ feared that f he
deliberate i be should not be able to
utter them at all. \s thy fell >n b -
daughter's ear she -tutci to her feet,
pu-hing bark lu r loir fr<>m ln-r ) le
face in a b •ildered -ort of way, us i! - ••
w. re half stunned.
"Marry me. father? Colon i I ,h
ton ?" she cried, in a low tone. •
I Mr. Warren took h r hsm! an 1 dr-v
g her down to her •>■ t" .g . n.
■ "Kiy, Colonel Latghtonwill b i g.e..i
L husband to you. I hi.- known bin
from boyhood, and und. r-tm 11 (rf-ctlv
his character and 11 in. iplea. He 1., v
you—will be kind to you, m l strive in
••very way to make ycu h 'ppv. And
more—and nv re, M y: ho will -ive n .
from beggary !"
He paused, hut his child, with her
face bowed upon her hands, made no
reply—nor stirred. The mute distress
that her attitude betokened was not
. unnoticed by him.
"1 do not force you to do this May,
remember: the matter is left entirely
to your own choice. Hut you know
what my wi-h ir what the alternative
will be if you do not acce| t the
offer."
She knew only to well. Fully -he
realized how absolutely neer- oy
the luxuries to which her father hid
been accustomed, were to him. \' ..>•
fey lute 1..-s of po*-c-ion did not •• in the
f most die.i.lfiil thing in the w il l i hr
I g but she knew what a wreck it would
k make of him. In h'r youth ..n I tier,gth ,
the future would etill be 11 ight and f ill
of hope to her ; but how could I>-, with
his eg. .| frame and iurd* n <! si 'y
yc. commoner life anew? Tbclcpi ul
th i.-ht that -ho could work f-r him
and] Ijr him with hi accustomed
;/• rt aC tiled him but a moment'*
eotafo'. t. # To km, with bis stull.orni
ari ! ra*i • id"- , this would be th'
roojfc severe tn.l of •>{— h- delicately
•, ' i
'
to it, T!i . <• wa* no alternative, she raw
at a glance. Then, with n (operate
C. rt to Uriah iltu'y, *t r led ti •
form of Colwmt Ictljfhton, H. rem n
brr 1 hi 1 w. I h<; i and t-'dver. 1
b*tr<l, bU dark, deeply fur. >wcd far
and fifty year*. She could pet no fur
• tb.
Off*, and b" • <ng, *ttny hair. spnr • up
in siren ? loatri Stretchingotfi bet
If nd to her father, i is fir j ay, she
*
A a
shuddering. There were no reproaches
only those bitter words and that des
pairing attitude, White anil tearlesr.
she !>t at his feet, the agony of her
heart wiitten on her faee. The wild,
desperate thought that tho sacrifice was
possible, occurred to her.
"Father, dear father 1"
He raised his head, whitened with the
frosts of bis sixty winters, and looked
at her with a gleam of hope in hi*
sunken eyes. She crept into his arms
aa she bsd done when a child, and laid
her soft cheek against his wrinkled
brow.
"You know that I love jou, father,"
she said. "I can never remember you
but a- kind, tender and forbearing with
me. Your heart has been my homeulj
my life. I will work, beg, suffer for von
I ,\ '.l die fur y.iu—oh, how willingly,
if i,cnl be ! Hut thai—ob, father, v.iud.i
not know what it i- that you ask?''
He <li 1 not speak, but* in. m broke
uncontrollably from his lip :w he r<•<(.-.1
his fiea.l upon her shoulders. The -trug
gle in her heart -rut dark, sl;.id<iw\
Waves across her fare. Could *h> . ould
she?
"Father," she whispered hurr'.-dly,
"let me go now. I will ce you .in
answer ) on to mort
And she left hi e
lie could not see ~< r fic> in the i
gathering darkness, on I;, a glimpse of
something white, but he felt the quiver'
ing of her lips as she b.-nt to kiss him,
and rasclie I out his arms to embrace
her but she was gone.
"Heaven | ity me 1" The words came !
like a wail from her lips, "-die wa- alone 1
in her chamber, flung prostrate upon a !
low couch, with her face hid in the
cushions. The wound of the rustling fi>!i'
age of the garden, and the chirping of
the I irds. . onie in through the open
window with th. damp evening hreez,.
and the pale light of the riing nio.in
fiile-l the room with a soft radience, but
he was unconscious of everything but,
her miiery. The house wax so quite that
the sound of a footstep costing the hall
below fell upon the car and aroused her
—the lihr.iry door—and then a voice
uttered a few words of commonplace
greeting. She remembered it well, and
sprang to h< r feet with a dc-pcrale, in
sineih.uglit of flight. Hut the door
closed, the house was still again and she
wm ealmer
She crossed the room listle*s|y ; t n<l
drew back tiit- curtain of the window.
The iicene without was beautiful. The
in i ulight It . broadly on the garden,
turning to silver the tops of the tre.-
an i making the htlle lake t > nd look
like a great whilh p< ul. < ia.'.ngearne-t
!r il.wu.v.td lie -iva tall, shadowy
figure t tndin • i.elieath the shade of the
old elm. With a I >• cry she prang
from 'ho r>. .;n nod am me iit inter ►(... !
beside her i vn ,
ome ' last, my treasure,'' criei
M irk Wnieiie .r. t ,d,ng i,. r in hi
arms. She rt ; tain."l leaning |■ - vely
ag.oiist it. r l-re;. t. wlole he j re- ■ i |
sioriate ki -e uj on 1, r for.-h. ,1, ch.-.-k
and hps.
"Why have you made me wait - >lot.g
darling?" he -a <l, softly, and taking
b >'h her s|, rder hands ,n • r,< of his he
press. I them to I, s lij-. "Why. how
cold you are? How you tremble 1" he
c<>nl.nued, as -he clung t<> him. • What
is the matter. May
"I waited because I dreaded to u.- it
you, Mirk."
"Why ? what do you mesn ?
And, brokenly through her tear- and
sob she (old him ail. He did not spesk
or stir while -he was talking, and when
she ha 1 finished then was a long silence
She lacked c.>urag to -iv more he
would not a-She repeated ihe ln-t
words, "And to morrow I mint g.ie my
answer." Still ho did not q.-ak.
She looked up .it him. In the dim
light h® could •• his rigt I, ig< nize.l
face, white iij Br.d gleaming eye*. She
•dole her irrn- about his ne. k and dt.
h forehead dawn t > he. lips.
"-pi ik to me. M rk ; -y th t j, t do
not blame ire."
He kn v th .t -he ha 1 de i 1 I. ind
what that dec lion v- i.
"
that ohl nnii f
'Heaven pity me Mark, for I mu-t. I
will become his wife, an 1 will b" tru>
an i f lithfnl to him, f r he will he kind
to me. You will In rr of m< tin. ,an 1
w! - i yoi do, remember my wor! . Mat k,
that you have tny heart."
"I will remember, May. Hod help u
both, for I shall n. o<r forp t you. They
•hall bury m- with this up n my he art,'
And he drew a tre* of eoff brown
hair from lit* !• m.
f r a moment more 0r... little, j.re
■ ious moment he hel l In r agaifi-t hi*
he -t, arid then kissed hr, put her
11 v ft- i h in, and was gone.
For a mot •• nr she stood alone under
the tr< wih e!ipel hand* and face
u i 1 to i uiet sky, and then -ho
< : 1 "v I si l, ntly toward the
to. \Li igbl i ght firom the tibmry
window streamed d. .n on her, indn*
he 1 Ve I up l ■*s<v i 1 * shadow of a
b r- dd'gur ! 11 i ti; . url .in,
"I" ' r, yo t. ni. e 1} 'Ut mitrinup
tff. *
* A hand wti Wis! suddenly on her nrm )
Htid hli* started will" u low cry.
"Good evening, Mi** Msy," said
Colonol Leigh ton., "I have been seek
ing you."
She bowed anil stood silently before
him with a calm, downcast face.
"1 have been talking with your fa
ther," ho continued, careleasly |>ulliug
a rose from a buh near them. "Jits
tells me that you have promised to
think of my proposal, and let us know
what your decision is to morrow. Is
there anything I can say which will in
fluence you to form that conclusion in
my favor?"
"You cannot - iy anything which will
influence me in the least, Colonel Leigh
toil. As my father has said, you shall
have uiy answer to morrow.''
lie glanced at tin- young face, so sun
lit its calm dignity, and then looked
down at his fingers again, which w.-re
busy tc.uitig to pieces til'- bios-otll he
. held, Htid [allowing the rri'ii* II petals.
1 to fall at his feet, as if they were the
fragments of the hi art he was breaking.
In the long silence that followed she
: glanced up at him cure, with a thought
jof flinging he rself upon his mercy by
giving bint In r confldenci- ; but the
, lern s-xj-i--m' ii of bis fas o ts-p-lled
her.
• 'Miss May," ho said suddenly, "you
are averse to thi - marriage."
His tone aisled in rendering his words
.in assett riii. "she was start!'J, but i.-
plied, quietly, "I)O you think MI?"
"I must be bin.si if I could think
otherwise,''he continued, with sud'h-n
energy. "May Warren. you know that
you hat-- in- tb it you would rutin r die
than become my wife, wcr- it not I u
your latlis-i sake.'
I' 'fors- she realized what she was do
nig, the monosy liable "y • •" lipped from
, her lips.
• And in sloing this, do you realize
I how you would wrong u both ? '
She was silent.
"It hsll never I ". I shall rover r ill
' yctt my—wife, know ing th it you do not
J love mo that your henrt i* not in my
keeping. I will not tell you of tny
hopes, how 1 hsv.- lr< smed thst my
la-t *l ty would be my happiest ones
it would not interest you. Now I hive
only to ay that you are free a- it I had
never seen y<>ur iwcet fscs-."
ID* paused for a reply, hut sh>- made
none. 1'- wild. r- Iby ber | -sition she
did not kr.ow what to *#>".
"I kn->w that I have only myself to
reproach." lis wi-nt on. "My moth ein
ottering your father tnv ss tance wis
a purely e.-l:Sb on". The con- |U<-nce
are-inly what I d-serve. 1 had no
thought s i the lone years during whit h
If had 1- to uiy true n-1 faithful friend,
but cruelly took advantage of h - J"t)
t ion to gain tny own end Ys-s. J Jn ,
pmj i riv pun. h< 1."
There wa a bitterness in hi* fone, r
•hp li'lfi. Yin his at tu le.tl. it great
ly ch.ings i h s sccu :u'l, d nTis-d
composur of minmr Hifun n -
oiis of what he -i I, only sensible of the
pt . she felt for h <n, tlis young girl
put h r hi- 1 tips ti his art i ind
then sai'l oft ly :
" Forgit e me.
"Forgive me ratio r. n,y child." be
- I. gently taking the little h-md in
lie of hi", --for the misery I have caused
you. I should have known thst our
j ith* in life could never l- one. Hut
Ig od night, I will not detain y. i.'*
She did not shrink from him as he
bent down to ki's her forehead wuh
hi last word-, lie stepped a. le - 1
low her free passage to ths> bun >. but
she (li>| not move.
' Yon are thinking of your fall;- r."
he aid. "Do not l-e distrr"ser| ,n In.
iter tint. Hemomb-rms- in your prayer
to night and sleep sweetly. It j* all I
a*k."
lie slid not wait to here her fervent
•ulod bless you!" or witness her burst
of jo fill t- ,r . but qui- kly li ft lis r.
1 lie morning sunshine streamed bold
ly intotb- psrtmciit of old Mr. Warren,
vll re he lay in a heavy *l---p ofpbv -
cal and m<-ntal exhaustion. The for,
no >n w far advance.! when a servant
iron -d hi u, it f tning him that < l.j.
nel Letgliton wait'-1 him in the library.
Mak .tig bi• ly '■ let, i~i obi •,
p-ft hi cb iraber and w.nt to join hi
friend. Th p-nth mm met cord ally,
and Colonel l.e'ght u itntus-liitely i<
piesU-d that Msy might le. sent for.
They v i -. d hut % fe.v minutes before
the tkm ung n dy ojien and wear
•ng wlii i- Di'irning robe, the young
girl suite: •d. At a motion from In-r
lath er she sal down upon n low seat At
oi* fe# t, and then I in> i up w> b a
confiding .rods* C..1 on, | Leigbtou,
who stood leaning agtin t the man le
pi> ■e, with an eipre -ion of face ha i
sail, half admiring,
"IVeare Win.tn> lor your atis vrr.
May, mid Mr. War n, quietly.
"1 will ieitva the matter entirely in
f -lon< 1 L".fhL>t. irtuds, she repliasl.
The old ntun -snood |ci plem slh
p Will licit <0 li . .. < Or:', legii
I oil sU.pj. j itl. . . id,
' 'My Was i.ifiiu, - .tun Ytws I,' he
,"5 ,i
and talked with her. I discovered
with whnt feelings she regsriled a mar
rings- with me and cannot allow the
sacrifice she would make for your sake.
I will never marry her; she is free.
Ami now I have to a-k your pur don for
the unmanly way in which 1 have taken
asivantage of your embarrassment and
have come so near to destroying the
happiness of your child. Every power
of mini- shall be exerted to it" utmost
,to relieve you and nil the n ward I -k
! is the knowledge that you slid M <y d >
not despise me. Nay, nav. tin tlinlik*
: I ib-servs, rather to he scorn-d fm the
: part I have acted. Hut I have mi--
i favor to ask, old friend. Will jou nb
! low ine to choos" ahu-bsnd for your
1 slaughter?"
"Sou have my full and free | • -rini
eion," replied Mr. Wi.rren, im uig
I tiirougli his tears. "Hut 1 hope sou
will be more sucee-sful ill youi choi -e
tbali I have been."
"Ns-vi r f- ai," sid tb'- <'• I ii-;. with
agl ii.ii at May. Flinging open s sb.or
that b d to anoths r apartnu-nt, lie > ill
s-d "Now, my bojMid M <rk Win
che-t 1 r "prang into lb<- room.
"lb hold > our future son 111 law," e., I
1 sb-I • ! L'-igho.u; and <-n- tin- <! i nu-n
' iul-1 COmp: chi-hsl I'-, the - ~ing
coupls-knell f'-r hi- bk--iiig. \t a
motion from bis friend, l.s-guv.- t will
ingly. iiti'l ii('V- riv;i" tli ■ a bapp • r
iparty.
'1 hrnugh tb, iiits-ij ... ii of lot
i friens), Mr. Warn n wa- \id from ruin
! Rml In- daughter made bappy. Wbt n
May that mourning a k< i for a -'jlu
lion of tin pn-bli-iu of <'• i ii- ! !.• giit"ti'-
1,1 owfs Igs M ,rk 1,1- r. j.lied. 1-I d
ri< • wait halt hi Imur in tguib- n to
no purpose, l.ttb- on,-.' tod ►!.< im
(1,-rstoo'i that 1.. In 1 ov-rhesrd b>r
convs r.i.tion with In r b-vt-r. Through
h> ii.fluencs- M uk's talents s an art t
i liecame known to the wsirlil sud a fs-w
' years afti-rwrd hi- bs-carin- a popular
painter and a wi-ullh'. man and. out <-f
gratitude to hi" benefactor, hechri-'s-n
t-st his first born son' I i • rd !.• igbton
Winch' -t'-r.
A Rmlway Lnddcr
Lirns-st Inyersoll, in the M.n. ' r
May, says lbs; Marshall l'* . 1 *h Ii
tln- main rangeof the Ho- kie# r- id.
is .i great railway ls-bb r. 1 do not pr--
pose to i|s,< rtbe it a wi, e arte !<• by
in. If would l-e needed I-r that. \t its
fieji vou aro "ix thou-and feet above the
' -ea level . at it* summit you arc leu
thousand; >•t on eiHier ids- is '.be:
b it-n i ■ k* rise m-nrly fe ir tbou-and
feet bo\ e your hea l. If you will ■ sr<
, b-*ly toss t'ord slowji up ui the floor
only r; -* i.ng .. • *ir li' making an.
cr issesl loo| you is iff have ~ fair I- a
of the way lb- trs- . run- her.. It i
•
s attain the n gul'srity of sscsnt the
l si-, must gaasvsv u: M t!i>- liea-i of
ll,e -ie-p ii dental >n-. ;<r i "-.irt the
' '
nr- no tunnels, < ej-t the M-mblatn-e
' made by tie long c-W sheds ;fs w sleep
■ ittings or bridges. 1; j simply s
winding trail, acc >tnpii-h.ng, I y t -my
ai I dv is turn.ngs, the i<< liresl a
rent of 217 ts-et t-> the mils-, -wn by s
straight line on lh< pn tile fr-'in the
Ai s it.sjs plains to the summit of the
I<s an l down g ..n to the i ~ii>-. of
ti,■ Tome hon tb< western "i fe. Some
timts you can ! -ok out -fib- -, i -1.,-,s at
two or three trues* below atvl t*-ior
three more above- the stej • you have
1 -wine ami those w), cji remain but in
ts.'vening link* ar® invisible, an i vou
wiiti'ler how you ar-- to ittsin those
successively higher levels. I rom one
! pol on the we*t -rn #l--pe s,v --f tb- so
trs'tiir® nat once-i an tin oj - n
ing T.'.i ie by gr- ' rus ill" which the
r •I cr 5..-and recroso . Th ido il
a haloid- tpe of tar r- idling views,
changing w.th'-ash moment, for your
headlight turns t • every point of the
• on pa*" ,n it-doubling : and while yeu
admire the sky k I heights shove,
y- ii may turn and tremble at th awful
depths usl below. It a railway in
' mid air.
Gems of Thought.
He do if to t'.e -prim ! oe n 1 dumb
to the inq'ii-ttive.
Do n-t bo too , 'nerous - i your
temper, K'ep it.
C'ont iM with the world - her brisk*
or hardens the heart.
Tb- v.- -rid i a emit- dy to (ho--' who
think, a trsg' If to those who fori.
(ir- it things are not feompl he,l by
i-il-s ilreams, bit by yeirs of | -iietit
i study.
A tli -rough se ll.ilar cstns. Iks y w-th
which to unlock crery do ir t- the nws"
•ton ol knowledge.
Never eotiilemn your nt igblmr ua
heard, bowev-r vaauy the accusal ons
;in t liitu ; every story has two sids's
I— Th# season After t!io Hob !sy, Ss ft'n*
-slty dull with tli • Tit i-,r . AVe are f.
b ring extra inducement* !o i pt> ■**, We
■
isstfo ar# now coming It. f-vAva year
, *3< r ■ #. -• sh C
'■ "tun
!%# ld a few d*r —Gtri# T -
OaA.IL.I_,
—AT THI:-
sD ii n'lli IS ID T, 3d vD 3H m
OHiff
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