Year: 1863

wore on--except from one gentle, loving
spirit.


knew that my mother was thinking OF
the dear boy in the room above rs, for
Willie was my mothers tavorite. She
was thinking of handsome face pressed
against the door, and Of a tiny ear close
to the keyhole, listening to the voices OF
the merry groups below. She knew these
sounds would be exquisite torture to the
prisoner. She knew how that quick eager
spirit would fret in he study above like a
wild bird in cage.


Sometimes l saw her whisper to my
father and then lis face grew hard and
dark, and my mothers yet more sad and
panied.


My sister playedrwith exceeding grace,
some simple airs upon the old piano; and
then, the boys choosing their partners
from the graceful little maidens, who stood
with eager, blushing faces and beseeching
eyes beneath holly in corner of the
room, the dance began. Whilst this was
going on saw my father put something
into my mothers hand. 1t was the study
key. With a grateful smile-oh, how
sweet that smile was! she left the room.
| stole after her to the foot OF the wide,
old fashioned staircase: | saw her glide
swiftly up the stairs; and | could hear
when she unlocked the door; and when
she opened it to pass in the moonlight
streamed brightly through the doorway
on to the dark landing, and, as its light
fell on the face of the old clock which
stood there, | saw it wanted a few minutes
of ten O'Clock.


l had not stood more than a minute at
the foot of the stairs when heard my
mother cry "Willie!" Then | heard
piercing scream, and she suddenly passed
me, her face as white as the snow that
lay outside on the steps, and, rushing into
the room where my father was playing
with the children, went straight up to
him, and, crying, "Willie's gone! oh,
Willie, Willie, darling!" fell fainting at
his feet.


My sister Immediately left the piano,
and, with the aid of some cold water, my
mother was restored very soon. Ofcourse
this put an end to the festivities, and the
children were soon on their way home,
except Harry Vernon, who stayed to as
sist in the search for Willie. Afterwards
my mother told US, that, as she was en-
deavoring to amuse group of the young
er children, she heard Wille's voice dis
tinctly calling "Mamma! mammal" She
instantly got the key, as l have before re-
lated, and went up to the study. AS
soon as she opened the door she felt the
window was open by the rushing OF the
cold, frosty air past her. The instant
she entered the room she felt tremor
seize her! Why did not Willie spring to
meet her? She felt in a moment that
Willie was not there! The study lamp was
Pickering out; there stood my fathers
easy chair opposite table on Which lay
his books and manuscripts, and amongst
them poor Willie's soiled and hated Latin
Grammar.


He must have climbed down the side of
the old house by the aid of the ivy stems
which grew up to the pinnacles Of the ga
bles on to the top of the antique portico,
and from thence have leaped to the ground
Willie, agile as squirrel, could easily have
accomplished this.


In few moments from the di cOvery of
Willie's absence we-that is, my mother
and father, Harry and myself, and two
servants, one of them old Walter, who
passiOnately loved Willie-were out in
search of the missing one.


The snow was still falling heavily, but
by the light of the moon, which was at
full, we could see almost as distinctly as
by daylight.


MStrange to say, my mother went in
slinctively towards deep pool Of water,
beneath the orchard wall, called by the
villagers the Black Pool-so called because
of its depth. Near it, and overshadowing
it, grew an old gnarled thorn bush, which,
after many winters frosts and snow, still
preserved it's vitality. 1t was pleasant
place in summer the broad, fan-lke ferns,
with their beautiful serrated leaves, loved
to grow there, and in that cid thorn, a
summer or two before, nightingale had
made its haunt, and sung through the
long, star-lit nights, and Willie and I laid
awake for hours listening to it.
never, even now, hear the song of the
nightingale without thinking of my darling
brother and the chamber in which he slept.
The villagers said it was haunted by some
thing more than the nightingale but that
never positively knew.


Well, l saw my mother bend close down
to the water moment, and then sudden
ly turn and pick something up from the
ground at the foot of the thorn. She held
it out a moment in the moonlight, and
then gave wild cry of pain. It was a
little handkerchief of Willie's, edged with
particular kind of lace which she had
put on herself The water was still and
ripple less-save slight tremor, Which
might be caused by the breeze-and re-
flected the quiet stars in its dark face.
My father, who was a good swimmer
and stranger to fear, quietly took of
his coat, and in an instant was down at
the bottom of the pool. Ishall never for