Year: 1859

calmly; and once, when she heard
person say that he was killing himself
by almost frantic efforts to render
himself able to support his proud wife
in the style to which she was accus.
toned, without touching her poperty
in so doing, Mercy smiled pleasantly,
though compassionately, and said


"Poor Leo! | am afraid he is not
much happier than the poor cottags
girl could have made him."


After this Mercy was considered to
have fully recovered from her first and
most unhappy love. And now it was
that Mr.. Andross, kindest-hearted of
numan beings, began to think that he
might tell to Mercy the hopes and
wishes that he so long had cherished.
From her very babyhood he had been
interested in her welfare. During
the lifetime of his first wife she used
often to be at his house, and her
sprightly ways and always pleasant
face won greatly upon his regard.
lie repeatedly informed his wife that
he considered Mercy the finest girl in
the place, and that the men who got
her for wife would get woman
who was worth her weight in gold,
whose price was "above rubies."
When he found that there was an at.
tachment sprnging up between Mer.
cy and Leo, he felt great satisfaction,
for he was particularly attached to
both the De Wolf boys His aston.
ishment, Indignation and grief at the
conduct of Leo, and the consequent in.
sanity of poor Mercy, were beyond all
telling. lie it was who betrayed all
the expenses of Mercy's stay in the
asylum. Her mother objected in vain;
Andross insisted that his religion
obliged him to be kind to the widow
and the latherless, and have his own
way he would. The best room and
the best attention that the asylum af-
lorded were accordingly provided for
the hapIcss sufferer. And Andross
met with his reward, for Mercy fully
recovered, and when she learned of
all his watchful and long continued
kindness to her, and found that she
had not only sthe kind sympathy and
pity of that warm and noble heart.
but its most ardent love, she was pen
etrated with gratitude and joy, and,
leaning her head upon the broad
breast to which Andross gently drew
her, she lifted her streaming eyes to
his face, saying:


Il will be yours, and love you faith
fully as long as the Lord shall give me
life"


Meantime CasSius had long been
the happy husband of Anna. Tosoth-
er they were working their way up
ward in life. Anna was skilllul in
all the departments of housewilery,
and as prudent as she was skilllul.
Yet she was not mean. Never was



set better table than that to which,
three times day, Anna's husband
was called, and good and well pre-.
pared food Qhe truth must be confess
ed) has good deal to do with the
temper, and also with the affection, of
most men. A man can't love his
wife il he feels hungry, and she don't
get him something good to eat. The
fortunes of Cassius and his Anna were
steadily, though not very rapidly i'm
proving, and unto their family were
added in course Of time, two sons and
three daughters. They had their
griels and troubles, but were as hap.
py as it is well for people to be in
this world. But with Leo, how differ
ent the case. His wife was a born
and bred lady, with a fortune in her
own right. 1t was not to be expected
that she would trouble herself much





about household affairs. She always
intended to keep good servants-a
good cook especially-and as gener.
al thing she did SO; but good cooks are
wolully apt to "imbibe," and good
chambermaids are seldom able or
willing to take cooks place, so that it
is not unlrequently happened, notwith-
standing their wealth, that Leo went
hungry, or had to wander of, through
the hot noon, to some eating saloon
for his dinner. But then. to good
fellow like Leo, that wasn't SO bad al
ter all.


Dut Leo was proud and in some di-
rcct.ons. sensitive. lie couldn't bear
70 have hi. wife feel as ifhe was depen
dent on her. She ras lady, and sho
never mentioned the fortune to which
she had raised him; but there was fre.
qucnt look in her acute blue eyes
which told him that she thought of it.
The fact was, she had her su,picions
that Leo had married her more for