Year: 1860

hotels in the great American metropolis
He inquiries at the clerks Office for letters


that have been received during his absence


When he receives them, the first envelopt
upon which his eyes fasten is the one di


rected by the we'll known hand Of Edith
1 With light Joyous heart, and a couDte
. nance radiant with happiness. he seats
himself in his own room, TO peruse those
pages sacred to him. because penned by
, her.


at is SO kind in Edith" said he as he
broke the seal, "to write to me, so that
should receive her letter Immediately upon
my return. She knew that / would be so
anxious to hear from her. How very
thoughtful she is"


He reads. "Does his eyes deceive him 2
Her faith in me shaken She can no longer
place any reliance upon my word, she
thinks that am trifing with her. Edith
you never could have loved me or you
would not have written such bitter, bitter
things" He thought of her emotion when
she was introduced to him, knew that she
was at first disappointed in him, and the
conviction forced itself upon him now, that
she had discovered that she had mistaken
her feelings of admiring friendship, for
love. Edith, if you did not love noe, why
did yon not frankly tell me sof Why have
you thus cruelty driven me from you l
can't explain it. All that know, is the
painful fact. Nothing now remains for me
to do, but to attempt to seek forgetfuluess
of past happiness in study. Labor the most
intense, has now become the necessity of
my life. Edith thou hast been for months
my hearts idol. and none other shall ever
take thy place. When 1 have overcome
the first bitterness of this great sorrow,
l shall look back upon the hours spent in
thy society, when felt that was blessed
with thy love, as the only green spots in
life's dreary waste"


He laid his arms upon the table before
him, and rested his head upon them. Thus
he remained, bowed by anguish for hours.
When the night was far spent. rising, be
exclaimed, edith may you never know
what it is to have the hopes of your young !
life crushed, as you have crushed mine.
would cheerfully have devoted my exist
ence to the promotion of your happiness
must think of that no longer. You have |
gone from my life, perhaps to bless anoth-
er with your love. must not allow
thoughts of you to take the entire posses
sion of my mind, | must begin its disci. |
pline Immediately"


CHAPTER VII.


s.Rosy Spring comes dancing lightly,


0'er the world her beauty glows."


The long absent brother has just been
welcomed home. Preparations are being
made upon grand scale for the wedding
which is to take place the next week
Edith, who has been spending the day in
New York, has sought her library, weary
and heart sick Upon her lap is an open
book. Her head thrown back, rests a.
gainst the back of her easy chair, aud her
eyes are closed She hears not an np-
preaching foot. step, nor is she conscious
of the presence of DR. Murray till his hand
is laid upon her head, and the words
my child" uttered from his lips.


Dear uncle, am go glad you have
come; have long wished to talk with
you"


Edith, the time was when day did not
pass without your voice being heard, ma
king music in my quiet. lonely house. Du-
ring the past winter you have seldom Wis
tied the parsonage. You are sadly chang.
ed, my dear child. You wrong those who
arc so deeply interested 10 your welfare;
those who would make every effort to rem
der you happy; yea, worse than that, you
wrong yourself, by shutting yourself out
from the companionshiP and sympathy of
your friends, by buryiDg yourself in this
room with your books. You deprive your
parents, you deprive me. of your society.
By SO doing you fail in the discharge Of
your duty to them, to me, to the world
You must arouse yourself. you must a.
wake to the realities Of life. You must
not lose all the charms there are in exist
ence by being so completely absorbed by
this one sorrow that you can think of no.
thing else. Life is full of disappointments
and you should be thankful that you have
lived thus long without experiencing any
of those severe trials which almost crush
a young and hopeful heart. There is eE-
cry thing around you to inspire you with
gratitude. and call forth hymns of praise"


"When Aunt Edith died. and you con-
signed the beloved form of your youthful
bride to earth's green bosom, did you feel
like singing songs Of thanksgiving and
praisef"


1--WE are happy or miserable, my child,
by comparison. II had sat down and
questioned Gods wisdom in taking her to
himself, or if bad compared my lot with
your fathers, or any other mans, whose
h ONE was endeared to him, by wife's Low
ing smile, and the joyous PrGttle of inno-
cent childreu,I i probably should have tho't
was harshly dealt with by that Father
who aflicts not iu wrath but in mercy, and
should not have felt like praising him fol


all his goodness to me. After the violence
of the grief had subsided, l devoted my
: self with renewed energy to the duties o.
my holy Office. When / have visited th'



sick and the needy, have felt thankful
that had the will and possessed the meani
to relieve much suffering, by ministerin,
to the wants Of those whose necessitie
were greater than mine. When | hav


stood by the bedside Of the dying sinner


and have felt that he passed through th
dark valley OF death, with no ray Of heay
enly light to dissipate its gloom, ] hav
: thanked God that for my Edith it was ii
6 lumined by savior's love When hav
y seen others weep over the sundering OF th
u dearest earthly ties, aud have known ths
" the promises OF the Bible. which are .