Year: 1859

It was the brightest, cosiest little room
in New York, cheerful with the merry
CLEAN of freight and the Ginning tick of
a musical clock and the half uttered twit-
ter of the gold plumage canary who was
just composing himself to sleep among
the geraniums-the very sort of room to
which the wearied business man would
long TO call his home-always provided
there was n sunshiny little heart some
where about TO set all the household ma
chnery going harmoniously.


Yet there was not an expensive article
there-no rosewood chairs cushioned in
satin-no malachite stands or mosaic
rugs or costly agate vases-only a neat
little mahogany tea table all set with
blue plain ware, as shining rs tho most
transparent of gold-veined china could be,
and patterned carpet, which seem
ed to say, 81 know / am not velvet
make no pretense but here | am and i
mean to be as scrviceable rs possible. -
Every thing else was just rs neat and as
plain; and if there had been one solitary
grain of dust any where within the -four
walls it must have pined away and evap'
grated out Of sheer loneliness.


Little Mrs. Wilford fitting around IT
her snug domains, now placing her hus-
bands slippers where they can get warm
nicely, wondering parenthetically, "why
he didn't come" now sitting tiny bo-
quette of roses and geranium buds in O
small vase in the centre of the tea-table
-now pulling an oblique corner of the
snowy table cloth into the line-plum'
met exactitude, ard now listening
with her petite head against the man
tle-shelf, to the merry song of the shin
ing tea-kettle as it bubbled joyously OF
the fire, breathing out dense white va
por cloud from its liquid lungs-until Al
length the footsteps sounded below, the
key turned and clicked in the door-anC
he came.


But not alone. There was goo(
leal of very excusable pride in his man
ner as he presented his fair young wife tc
an old school friend whom he had moi
met fer several years before, and who wa:
doing q prosperous down town business


1t had been n casual encounter OF
Broadway, such as oftentimes happens
They had walked along together, convers
ing cordially, until at length the corne
was reached where their paths diverged
But their say was not more than half said
and in the warmth of his heart Wilforc
invited his friend home TO tea with him
Mr.. Maynard accepted the offer. 81:
o'clock was his own fashionable Dime
hour, but he did not say so, neither di'
he mention that his wife was at matn
and probably wouldn't be at home a
present. The cordial manner of his oil
] friend made him sigh and think of tn
old times when he had been wont to 81
down to dinner just rs the creeping sun
shine reached the noon mark" on tn
old kitchen floor, and when "supper


wasn't an association of gas-lights, chan
pagne, sugar-temples and spicy game


but quiet meal, taken just when sunse


Redeemed the crest of the tall poplar tree


on the hill. All, the good old times
1t was long time since he had bee
) in such tiny, unprctending room as tbs
where he now sat, accepting the cup


fragrant tea from Amy Wilford's dextror


little hand. Yet every thing was S
bright, so neat, so exquisitely tasteful
the fire glowed so rcdly, and the rosebud
in the vases gave such a refined grace


The little blue tea-service and tho commc
painted waiter, that ne felt at once th'
he was in the atmosphere of home.


He never missed the silver urn, or Il


gold banded china of his own stately I
+ bic; never noticed that his feet did n
: rest among the velvety crimson Of b
D own Wilton carpet, nor perceived u