Year: 1861




overshadowed with luxuriant tresses Of
black and the clearly arched brow, so un.
calmly in most faces, enhanced, than other
wise, her superior beauty; so, also, did the
black eyes, hid by dark lashes that lay
long on the check.


l was introduced, and we were soon
chatting gaily. found her possessed of
that peculiar suauiter in modo, which adds
such a charm to the most c)mmon- place
observations. She had not that gaite-de-
coeur which one would at first suppose,
some early sorrow or loss having softened
down her, otherwise, volatile spirits. In
the course of our conversation, also dis.
covered that she was the village school
mistress which was something to be won-
dered at; for this class of persons, SO USE
full in teaching the young idea how to
Shoot" so often represented by a lean, lank,
toothless specimen Of humanity, possessed
Of an uncertain age, an inquisitive nose, an
ascetic and acetic cast of features and
decided penchant for obeying that preccpt
of old Solomon, about not sparing the rod.


Lettering slowly along the road, the next
day after the party. as usual, with my dog
and gun, could not but acknowledge a
different feeling from any had ever before
experienced.


How true it is, we may have everything
we can wish-evcrything the heart can de-
sire. We may think that the picture gal
leries of our hearts, are filled with the ina
ges Of good and kind friends, and that
there is not room for one more yet, sooner
or later, in life, away back in some dusty
dim corridor Of the heart, Cupid, that
great searcher and finder Of such places,
paints, in such vivid colors the image of one
for whom we cherish different feeling from
that of friendship, that it is never effaced so
long as We live was in love.


And being in love, it was nothing strange
that should make a declaration, and not
being i'll looking $50 says Mrs. Willis, as
she looks at this writing,) neither was it
strange that should be accepted, and come
down here to the city, and take the little
cottage at Cardigan place, with steady en-
ployment as foreman of the Herald-Gut-
ternell, Slimp, & Co., proprietors. Nor
after all this, is it anyways strange that l
am sitting here, with my slippered feet bu-
ried in the foot rug, and my wife just op-
dosite in her easy chair both of US as hap.
py as that youthful individual of nursery
fame, who sat in the corner, all alone, eat
ing christmas pie.


And my salary is raised well that is
good. Now Minnie can have the many
things she has so long wished for, an',
above all, that marble psyche at Almini's,
which she so much admired the other day.
Sweet Minnie, there is but one drawback to
her happiness: that is, the loss Of her SIS
ter, of which she has been telling me, in
the little history of her life, tonight They
were both born in the village where be.
came acquainted with her, she being the
elder by six years. While her sister Liz
zie was yet very young, both parents died
and the sisters were left alone in the world,
with no one to care for them. A gentleman
and bis wife, from the city, passing the
'ummer in the village, pitied their forlorn
condition and adopted Lizzie, while Min
ME was taken charge Of by the family in
which she had ever since resided The
summer season having passed away, the
family who adopted Lizzie, returned to the
city taking her with them, since which
time, nothing had been heard of her; and
Minnie having even forgotten the name OF
the family, it was no easy matter to find
her in city SO large as this. Yet Minnie
indulged the hope that she would yet be
found, and that hope was her only solace.


"What beautiful hoods! was the ex-
clamation heard from little girl, as she
stood gazing in a large shov-window on
Front Street, where liberal display Of hoods
Of every shape and color imaginable was
made. Hearing this exclamation, reminded
me of a certain brown hood that my wife
had worn for, at least, two winters to my
positive knowledge, and don't know how
much longer. Even with my limited ideas
Of fashion, l knew it was not in style,
which, in this world, is everything. Hav.
ing a few minutes to spare, stepped into
the establishment and asked rather tilnidly
to see some hoods. Il say rather timidly,
for man is not supposed to possess aknowl-
edge Of the articles of woman's dress, and
this was strictly female establishment;
lady proprietor, lady clerks and girls to car.
ry home purchases.) The clerk, who was
very full and red in the face, and had a
great many rings on her fingers, and very
large cameo on her breast, set out box of
the articles called for, and agreeable to her
Recommendation, chose from the melange
of colors, beautiful solferino and black
one, with heavy roll completely encircling
it, and long strings ending in balls of zeph-
yr worsted, think the clerk called them,
about the size Of those with which jugglers
astonish the admiring public, by swallowing
as easily as they would homeopathic pill.
When an errand girl, obcdient to the call
of the clerk, appeared from some recess Of
the establishment, and received the parcel
with injunctions as to as it's destination
was struck with the similarity of appear.
ance that existed between her and my wife
Thinking it one Of those physiognomica
condolences that are seen every day,
dismissed it from my mind, and took q cal
for the Office, to make up for lost time.