The weekly standard., 1870-07-27
and felt like great humbug; had re-
ceivcd my gifts and finished my trouscau to
no purpose! Sometimes we discover that
there is a purpose in every thing:
"That not moth with vain desire
Is shriyel'd at fruitlesS fire ~

| tUCTC Is pOsC S'Si.
"That not moth with vain desire
Is shrivel'd at fruitless iire;'
that not one pang of mortified pride or
wounded affection is suffered for naught !;
that as the pebble is rounded and polished
by constant attrition. 50 the human soul Is
shaped and kneadcd into perfection by
trouble. by unsatistiel longings, by happi
ness escaped and pains endured. But |
was, no philosopher at that tlme and,
doubtless, | showed as much temper IN ac-
cepting the situation as my brother had
shown in bringing it about. A week later,
| as | wss pretending to read, and while
Eddy was pretending to learn snatch of
the multiplication table, sitting at my feet,
the door opened, and in came Anson Cav
endish.
mot gone !" he cried, in surprise why,
I've been suffering everything for you, by
proxy ; sea sickness, homesickness, etc. and
here you are after all !! I feel absolutely i'll
used. You see, you have cheated me out of
great deal of unhappiness."
Pm glad of that" said 1; and it must
be true, for have it all myself" In a mo,
ment the unclouded. happy look he had
worn gave way to half trown !; his cor
dial manner became chilly and repressed.
I" Can it be possible ] thought, g that Julia
was right n g In6sed,1 he said. slowly, se
il considering his words, 81 should be wiHs
ing to share it To be unhappy with some
is a privilege"
"Thank you. see you do not forget the
art of making gallant speeches"
"Well, it is pleasant art, is it not ?'
"Yes 1t serves to keep the machinery of
society in good working order"
| Yes" he pursued and then Truth, in
stead of keeping dark at the bottom of the
well, is always coming TO the surface.
have been thinking of you at sea, and won
dering how you liked it."
Il do not like being on shore, and dis
appointing all my friends
" You'll get used to it, as they say OF the
homesick; and so will your friends
1--WE can even get used to the multipli-
cation table, can't we, Eddy?
Il don't know" answered that innocent,
rather doubtfully. The ives is easy as
fun, but the sevens wriggle about so!'
l remember that Anson staid to tea that
night, and that Ned gave him such a florid
account of my heroic behavior under disap-
pointment that l was forced to join in the
| general laugh and 1urgct my troubles for the
moment.
What are yOu laughing about, Eddy p
said l, he having added chorus of most
remarkable volume. 1T isn't proper to
| laugh at your aunt, if your father drCS set
the example"
81 amt laughing at you," said the pro-
voking imp. I'm laughing to see how
YOU and Cousin AnsOn loves each other. It's
all breaking out on your faces"
:" should think 1t was some cutanenus
affection" said Ned the elder. You may
finish your laugh in the nursery, Master
Eddy,n where l should have been happy to
have followed him.
| Il shall come and console you again"
Anson said, on taking leave. He came
often enough alter that; too often, | some
time thought. Now he took me out in his
carriage to gather ferns for my spatterwork,
| he spent the afternoon at my feet, cutting
| grotcsque silhouettes of the family and
| bunting my best scissors sometimes he
| heard Eddy's lessons, and entangled the
| poor little scholar IN such 4 labyrinth of
cross questioning as fairly to reduce his
small fund of learning to zero. But then
Arson was Julia's cousin, and cousins are
dangerous things.
In the mean time | had heard nothing
from Eugene, of course; thinking that l
was already upon the way, he would not be
likely to waste his words; and it was about
two months after the sailing of the Sea
;i',Uy, A..ssii spI -so5i oi.o aa-
white, scared face. Il have just seen the
mate of the Sea Spray" said he, his voice all
of tremble.
"The mate of the Sea Spray!" repeated.
What do you mean?" l cried, rising with
my thought. Has it put back for repairs ?"
''Sit down. said he Calm yourself. The
Sea Spray has not put back for repairs, be-
cause she was wrecked and lost five weeks
ago"
For an instant my heart was in my mouth.
was like one struck dumb. All the horror
of that dreadful wreck was upon ME like e
1 sailed in the Sea Sprayo My brothers
temper was not so unfortunate, after all. l
looked at Anson. All his soul was shining
in his eyes You were saved for something u
said he. "Out of trouble lie bringeth re
joicing"
SIT is as if a hand had been stretch
ed out to deliver me" cried, ''and was an
CRY with the hand"
Surely He makcth the wrath of man to
praise Him."
1t was perhaps 4 year. or more alter this
disaster, during which time l had failed to
hear any thing from Eugene, when Anson,
having been away on business tOr week OF
so, returned with distraught. preoccupied
air.
"You look as if you had been blighted in
love-" laughed Julia, ''or had made a bad in,
vestment"
"One must certainly have made bad in
vestment, ifone has been blIghted in love. "
remarked, carelessly.
"Is that any consolation?" he asked
gravely.
"Why, yes, l think SO. One doesn't long
regret losing what has been found worthless
If Eugene and there | paused, appalled,
by the expression of his face.
well" he pursued, ''if Eugene should
forget you?"
81 should return the compliment !"
He was taking bundle oflettcrs from his
pocket as answered "These accumulated
during my absence" he remarked. Il hope
you will not think me abrupt or unkind if
allow you to read one of them. 1t is from
my old friend Gilbert Brewer: he has bee,
in India several years."
"Unkind," l repeated; 'why should
think it unkind? Perhaps he knows Eu
gene" and then, by the strange pity in hi:
tender eyes, it occurred to me that perhaps
something had happened to my lover.
Yes" he answered, "he does know Mr.
Esthwaite."
perhaps you had better read it to me"
said, glancing at the difficult handwriting
ut looks like Sanscrit."
Il think you had better read it yourself
You can return it at your leisure, or not a
all. l will go out now and speak 10 you
brother" And while he was gone reac
the passage he had pointed out:
{" 1t was terrible disaster, that of thu
Sea Spray, which sailed from your place fo
this port. l hope none of your friends wert
on board. The news OF it occasioned con
siderable excitement among several here
but she was well insured, l believe. BY
the-way, you may happen to know a Mis-
Gregory, a passenger, who was coming ou
to marry Mr.. Esthwaitc? However, he ha
consoled himself He had been flirting dcs
pcrately with pretty English heiress, an'
when he found that his .fancee was lost
, whom he hadn't seen, you must remember
for three years, you know a fellow doe
sometimes fall out of love in that time, eh
why, naturally, you see, he turned to tn
| English beauty for sympathy, and 1 hear
7 that she had gone home to prepare for he
marriage. It's quite romance, only II
r sorry for the other" And here " the otf
t er" folded Mr.. Brewers letter, walked t
l the door, returned, sat down, and fainte
t away 1t may be called rough treatmer
e that | received at the hands of Anson CAY
e endish. Ned himself did not scruple to ca
S it such but, though Tough, 1t was dca
S with all friendly sincerity, for it served
n kill outright the love that otherwise migl
v have languishcd for years.
/ 1t was many weeks before saw him agai
t -nany weeks before | was able to sec