Year: 1869

and clear in Its silvery sweetness; and
thus attended she traversed slowly the
long meadow path, drinking in at every
step the beauties of earth and sky and
cloud. Down the little hill which hid
her home from view, then through huge
gate which opened a little way with its
creaking sweep, letting through her agile
form, then around the corner of field of
rye, already standing stout and tall, and
she entered little pine grove. The
breeze was whispering and signing in the
waving branches, making a sweet, pcnsive
music which chimed pleasantly with her
thoughts, so attuned to nature harmony,
and she fingered in the charm lg grove a
little, pleased with everything even the
soft, brown carpet which the fallen leaves
made under her feet. Regarding it then,
and not till then, she noticed that she had
morning dew would nearly spoil their
beauty, but it was not worth while to 90
clear back again so, resolving to max G
the best of it, she passed on out of the
bars and down little piece of dusty road
to the brown little house which was her
destination


The soft, clear summer night passed
slowly away, the patient watcher moving





could prompt for the poor old woman now
SO nearly beyond the reach of her gentle
ministrations. With touch as though
the invalid was dear friend, she chafed
the aged limbs, smoothed back the snowy
hair from the wrinkled face, and bathed
the aching head. Unwearied were her at
tentiOns, and much were they needed by
the worn sufferer, until toward morning
they took effect, and she sank away into a
quiet, peaceful sleep. Still Charity sat by
the bedside, driving away with her fan
the villainOus mosquitoes that persisted in
annoying her charge, and at the same time
creating with it fresh currents of air for
the comfort of the sufferer, whose lungs
were well nigh wasted away.


AT sunrise the family was up, and Chari-
ty was released from her post, glad to go
forth in the fresh morning air, after her
wearisome night.


The fresh rays of the morning sun ShOne
full in Dr. Norton's face, rousing him from
night OF unusually quiet and undisturbed
sleep. To visit old Mrs. Wells was his first
thought, and he made hasty toilet and
started out. A sudden determination
seized him to go across the fields on foot,
instead of taking his horse to go around by
the road, which was twice as far. The
morning was so invigorating that he felt as
if the walk would be a decided benefit, so
he struck into the path across the pasture,
which, at the rye field, came into the path
Charity traverscd the night before and
walked briskly on.


Mindful of the well being Of her new
CATERS, Charity picked her way carefully
along the road, wetting them in the dewy
grass when she tried to avoid the dust,
and covering them with dirt when she
tried to avoid the dew by taking the mid
die of the road. Once in the shadow OF
the pines, she paused to look at them in
disgust, when brilliant thought struck
her. Why not dOtf shoes and go bare
foot =? 1t warm and please AMI
the path smooth and soft. There was no
danger of meeting any one, and she could
slip in unobserved by the back door at
home, so that even her watchful mother
need not know it. To plan was to execute
with this active young lady and seating
herself on a fallen tree trunk by the path,
she quickly barred her feet, rolled the
snowy stockings into a snug ball which
she put into her pocket, light knOtted to-
gether the strings to her CATERS so she
might hang them over her arm, then
rose and went bravely onward, congratu-
lating herself on her brilliant idea. Alas
for the frailty of human calculatiOnsi Out
of the pine wood, along by the edge of
the thrifty rye, and there was DR.. Norton
himself, just coming around the corner,
within ten yards of meeting her, palpably
and undisguisedly barefoot as she was
with her skirts caught up to avoid the
dew, and her new CATERS carefully strung
across her arm.


1t was a trying moment for Charity Alb
bott, and all sorts Of wild thoughts ca
reered through her mind at once, though
she still kept on her way, since it was
too late for cOncealment. Yesterday
bushes, when he caught her showing hel
new CATERS, were as white as roses tc
peOnies compared with the burning rec
which suffused her checks and forehead
and even crimsOned her shell-like ears
| That he should think her so careful and
penuriOus as to save her new CATERS al
she expense of her feet-her confusion
overwhelmed her What thoughts passed
through his mind we will not pretend to
say, but il is certain he then and there dis
covered that he was fully in love with the
girl before him, whom hitherto he had
thought he only half loved. SO careful
and so modest a girl as her bushes be-
tOkeneu ncr I'd De, cOuIu Dut make ncT q
prudent, faithful wife. The Impulse o
the moment came over him, and he yield
ed to it, so that when at last they met, and
he took her hand to say "good morning,
he looked frankly into her clear eyes and
seid instead, in a quiet way, "Charity Alb
bott, will you be my wife?"


Charity's answer is not on record, bu
we are told that not many months after
she bought for herself pair of snowy
satin slippers, and that her feet were shoe
with them as she stood dressed in pure
white by DR.. Norton's side in her father:
large parlor, while the gray haired minis
ter said to them some very solemn words
from all of which we infer that her an
swer at that embarrassing moment wa