Year: 1867

meet at breakfast Therefore she was rig orous with herself, and gave less care than usual to her toilet. Yet, only that such thoughts were sinful, she would have wish ed that the face reflected in her mirror were more like Katharine's Josephine was the least pretty of the girls. Her figure was too small and slight the irregularity of he1 features would have been conspicuous but they were SO delicate. Still nobody had ever called her plain her sweet eyes, beau tiful complexion, and graceful manner for bade the verdict.

 Certainly Victor did not think her plain as she came into the breakfast room. With half glance-for he would not look-he saw her girlish charms the sea shell tints the slim fairness of her hands, the soft con trasts of hair and brow. No, he would not look he was determined. He had other things to think of than such nonsense Poor and in debt. loving ease and loving luKuries, be was not going to put climax to his fate by loving one of his cousins too They were nice girls, all of them, and the house delightful one to visit but not one of them should tempt him. Not Katharine e's gorgeousness, nor Mary's blight and glanc ing beauty resistance was easy enough sc l far, since neither of these had ever tempt ed him no, nor even dear little Josie's shy and tender ways. What was the child thinking of last night ? he wondered Was that blush mere chance, or had the grace. less cousin unwittingly gained lodgment in her heart Pshaw here he was wan. dering of into danger again. He began to talk vigorously with Aunt Agnes of Turkish and Parisian coffee, each of which he had tried in its own locality.

 1 Josephine had soon little struggle with herself. There was a service of some sort, I know not what, and she would not neg lect it, hard as it was to leave the cheerful group. Her self-denial had speedy re- ward. Coming down stairs, bonneted and shawled, she found Victor awaiting her ill the hall.

 "We may as well have each others com. pany as far as our way lies together" he said,

 "But I go up town, you know" He hesitated a moment; then inclination

 Every well. I will go too, Business will not suffer by half an hours delay" They walked on. Victor, angry at his own want of self-control would talk of no themes but tue most common place. Jose phine, all ignorant of his feelings, was happy enough in having him beside her. The fresh air, the sunshine, the roar of the great city awakening to it's daily life, stir red and revived her spirit; all these morn ing influences blent imperceptibly with her gladness. The walk was too short; she was sorry to see the door of the church.

 "Will you not come in?" she asked

 "Not to-day, thank you. You must be devotional for both of us. Good-by." He was going down the steps, but turned. " And mind, Josie,' he said, taking her hand one instant in his own, 'that you are not carried off in holy ecstacy, for I should not like to lose you"

 If the words were trihing, his eyes were earnest. Josephine went in, blessed yet bewildered. She passed the basin of holy water without remembering to cross her self, and had to turn back halfway up the aisle. In the sacred place she strove to banish earthly feeling, but the young love tinged every thought, mingled with every aspiration.

 As for Victor he could have stamped with vexation. "Am I more fool or knave?" he asked himself But this is the end-the very last of it.'

 his. The volume was but opened; she had , dreaming over the story of to-day, she be- unread. Should we not warn her? Shut up the book, child. It is silly tale, worn out and vapid. Or were it beautiful and one else; 1t IS not meant for you

 The avs happiness was unclouded; in her content of heart the girl marvelled at the restless trouble of the previous night. She did not think of love; she only felt how kind was Victor, how pleasant every thing became when he was near. There was shade of disappointment when he did not come that evening, nor the next

 The third night it rained in torrents; it was useless to expect him. Having said this to herself, she listened to every step upon the pavement, hoping that 1t might be his. Eight o'clock by the little time piece on the mantel; but then that always is too fast; and nine even, would not be very late. Her father read his newspaper by the drop-ight. Mrs. Courtenay was busted with some masterpiece of fancy knitting. Katharine sat at the piano and sung from Norma" How mournful her voice sounded! The long swells, the lin gering cadences, seemed a farewell to Hope.

 Suddenly the door-bell pealed above the singing. Every one paused and looked up.

 "Who can that be this rainy night?" said Katharine.

 "John, presume" said Mary. He is always forgetting his latch-key."

 Josephine made no such tame con- jec- lures; her heart leaped to the hope that he had come. There was brief, sharp pause of doubt while he took off his wrappings in the hall; then the door opened and the world grew bright again; but not for long.

 "Dont let me interrupt your music, he said, going to the piano when the first greetings were over "Norma p How I wish you could hear it as have done, with Grisi for prima donna! But they say we shall actually have the opera in New York next winter; at least some friends of mine, who know about these things, assure me that the attempt will be made"

 "If it only would succeed" said Katha- rine, warmly. "I would give any thing to hear an Opera! But we have always been told that it was too costly an enterprise for this country"

 "I don't see why. We have good deal of wealth and taste; we lack culture, but that comes with time, if indeed it is ne- cessary in this case. Half the people, knowing the thing is fashionable and pat