Year: 1860

sunshine seldom penetrated to the ground 1T the summer months, except in one spot, just in front of the library windows, where il used to lie and sleep in the grass as if il loved it, why should not l.

 "General Lewis was one of the pleasant old-fashioned men, now quite gone out O memory, as we'll as out of existence. H. loved his horses, his dogs, his place, and hi; punch. He loved his nephew Tom, wild uncouth, rough cub as he was; but above horses, dogs or house or all together, he loved his daughter Sarah, and I loved hel too.

 Yes, you may look at me as you will Phil Philips, 1 loved Sarah Lewis, and by all the gods love her now as loved hel then, aud as shall love her if l meet bel again where she has'gone

 Call it folly, call it boyish, call it an old mans whim, an old mans second childhood l care not by what name you call it, it is enough that tonight the image of that girl stands before me splenddly beautiful in all the holiness of he: young, glad life, and could bow on my knees and worship her again.

 Why, did I say again? For forty years l have not ceased to worship her. If kneel to pray in the morning, she passes be. tween me and God. If would read the prayers at evening twilight, she looks up at me from the page. If l would worship on Sabbath morning in the church, she looks down on me from some unfathomable dis tance, some unapproachah,e height, and 1 pray to her as if she were my hope, my heaven, my all.

 Sometimes in the winter nights, I feel coldness stealing over me, and my icy fiil- gers are stealing about my heart, as if to grasp and still it. l lie calmly, quietly, and think my hour is at hand; thro' the gloom, thro' the mist and fms that gather over my vision, l see her afar off, still the angel in the distant heaven, and reach out my arms to her, and cry aloud on God to let me go Gnd her, and on her to come to me, and then darkness settles on me.

 "The doctor calls this apoplexy, and says shall soon die in q fit of it. What do doc tors know of the tremu!ous influences that are working on our souls? He, in lis scien- tiic stupidity, calls it a disease, aud warns me againet wine and high living: as if did not understand what it is, and why my vis- ion at such times, reaches so far into the deep unknown.

 Il have spoken of Tom Lewis, her cousin Rumor said he was the old mans heir in equal proportion with the daughter; for he had btcu brought up in the family, and had always been treated as a son. He was a good fellow, if hc was rough, for he had the goodness that all who caine within her ilflu- cLcc must have

 l have seen her look !he devil out of him often. l remember once when the hor- scs had behaved in Il way not to suit him, and he had let an oath or two escape his lips preparatory to putting on the whip.- We were riding together down the avenue and he raised the lash. At the moment he caught her eye. She was coming from the looge where she had been to see a s ok child She saw the rais,d whip, and her eye caught his. He did rot strike. The horses cs- capped for that time. He drove them quiet ly through the gate and three miles and back without q word of anger.

 Did tell you I was her cousin also?- On her mothers side. tot on the Generals We lived not far off, and 1 lived much of my time at his house. Tom and myself had been inseperable, and we did not conceal our rivalry from each other

 "Tom," said l, one morning, "why can't you be content with half the Generals for tune and let me have the other haIf?''

 Bah! Jerry," said he, Gas if that would be any more even, when you want Sarah with it. In heavens name, take half of the money, if that's all you want"

 "Can't We fix it to make an even division, Tom? Take all the fortune and let me have her, and I'll call it square,"

 Just what was going to propose to you Be reasonable now, Jerry, and get out of the way You must see she doesu't care copper for you."

 " l twired rosebud in my fingers that she gave me that morning, and replied

 Poor devil! 1 did not think you could be so infatuated. Why, Tom, there is no chance for you under the sun. But go on; find out as you will I am sorry for you"

 " A hundred such pleasant talks we used to have, and she Lever gave either of us a particle more encouragement than the other. She was like sister to us both, and neither dare break the spell of our perfect happiness by asking her to be more.

 And so time passed on.

 One summer afternoon we were of to- gether on horseback, all three of us, over the mountain and down the valley. We were returning toward sunset, sauntcrng along the road, down the side of hill

 Philip, stir the fire little. That bowl of punch is getting cold, it seems to me, and l am little chilly myself Perhaps it is the recollection of that day that chills me.

 Il had made up my mind if opportunity occurred, to tell her that day all I had thought for years. I had determined to know once for all, if she would love me or no.

 eff not, would go, I cared not where; the world was broad enough, and it should be to some place where I should never see her face again, never hear her voice again I would go to Russia and offer myself to the Czar, or to Syria and fight with Napoleon, or to Egypt, and serve with the men of Nun. rad Bey All my notions were military, remember, and my ideas were of war and death on the battlefield.

 II rode by her side, and looked up at bel occasionally, and thought she was looking splendidly. had never seen her more so Every attitude was grace, every look wa' life.

 Tom clung close to her. One would nave thought he was watching the very op portunity Twas after myself Now he rod' lew paces forward, and as I was catching my breath to say Sarah" he would reil