Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-02-14

her every whim, and doing the most ]
could to spoil one who never would
be spoiled. For, with all the accom-
plishments ! had layished upon her,
Ruth had grown up to be notable
little housewife, who disgusted our
cooks by insisting upon going down
into the kitchen and making my fG-
vorite puddings and tarts with her
,,wn hands, and generally behaving in
what servants called an unlandyike
way.
And then 1 thonght of my other
sorrow-the future-,and pictured
with an agony cannot describe the
day when / should have to resign my
claims to another, and be left alone
a desolate, broken old man.
/ am naturally a very comm on,
hard and business-like old man, and
terribly selfish Cobweb had woven
herself so round my heart that in my
peevish, irritable way, never was
happy when home from tine city with
out she was waiting on me-filling
my pipe, mixing my one nightly glass
of grog, upon which the butler frown-
ed-in fact, he had suggested to me
that his late master had always taken
port of an evening.
Cobweb was very quiet IS she glid-
ed down from my knee to her has
sock at my feet, and was evidently
thinking as much as l and at last
brightend Up, for thought had come
to me with selfish Kind of comfort
,"She'll be quite away from all
temptations to leave me, there, any
how" / said TO myself as | thought
of the ''at -homes'' and balls to which
she was SO often receiving invita-
tions.
This set me talking-fshing, as
called it in my great cunning-to see
i" there was one of the rocks ahead O.
which | was in dread.
How shall you be able to leave all
your fine friends-parties-and set
outs?" said.
''Oh, I'm tired of them ALL" sh'
said, clapping her hands.
"And gay cavaliers, with dand,
airs and mustaches, and programmes. ;
"Ha, ha, ha!" she laughed merri
lv; and then, as it seemed to me il
my jealous watchfulness, turning th'
subject, she began TO talk about th'
country place l had taken.
A fortnight later and We were set
tied down; and really, with all M.
London notions, began to find tn
calm and repose of the country de
iicious. Cobweb was delighted, an'
constantly dragging me somewhere o
another into the grounds of the pret
| ty old place, where she arranged gar
dan seats in the snusgest, shades
spots for my especial behoof.
As / have said, there was wilder
ness of n wood adjoining the garden
which the former possessor had left ii
state of nature, saving that he ha,
the old footpaths and tracks widene'
in their old winding ways, CAREFUL.
turfed and dotted with a chair her
and there.
This was Cobweb's favorite place
and, if | missed her out in the garden
knew / should find her here witt
the sun raising shower of COLDER
beams through the network of leave
overhead, to dance and fash anon:
the waving tresses Of her long COLDER
hair.
One day / found her leaning on .
dead bougn which crossedSa opening
in the wood, where all seemed OF
delicate twilight green. She was list
ening intently to the soAg oil bro
overhead, and, as / stopped short
gazing at The picture be pre- me- l sac
to myself with sigh:
Gan that's bright must fade! MY
darling, / wish had your likeness a.
yeu stand. Time flies, l. muttefeo
land the winter comes at last, VIII
bare trees to the wood--gray hais'
and wrinkles to the old -
She caught sight of iae directly
and the scene was changed, for was
listening the next momen1to her mer
ry, happy voice.
A day or two later | vas IN th'
city, where always wdat twice
week-for could not give up busi
ness, it was part of my lie-when al
old friend dropped in, aid, in IT,
|, course of conversation, he laid:
.sBy the way, Burrows, why dom