Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-01

have formed and expressed in the mat
ter, but freely follow the dictates of your
heart and conscience. For, the older |
grow and the longer | live, the more sure
l feel that the love of a good and pure
woman is the greatest safeguard and the
greatest blessing that any man-whether
he be priest or layman-can win for him
self. We all make mistakes, Maurice, and
| perhaps the plan OF life which ! years ago
marked out for myself may have been one
OF them-heaven only knows And so
bid you God-speed in your wooing, my dear
| lad"
The dawn was briehtening into morning
before the Bishop finished h letter. He
extinguished the lamp anu vent to the
window, and drawing up tne blind, adj
mitted the sunshine and the fresh air.
The fresh calm loveliness of the summer
morning rested on the garden and park.
the sun was shining, the dewdrops
sparkled on every leaf and flower the
birds were singing, an early rising bee
buzzed among the roses. Nature with a
hundred voices, spoke to him of a divine
love-that love of which earthly love is
but sign and symbol-and he bowed his
head upon his hands, and in all earnest
ness gave heartfelt thanks that his eyes
had been opened to his mistake, and that
the knowledge had not come too late to
save his pupil from falling into his own
error.
Maurice Chetwynd found the Bishops
letter awaiting him when on the following
day he came, tired by long round of
visits and the sultry heat of the August
afternoon, into his study. 1t may be
easily imagined with what feelings of
mingled delight and surprise he read it,
and how quickly after reading it he found
himself standing before the door of the
Red House, with the precious letter in his
hand, and flush of joy and triumph in
his face which made him look absolutely
handsome for once.
Mrs. Farquhar had gone out for drive
with her husband but Miss Farquhar and
Miss Dollie were both in the drawing
room, the maid told him. He entered un-
announced. Dollie was in her favorite
seat reading, and Theo rose from the piano
where she was seated, and welcomed him
with blush and a smile. She held out
slim white hand for him to shake, and was
much surprised when, instead of that for
NAL greeting, he put his arm round her
waist, and, drawing her closely to him,
kissed her.
"There, read that, my darling" he said.
See what he says-oh, he is the kindest,
the best of men p Chetwynd cried.
Theo trembled and grew very pale. She
pushed the letter back to him.
+" can't understand-you read it," she
faltered, and Chetwynd, in a voice broken
with happiness, obeyed.
No one noticed the start Dollie gave as
be read, or the vivid flush Of delight and
triumph which swept over her face, or the
radient light in her big gray eyes. 1t was
all she could do to be silent. to refrain
from proclaiming her share in the matter
and to claim their gratitude and thanks.
But she had promised, and she bit her
lips resolutely and choked back the eager
words that rose to her lips, and with dis
cretion beyond her years-but she was
always such a wise little woman-she
slipped noiselessly out of the window and
left the lovers alone. And never once did
either the Bishop or Dollie allude to the
conversation which had taken place in the
railway carriage, and which had been pro-
ductive of such happy results; but few
days after the engagement was announced
publically, when the Bishop came to call
at the Red House, both Theo and her
mother were greatly surprised to see DolIie,
who was generally very shy and reserved
with strangers, run forward to meet
him with flushed face and sparkling
and hold up her lips to be kissed. The
Bishop, however, understood it all well
enough all the gratitude and love which
the kiss and the fervent pressure of the
small fingers mutely expressed, and re-
turned both kiss and pressure with equal
heartiness. And from that day a curious
kind of friendship grew up between the
oddly pair, Dollie was verv often
a guest at the Palace, and the Bishops
callers grew quite accustomed to see the
little figure in the window-seat bending its
fair face and golden head over a book, or
riding on her white pony by the Bishops
side through the pleasant country lanes.
And as the years went on and Dollie grew
from pretty, delicate child into a tall,
slim, maiden, with beautiful, thoughtful
face, and wistful, gray eyes, and lover
came to WOO her, it was into the Bishops
ears that Dollie first whispered to story Of
her love and asked his consent and ap-
proval.-AU the Year Round