The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-22

I it's force from being confidential: q say,
 my people are a good natured people, but my opinion is that you had better cut it short. My people are a mighty good | natured people. But my opinion is that if you don't act upon my advice, I'm | damned if don't believe they will pitch you out O winder." MT. Bounderby | looked around and believed that Sleary spoke the truth. And thus did Cecelia Jupe become an inmate of the uncom-
 promising castle of Stone Lodge.
 Once there, Mr. Gradgrlnd took little
 notice of her. She was allowed to share in the 'ologes" of the other children, Tand devoted all her spare time to waiting upon Mrs. Gradgrind, who always wanted Cecelia-she was Sissy no longer-by her side. In fact the quiet girl was popular
 with everybody in that gloomy house.
 hold; for she represented something which
 had before been sternly kept out of the place and the lives of the inmates there of-imagination.
 | Now, when Louisa had left the room
 on the night her father went to look up | Cecelia's father MT. Bounderby had bent over her and kissed her, saying: Al , ways my pet, aren't you, Louisa?" And
 Louisa, when she was alone with her
 brother Tom, had said: From, if you like
 you may take a knife and cut out that
 part of my face where MT. Bounderby
 kissed me-" "Oh, old Bounderby is all
 right" replied Tom, land you are to
 marry him some time, you know. And I am going to live with him and be in the
 bank as soon as am old enough. And I look to you. Louisa, to keep old Bound erby in order and not make it too rough for me. have never had good time in my life, and when I go to live at old Bounderbys intend to have it." Louisa sighed and said: 'Tom, you are the only friend I ever had. Of course, I will do anything can for you"
 And at length the day came when MT.
 Gradgrind said to Louisa: My dear, you are quite woman. You are. indeed. And I must tell you something which greatly concerns your future. MT. Bound- erby has made me a formal proposal for your hand. You will, of course. do as you think best about accepting him. But
 both your mother and myself think the match an excellent one. There is, to be sure, some disparity of ages. But upon consulting the tables I find that large percentage of marriages are contracted between parties of very unequal ages, and that the elder of these parties is, in rather more than three-fourths of the cases, the bridegroom. It is remarkable, as showing the wide prevalence of this law, that among the natives of the British possessions in India, also among the Cal mucks and among the Chinese, the most trustworthy statistics yield like results" What do you recommend, father?'' said Louisa, standing before her father with @ calm face. Do you ask me to love MT. Bounderby?y My dear Louisa, no; ask nothing. Let us confine ourselves to facts" Does MT. Bounderby ask me to love him?" "Why, really. my child, this is rather difficult question to answer. But confning ourselves rigidly to facts, it appears that the question is simply this: Does MT. Bounderby ask you to marry him? Yes, he does. And it is a comfort to me- your father to know that you do not come to the consideration of that question with the previous habits of life that belong to so many young wo-