WHEN THE FISHING BOATS COME IN. The sea dusk shrouds In violet gloom the ocean's silver blue, And purples headlands whence, at dawn,the milk-whlto sea-gulls llew; The dances of the wild night-winds o'er glimmering sweeps begin, And the sun sinks down on a oouch of fire when the lishing boats come in. The glorious arch of Bky above is faintly filmed o'er With silk-white scarfs of vapor, and along the sunset shore Vast cloud-lleets ride at anchor in seas of gold and rose. While with a trembling splendor the wide horizon glows. The murmurous roar of far-ofT deep blends with the plaintive sigh Of wavelets that upon tho sands of gleam ing silver die: The darkling clifTs loom out behind, liko giants vast and grim, Stern guardians of enchanted coasts en wrapped in shadows dim. Liko some groat jewel burns the sea and on its gleaming breast , I'he laden, home-bound boats glide o'er each shimmering, foam-belled crest. 31ad watchers scan each glowing sail, fond eyes are straining still, 4nd with the stir of fearless life the dusk is all athrill. k hearty shout goes up to greet the latest furling sail, e The long shore rings with mirth and joy.tli ocean glimmers pale; K sea-bird Hies athwart the sky and from the fading west Ono lingering rose-rea ray outflames to crimson wing and breast. The wiuds are revelling o'er the reefs, the rocky sea-deeps moan, ' The silken slopes are dim and far, the fish ing grounds are lone: The sparkles of the mirrored stars among tho ripples spin. \nd tho shore is gemmed with a hundred lights when the fishing boats come in. | MR. SPATTER-DOCK'S | I MISTAKE. I BY HELEN WHITNEY CLARK. 112 "It'll never do—never!" Mr. Spatterdock shook his head at some imaginary auditor, as he stood warming himself, with his back to the fire. The blazing hickory logs suapped and crackled, sending a cheerful warmth through the snug room, with its heavy mahogauy furniture, fresh inginiu carpet, and gaily flowered cur tains. "Hob's a likely young fellow, and if ; he must get married, there's no reason j why he should throw himself away on a poor girl, with nothing to bless her- j self with but a pair of cherry cheeks ; and coal-black eyes, or whatever color j they are—l ain't never sot eyes on the 1 girl. But Rob Greenrxway's my owti nephew,and it's my dooty to look after him. Marrying, indeed! What the dickens does lie take sech a silly no tion iu his head for, anyway? I ain't never man ied, and look at me!" And, truly, Mr. Spatterdock seemed an enviable man, if he was an old bachelor, nearly forty. His housekeeper was a model of thrift and neatness. Not a nook or a cranny of the big old farmhouse but 1 what was swept, and scoured and gar nished. Not a pane of glass, but was sheer and speckless as a French mir ror. And you might dance a jig on 1 any of the carpets and not raise a mote of dust to show iu the brightest sun- ; beam. Wash-day comes every Monday, and ironing every Tuesday, raiu or shine, ! week iu and week out, from one year's j end to year's eud. Look at me ["continued Mr. Spatter- : dock, still addressing his imaginary auditor. "I've never married, and, j what's more, I've never wanted to. And Rob will get over this notion, too, if only Let me see. It's no use argu fying with a young fellow that's sot as a inula when he takes a notion; and the (ireonaways alius was obstinate. "I'll seud him away awhile—three months or so, anyhow. There's sister Roseanna, living over to Sweetgum Holler. I'll send him there for two or three monin3,he'll forget all about her 1 in that time. Or luebbe I kin see the gii l herself, and sort of buy her off, like. Yes, that's what I'll do. Hillo, Rob! that you?" Mr. Spatterdock's greeting was sus piciously warm, but Rob seemed not to notice it. "Good-morning,uncle!" he returned, rather soberly. "You wanted to see me, I believe?" "Yes, Rob." A rather stormy interview ensued, in which the uncle, however, came 6Tit successful. "Well, welt, and so that's settled, anyhow." Mr. Spatterdock had come home a few hours later, having accompanied his hephew to the railroad station and watche 1 the train speed off. "Bob's off safe and sound, "he mut tered, punching the fire till it blazed l-.ke a young Vesuvius. "He didn't aka the notion of going,at first. Reck on he thought I was a-goin' to send him clear to lujy! But, soon as ho found 'twas only forty miles away, to Sweetgum Holler, he got as chirk as a bull-tarrier. He's promised not to let a soul know where he's gone, an' I've promised, if they're both in the same notion three mouths from now, I won't say nothin' more again' it. "But it's my business to see they ain't both in the same notion. I must go and caH on Miss Penny—Petti*— ■whatever the name is—and try to fix it up somehow or another." It was more the meddling of the Vomen-folks than anything else which tad sot Mr. Spatterdock against his jephew's choice. "Real common sort of folks ,