Year: 1865

sang with such thrilling sweetness,
dreamed they were angel chorists ;
when the flowers glowed with unearth-
ly loveliness, and even the joyous in
sects sporting in the golden summer
air, seemed to share the bliss, the
gladness, the rapture that overfowed
my heart The radiance soon faded,
alas


IL have told you that a younger
sister was the object of my mothers
cares. Her name was Minnie, and
to my eyes she was lovelier than
either Kate or Isabel. My eyes were
partial, however, for Minnie was a
favorite of all my brothers and sisters,
and my devotion to her was more like
mothers than a sisters. She half
repaid, half allowed my affection, de.
tending me when the others teased me,
although she did not scruple to laugh
at me herself. Much as this hurt me,
| did not let her see it; ! was too
grateful for the moiety of love she
gave me to complain of anything she
did. She was the one bright spot of
my life, and though always tried to
sympathize with her in everything,
could not share her rejoicing, when Isa-
bel discovered, the autumn after her
marriage, that Minnie was deficient in
accomplishments, and took her to the
city to live with her. 1t was dreary
winter that followed. l missed Min
ME sorely, and our family was still
further diminished by the departure of
my three elder brothers to seek en-
ployment in another State. Long as
the winter seemed it was over at last
and as the evenings heightened, l fire.
quently took solitary walks to the
stile across the fields. You know it
Nellie. would sit there for hours,
absorbed in revery. One evening as l
thus sat, with the sweet spring air
blowing rcfreshingly on my brow,
was startled out Of my thoughts by
fierce growl, and at the same instant
saw q large dog within a few feet of
me. ! had always had nervous fear
of dogs, and the sudden apparition Of
this animal, his apparent ferocity, and
the impossibility of escape, filled me
with terror / shrieked, although not
hoping l could be heard. Twas there
fore quite as much surprised as re-
lieved when a gentleman sprang for
ward and called off my enemy. As
the new conner advanced towards me,
and in few courteous words apollo
gized for the alarm his dog had caus-
ed, l noticed he was a stranger, a be-
lief in which was quickly confirmed,
for as arose from my seat he asked
permission to accompany me if | was
going towards the village, for the
double purpose he said, of protect
ing me from further adventures, aud
of cnsuring his reaching his quarters
that night. lie was still such strang-
er to the country, that he was in con-
stant danger of losing himself AS
we walked towards home, he told me
that he was a lawyer; that he had
overworked himself at his profession,
and had come to the country to re-
cruit. | could see through the dusk,
that his face was pale and his should
ers stopping. He bade me good night
at our door. did not ask him to en-
ter, but the next day there was q card
sent up to me bearing the name of Mr..
Richard Thorton, and on descending
the stairs found my unknown ac-
quaintance in the parlor, talking to
my mother From that time his Wis
its were constant, almost daily, and |
was calmly contented when he was
there, restless and unquiet when he
staid away. You must not expect
me to describe hero of romance, Mel
lie. Mr.. Thorton had little about him
to attract a young girls fancy. His
features were too strongly marked to
be at all handsome, and his mouth,
that index of character, betokened va
cillation and irresolution. He thought
deeply and talked well Icould have
listened to him forever and in his
manner towards women there was
a respect, q Difference, especially
grateful to me, who was so little ac-
customed to any attention. 1t was


this probably that made me love him,


love him until the thought of him was


inwoven with the very fibers of my be-
ing. At last the crisis of my fate
came. 1t was an evening late in June,


and had again walked to the stile


across the fields, and once more sat


there, watching the gorgeous clouds


that painted the West but this time


my reveries were not of the same


gloomy nature as those which had for.


merly occupied me. Now my heart


throbbed with underlined happines, and


when the object that had engrossed


my thoughts stood before me, l was


little surprised. hoped to find you
here,' he said, quietly, as he leaned
against the stile. could not answer
and for some time there was silence
as we watched the glory fade from the


sky, and the purple and gold and rose


tints melt into dim gray and then
! in the long lingering summer twilight
!, Richard Thorton told me of his love


need not tell you what he said, can
not tell you, although each word is
} printed indelibly on my heart. Id
DcSScu iOE u Ittutu, dHu - Coute
J not believe such joy was for me.
kept back the tide Of love that was
surging in my breast, and tried to an


swer him coldly: You cannot be il


earnest, Mr.. Thorton You could new
} er love any one SO ugly and unattrac
; tive as am Ugly, unattractive /!
he exclaimed, almost fiercely, : do yo,
, think am man to love woman fol
mere beauty of feature? No; the
soul shining from your eyes comprises
J all beauty for me Hester he con
, tinued, and his voice was low and ten
der, Il have loved you from the time
J l first saw you, sitting here, with the
sunset glow on your face. You have
been my guiding star since then-th.
unutterable joy Of my heart. Will
. you refuse me all that would make life
valuable p Could refuse him9 Ny
, own heart plead too strongly for him
, | w, v,,opt hnp,o that p,orht ,,l;rh<aJ l,,