, 1896-12-30

sister, and the little Edwald had been q great
~favsurite with her. She lad often invited
him to spend his holidays at her house in
ChGltenhanr and wuu. lie was about to leave
for the Care and was no longer the little
Edward, he had spent a few days with the
Gssdons in the very house 10 which lie was
now gsing. where they we've then staying with
the Sections.
J His cousin Amy he had held as a
baby on his knees; she WAS but eight years
old when he went abroad, and he had only
occasionally leard Of her since; yet it was his
cousin Amy who now, on his journey TO
Clifton, most filled his thoughts. The
picturesque country through which he was
passing recalled his holidays spent with the
@erdons. and one bright scene in particular
stood out before all the rest. He had often
recalled it before, during his twelve active,
laborious years in Africa, and he recalled it
now with the deepest interest. 1t was on
autumn day, the last but one Of his stay at
Clifton, and the little Amy had said Edward,
do take me nutting today, and he had
taken her; and what time they had had
in the country lanes, the strong young
man pulling down the boughs for her Or lift
ing her in his alRs to reach than, he bright
child screaming with delight, laughing when
the beughs would ship from his grasp, or
~elapping her hands and laughing still when
he made a specially good haul. What aswest
picture she made, her fair face shaded by the
broad summer haH, from under which the
faxen cla Is streemAd in the wind, and the
bright blue eyes Looked 30 meIrily out; yes
a sweet picture indsMs one never 10 be for
gotten. and one which Edward Hspworth
never had forgotten. Neither had he forgot,
ten the parting on Ihe following dav, when
the little girl wept and would, not be som-
foIted, because Edward wst going away, nor
how, after say ing goodbye to her father and
mother and the Sections IL the drawing room,
he had LIKED the child from the hoor, had
kissed her and called her his dear little
sweetheart" and had told hey not to crys for
be would certainly come back again.
And now he actually WAS going back again;
but raa ID a Joy to him? His serious face would
SCARCELY indicate an affirmative answer tc
that question. He lad made no engagement
at the Cape, for none Of the yourg ladies
he had either had attracted him Sufficient.
Iy for that, and when any one Of them whom
lie thought he might have liked had dissp-
pointed him, his thoughts would turn TO the
dear little Any, who he remembered was
growing into womauhood, and he wOulu cay
to himself, Who knows what may be ?"
Bat now that he was at last ON hG way to
meet her, he began to think OF many things
that he had not seriously Thought of before,
and lie felt inclined to chide himself for re-
ing too sentimental. He reflected that Amy
must have grown ont VI all recognition, and
that he himself was not the same Edward
as ne in whom the child had taken such great
delight. SO he concluded that they would
meet almost as strangers; wodld have to be
introduced to each other, may be; would, per-
haps, after all, find no pleasure in each Others
society.
These and many other such like thoughts
occupied Hmm as he drew near to Clifton,
till at last the beautiful picture " nich he had
recalled for more than tbs thousand'h time
seemed to have connection with his present
journey. Edward Espworth realised then
what we al have to realise at times in our'
way through life that our happy moments can
not be had over again at will. 1t is with them
as with many of the beautiful scenes Of nature,
they are out of our power, and otter pass
away beyond recall. The sun, for example.
has Just gone low and has left the western SKY
aglow with the most beautiful tints of opal,
the tints pale upwards and fade into the
grey sky, aud there on the margin of the
grey shines the evening star like brightest
diamond poised above the opal. We gaze on
the lovely scene till our hearts thrill with de-
light; but as we g re the sweet tintsfade into
grey, the diamond star sinks below the sea,
and soon all the beauty has 9 ID has
gwen place to the darkness Of light, \. can
not get the beauteous, sc 10 bacB again.
Wemay keep it in our rDmories as a rare