Year: 1861

i"BV. huu heE sHouShso-thoco Bio"hnb'
burning thoughts which she had Kept with
in her bosom, feeding them from books, and
warming them with her native ardor Of i'm
agination, til her heart seemed all too big
for her little fgure-had come 10 seem 30
small. Foolish little Maggie


Tho old man muttered to himself as hc
went along, leaving the maiden to her own
littlcncss and alteration. But afterward,
when bedtime had come-when the Word
had been read. and prayer had ascendcd-
little Maggie felt like talking; and sho said,


Z" Grandfather, isn't It noble thing to
bo young, and strong, and eloquent? o, 1t
is splendid thing to be man !"


And for an instant that expressive face lit
up into perfect glow.


{" Yes, Maggie. was q strong, young
fellow sixty years ago. And the work 1
used to do Never saw man who could so
ahead of me then, child. But now I'm get
ting old-getting old-getting old"
And the old man relapscd into musings.
The young girls face fell back to its quiet
ude, disappointed that her own high thoughts
were so poorly met. So she went to her
nest with her own glow Of feeling unshared.


The lady in silk met the young preacher
every day; for she was the daughter Of q
wealty elder, who had been requested to
take him into his family for a few months.
Beutiful, refined, intellectual. Nor was
she unimpresscd. The high talent Of the
gifted orator had wrought upon an imagi-
nation made sensitive to intellectual inau-
cnce by its own intellectual bias; 1t must be
confessed, she saw in him an approximate
realization of her own proud ideal. Too
high born and gifted to bc other than his
peer, she was conscious of On admiration
somewhat too glowing for all the ordinary
relations of life. A year went by. The
young minister was often called to the bed
side Of the decaying old man.l Little Mag.
gle felt safe when he was there; for 1t SEEM
cd as though his great heart and strong
hand could cover and protect, not only her
self and grandfather, but half the world be-
sides.


At first she would rarely talk-for what
could he care for her little thoughts :? But
at length drawn out little by little, the
wealth of her inner nature began to find ex-
preston; and after he vas gone, little Mag
gic would sit long while wondering what
could make her to lose sight of herself when
he was by-could make her forget what q
very little, simple creature she was-and
then tho old inshrinking would come again.


Tho grandfather dicd-died rs spent
candle Hickers, and is gonc-died one Sab
bath morning, with only Maggie by his bed
side, and sho was not afraid Of the mcssen-
ger that came. As the light went out from
tho aged eyes and tho dear girl pressed her
trembling fingers upon the lids, laid her
warm face to the wrinkled cheek, the ring
let's falling and mingling with the snowy
LOCKS, and sobbed in abandonment of grief.
The young preacher found them thus and
Maggie felt calm again-iclt safe under
the shadow of his great heart.


After this the bustlo Of preparation for
burial; tho coming and going Of friends;
the awkward and well-meaning sympathy OF
tho village people; tho strong uplifting
words of the funeral service; the last touch,
the drear return.


The young preacher was called away
called suddenly and strongly to field Of Ia
Dor worthy Of his vigorous youth and high
talent.


Poor little Maggie! Weeping on her
pillow till she wept herself to sleep, utterly
conquered by her tears, till neither house
hold activity nor merry songs could hold
them from gushing out whenever she thought
of this new loss. Maggie would never DO
thought of again He would move among
the great, mako himself name, and be very
useful and very happy. Well, she would
never loose her little title in him; wee bit
of share in his success-thero was o COM
fort in that.


Everybody said ho was going to carry
with him the eldest daughter. Maggie was
very glad, for thoAady was called aimiable
and good. though little proud. People
pronounced her fit companion for minis
ter of mark, with her clear, practical sense,
and her superiority Of mind. Maggie hoped
she would love him very dearly; but 1t SEEM
ed to her that sho could not begin to love
him as she ought. She could not help wish
ing that the elders daughter were little
less stately and proud.


The young minister had promised to come
and see her once moro before ho lett and
to-day. Saturday, would be tho day. she
was sure for tomorrow was tho Sabbath
and Monday mornings coach would take
him away. She had sung very little to-day,
her voice trembled 80 and she had sewcd
very little, for she could not see so well as
usual. But she went out into her flower
garden, and gathered tiny little star Of the
snowy Bethlehem, tho smallest and fairest
sho could find, and placed it between the
leaves Of her own little Bible. Then, when
she sat down and thought Of giving It to
him. Bible and all, she began to grow little
again, and wondered II ho would smile at
her for hoping to be remembered very long.


The young man came and went; but, be-
fore he left, little Maggie went to her table,
fluttering like winged bird, and bringing
the Bible which she had loved for 10 many
years, put IL into his hand, and asked him