Year: 1867

l
the true and tender hearted young girl llat
looked forward with such hope and conf
dence. For little while all courage mis-
give her; her hands and her feet refuse,
to obey her will, and the wheel stood idl,
against the wall; but she was young, ant
gradually hope resumed sway; but conf
dence fingered, for. when once lost, that il
not got back so easily. We need no,
paint nor try to paint the nutterings and
sinkings of the heart with the coming and
going of the tide; the bushes and the
pallor that succeeded one another as new,
that was agreeable or the contrary came
from time to time. Weeks went by, ani
hope faded into fear, and fc,r frightened
into hope again and again; and at last the
fears vanished and hope was predominant
Nathan was come once more.


Aud they walked in the garden and sat
on the thyme bank by the bec-lives in the
soft moonlight, and the young man told the
girl all about his new life, and all about the
high ambition he was beginning to nurse


He mcnt to be rich man yet; he had
been baby to think of marrying with on
ly his hands and fifty acres of land! lie
did not say we must wait. but Matilda did
-, ~ '' '" P0'""!S' "'e' "','
theie was as much happiness IN the antlcl-
pat'"n as the reaiity. Ihls was new
u""e "r Na'lia'' 10 ne smre--Dut were
'"cS hot aiole to:ether on tnc thvme hahk'
and was net her hand in his. and how
should the simple and single hearted child
be distrustfH! or afraid! Nathan was
come back, and every thing must needs
"e r'sht.


re spoke not one Word OF La'ps!c, and
Matilua hau NOT the heart TO name her. lie
called Matilda his good angel and sad
now much ne I'u needed hcf heIp ana
guidance amidst the temptations that were
constantly Deing thrown IN his way. She
would never torsake HIM. he Hoped: never
cease to be to hm stcadtast star, let
come what would. She was very dear to
almost wished 1t were possible to die for
her then ana there; to have the bees
humn'ng about him and the long grass
blowing over his face were an end to be
covertcd indeed! And then he sighed
and hung his head, aud they remained a
long time silent. Matilda pltylng him from
the bottom OF her innocent heart. and Won
derln5 why so strange and sad mood had
come over him.


1t SHE had been older or wiser i'll the
worlds wisdom she would have seen thar
all was not right. Perhaps 1t was as well
that she did not see; it put the evil day
afar off.


She did not remember till after he was
gone how little he had said that was net
shadowy and vague, as she looked back
and tried to catch it, 1t escaped her like
the mist or the moonlight, and she could
not but wonder what it was out OF which
she had gotten SO much happiness ut the
time.


When her mother asked her at what
time Nathan was coming again, she was
veXcd with her mother. He had said
nothing about coming again. and when
pressed and forced TO admit it. she was
more vexed than ever, but not with him.
oh no! He had not thought of it perhaps,
and perhaps. in the multiplicity of his
cares aud the emharrassments Of an occu-
patton new to Inn. he did not himself
know when he should come hut it would
be as soon as possible. she was sure of that


Had he not called her his angel and
said he was ready to die for her : This
was not saying he was ready to live for
her, if she had CHANGED to think of it, but
she did not chance. She saw through the
medium of her own affections, and she
saw in some sort, as we all do. what she
wished to see. And there was besides
even yet underlying all her fears. an al
most unSliakcn belief i'll his moral intcgri-
ty. She loved him all the same, and she
could not bear Il hint of his talsity, but
somehow she found no rest i'll her love.


One day, when month was gone by
since his last visit, there came letter fr IN
Nathan. Matilda dare n break the seal
she feared so much. and by this time had
reason to fear 50 much. She hid it in her
bosom, and there it flu;tercd over her heart
the long suDmsr afternoon ; and not till
the evening work was done, and the door
ct her chamber locked. did SHE venture to
draw it forth. "A sitting sensation Oppress
rd her at the hrst words. My life long
friend. my good little angel 1t began.-
And then he went ON as though no other
relation than one OF friendship and neigh
borly regard had ever existed between
them He had fallen in love. he said, but
he dlstrustcd hIs Judgement without her
sanction, as he always did, and if she did
not send him her approval he should GER
tainly he very miserable. The lady was
not 50 young nor so beautiful as herself,
and to be frank. he feared, nay, he knew
she had not ereXcellent qualities III truth
he wished she were more like his own good
little lilly! But the mcshes of fate wer,
about him. and he was committed irretrie
vably. lie could say to her, his angel
that he hardly knew whether to be glad ol
hawai- hAIynVnr in ha