Year: 1865

The evening passed off rapidly by the
help of music, reading and the little small
talk of which newly married people gem
orally find supply, and the next morn
ing found Mark at early business hours
with as steady hand and cool head a,
if there had been no such thing as bache
lor frolics in existence.


Late in the forenoon Ben Sanford loung
ed in to osle few ladies, and, above all,
to rally Mark on losing the fun of the
evening before.


Upon my word, Mark" he began, 1--WE
must have you put up for Selectman, you
are becoming so extremely ancient and
venerable in your ways-however you are
to be excused" he added, circumstances
considered-female influenced Well, it's
a fine affair, this marriage =


" Better try it, Mr.. Sanford" said a
bright saucy girl, who with her laughing
companions were standing by while Ben
was speaking.


"Ah, madam, the wherewithal," said
Ben, rolling up his eyes tragically. "If
some C ever fellow would be so obliging
as to die now, and leave me a few thous-
and, then, ladies, you should seel


But speaking of money" said Mark,
when he saw the ladies busy over some
laces he had thrown on the counter, "what
did your glorious fun cost your"





" Pho only ten dollar bill, nothing in
my purse, YOU know"


" Nothing in the purse p not an uncom-
mon incident after these occasions" said
Mark, laughing.


"Oh hang it al" said Ben, Its So
I can get no remedy for this consumption
of the purse, as Falstaff says; however.
the world owes me living, and so good
morning"


Ben Sanford was just one of that class
of men of whom report goes that they can
do anything they please, and who consider
this point so we'll established that they do
not consider it necessary to illustrate it
by doing anything He was lawyer Of
talent, and would have had an extensive
run of business hal he not been one of
the class Of people never to be found
when wanted. His law books and law
office saw far less of him than some FASH
iOnable places of resort, where his hand
some person and various scciahle accom-
plishments secured to him welcome re~
ccption. Ben had some property left bv
his father, just enough to keep him in
gloves and cologne water, as he used
laughincly to quote, and for the rest he
seemed vastly connected with his old max
i'm ''the world owes me living" forget
ting that the world can sometimes prove
as poor n paymaster as the most fashiona-
tle Young gentleman.


But to return to Mark When he had
settled his accounts at night he took from
n pigeon hole in his desk the little book
aforenamed, and entered as follows: "To
one real wake up, $40" which being done
he locked his desk, and returned once
more to Mrs. Meriden.


DAYS flew on, and the shop of Mark be-
came increasingly popular, and still from
time to time he was assailed bv the kind
of temptation we have descrihel. Now it
was Mark, my dear old fellow, do join
rs in a trip to c. -'s"-and now, come
my old boy, let us have spree at F-s;
now it wns the club, now the oyster sup
per-but Still Mark was inrincib1e, and,
as one or another lily recounted the his
tory of the scene, he SILENTLY committed
the amount OF tho exp5nse to his book
Yet was not Mark cynical or unso-
cial His refusals, though so firm, was in
varinhlv cood-natured and though he could
not be drawn abroad, ve the was unoues-
tionahly opeE-hearted in his own home
No house had so warm a weicome-no
denner table could be more bountiful or
more freely open for the behoof of all
gentlemen of the dining out order-no
tea table presented more unexceptionable
toast, and no evening lounge was more
easy, home like and cheerful than on
sofas in the snug parlors of Mark Mcri>
den. lneV also gave evening parties,
where all was brilliant, tasteful and we'll
ordered and, in fine, notwitl standing
his short cominrs, Mark was set down as
n fne open hearted fellow, after all.


At the end of the year, Mark cast up
the account in his little book, and was
nightly astonished at it, for. with all his
ideas of the powers of numbers, he had
no idea that the twos, fves. and tens. and
which on rreat~r or small occasions bad
found their way into his columns, would
amount up 10 a sum so considerable
Mark looked about him--his business
machinery moving in exact touch and
time-his house, where was there pref
tier one ?-where n place more replete
with every home drawing comfort7 Had
he lost anything in pleasure the year past
Mark thought not and therefore rs he
walked homeward, he stopped into the
book sellers and ordered some books o
superb engravin-s for Mrs. Meriden, and
spoke to a gardener to send some elegant
Towering exoties for which he had hearC