Spirit of the age., 1865-01-07

n aaIIo ta1~---@ ~ W. III Ia II DJtp
delightful Sunday night vhich1s -.
to bring moonlit rambles through shaded
roads.in summer, or quiet groupings reund
blazing fires in winter-aad words Of love
and tender looks and him which is best
Of all.
have said that all were sleeping quietly
but was wrong. A bright light shone
through the windows Of Farmer Thomson
kitchen-a bright light glowei and danced
from the blazing hearth within to the walls
and back again Gathered close around
. the fire-zfor though summer was advancing
the nights were cold--were four young girls
the farmers three daughters--Emily,
Nancy and Eunice, and their cousin Helen
who had bscn spending the winter Ia the
city. 1t was in honor of her return that
e!ley were allowed toasit up so long after
the family hsd retircd--ard they talked
IS only young girls can talk, under such Cir
cumstances.
'Aad so you haye cone backto US quite
heart. whole, said Emily Thomson, looking
rogulshly inte her Cousins pretty face.
Quite, | told yoa should, said Helen
sRrclessy.
'Oh. / saw John Moore at the post of
fee yesterday, and lie asked when you were
coming home, said Eunice, looking up sud
denly-and there was a general smile, while
the color dcepencd on Helen's cheek, and
flushed her forehead.
John is very handsome remarked Nan
OK, and his farm is the best in the county
BY thc Tav 5 %dasa Ra'S6 6 fqs Z. s2Gssody 2appsS.i
have letters from New York every week this
spring. Dtd yon meet atty ono there wlTo
knew him, Helen 2
mo one, said Helen, quietly. And
suppose may aswcll tell you that the let
tiers werO from me-
What made HIN ask :ne, thcn, when
Won were coming 2? burtod' Out Eunice, who
was rather too young to understand all tht
ins and outs Of lovers behavior. Ilt
ought to be ashamed Of himself, and | wi!
tell him SO the very next time j see him
DO said Helen, laughing. And then
she began to stir the fire and gaze into ,th'
Goals as if she saw picture there. By
anu Ly she looked up. .....4.
Emily, are you sleepy J!
No, indeed
Nor you, Nancy, nor you, Eunce?
No, they had not thought of going to bee
and provided they talked low 50 that the
father d,dnot hear them and come out t.
send them away, they intended to sit up
good while lsngcr.
Then sit closer, girls for have something
to toll w. They obeyed, with that com
Portable fem VIC all know, when we ar
snusly settled and a. seou:: to hear a GGrrt.
'Arc you afraid of ghostt' s--'d A'l?a.
snldenly after psking the fire tol 2 tImt
DE Helen. What a question ! .sait
Eunice starting in her scat. But her sisters
sat firm, and said they were not.
When was in New York said Helen
in viii per, went one sht TO party
little out in the country. We staid rath
or late-later than this. But between elev
en- and twelve, we began to talk about ghost
and fortunc-telling and one thing and aroth
er. Ono girl was saying how she had melte
lead and poured it into cole water to Sc
what her fortune would be- It came into tn
shape o. pair of scissors as plain as cout
be--and the very next week she met q mas
ter tailor--and when ! saw her, she was eF
gagged TO bim.'
:.Bless me = said Eunice, who was lister
ing with orcn mouth on her stool in the co,
nsr Of the hearth.
asYes. And another girl went to an emf
~ houae and threw in a ball cf yarn, an
aaid WHO catches 7 Andlsome cne too
hold of the ball and said-'James Smith
She net a man by that name soon afterwar
they we're married the week before tn
party.
sGool gracious 7 exclaimed the thrc
aiFls at breath.
But the queerest thing of all, was this
said Helen, leaning over and resting her e
bow on Emily's lap. 'Oae girl wanted
know what was going to happen to her-l
she took looking glass and candle al
! went down the cellar stairs backward
Eunice l,o';ed Gearfally over should
at the cellar toor.
1 At the dead Of night--at midnight
II sUgh. How could she 2
- And she saw man riding towards b
\ On white horse