Year: 1859

it whispered that change might come. But
Lily Indignantly repealed the dishonoring
doubt Should she with cold suspicion
meet the warm true heart that trusted her?
And with accusing tenderness arose the re 4.
proachful sentence, ''Never, from the be-
ginning of our acquaintance, have you
given me the slightest hope, she could
not tell him that she loved him, her tongue
refused its Office and absolutely Glove to
roof of her mouth and then her heart
kept beating such tattoo that it did not
leave her breath for Words IF he would
only takeit for granted, or peep, with those
searching eyes of his, into the depth of her
"heart of hearts," and see his image en-
shrined sole monarch there, but she never
could confess this-no never And Lily
leaned upon her desk and buried her burn
ing face in the little white hands, shaking
down the golden curls to conceal from the
prying eyes of the inquisitive group around
her, the bushes that would fit, like roseate
clouds across a summer sky, over the in
genuous face


"Parson Barker's letter was left lying
unopened amid pile of uncorrected COM
positions that Uttered Lily's desk, when
she hurriedly locked the door and hasten
ed home to prepare careful toilet for the
reception of her expected guest Lily ar
rayed herself in a muslin of sky blue that
contracted the delicate frmness of her
pearly complexion and brought into relief
the sea-shell tint of her cheek, looked up
the long oriental sleeves with knots Of the
same hued ribbon, and wove cluster of
bluebells in the sunny curls, Happiness
is an all-powerful cosmetic and Lily might
be pardoned the note of admiration that
pointed her last glance into the mirror, for
the sake of the lovely vision that peeped
from its depths. She stole slyly from her
room to the secluded grotto at the foot of
the hill, using the lilac hedge as a screen,
for she wished to be alone with her new
found joy and knew that if discovered,
Minnie would plead to become her com
panion.


"Ah! here you are" exclaimed familiar
voice and startled Lily from her reverie,
81 have been seeking you, Uncle Ned, the
only one from whom l could obtain the
slightest inform alton, directed me "Down
to dat ar hole in de rock, when de blessed
chile stays de live-long day o Saturdays,
and ev'ry speck of playtime she can scrape
fingin' pebbles inter de creek:--like, she
wanted ter build a dam crost it."


Lily laughed. heartily at Uncle Ned's
prosaic Interpretation other efforts to pave
the channel of the beautiful stream before
her grotto with the rose-colored shells
brought for that purpose from the South
seas by Capt. M'Clintock.


"Lily, the surroundings of this lovely
place beft your grace and beauty better
than the dusty walls and inky desks of
schoolroom. There is congeniality be-
tween your fairy-like figure and the wild
romance of the spot. During my absence
l shall always recall your image amid these
scenes. will not think of you as growing
life-weary over those troublesome children.
I wish 1 might steal you from the weari-
some task of teaching these tow headed
urchins and make you my cOmpognon de
rogage. Would you like to go Lily?"


"That is difficult question to answer
I should like to visit the land of orange
groves, but"


"It would depend upon the capacity in
which you went?" finished Walter with a
merry laugh twinkling in the mischeivous
depths of his violent eyes and implying a
throng of unexpressed thoughts.


ooh no have always had foolishly
romantic desire that my home might be in
the fowerloving south, where winter
might not hush the gladstone voice of ma
ture with the rival strains of Boreas, but
suppose / should pine like Gagged bird
if my wish were realized and it should
separate me from the warm hearts and low
ing friends that are here"


"And it shall not, Lily. You shall
pisit that fair land but your home shall be
be here; we could not lose you. We who
have learned to prize and love you will not
easily let our lovely blossom go to glad
den, with its peerless beauty, another soil
Elmsdale, Lily, will be your home"


"Do you think so ?" asked Lily, raising
her truthful eyes to his, as if she would
have him crush the last lingering doubt
that lurked within her cup of bliss with
threatening sting.


IL :. L l.. ]. Z. L.