Year: 1861

trace his likeness IN Charl;s blooming
young face, to read over and over again the
few and infrequent letters that he had found
opportunity to send her. Her whole life,
with all it's joys and hopes, was centered in
that dear domestic circle, that beautiful trim
ity of love.


[ had been about six months in E. street,
when little Charlie sickened 1t was but
some ordinary childish ailment, we all
thought, and so said the physician, who was
at length called, more in Difference to the
mothers solicitude than because there seem
ed any real need of his attendance.
: But the little one grew worse /; almost ere
we were aware of the change, dangerous
symptoms had made their appearance.
Every hour increased the frightful violence
of the disorder. The little form va; racked,
and the face Redeemed and DISTORTED with
pain.


His mother sat beside him, holding his
burning hands in hers, or bathing his hot
brow. She administered all his medicines,
and watched him constantly with piteous
anxiety; and while and other friends sur
sounded the little couch, and strove all in
our power, to lend our aid, and drive away
the swift approaching destroyer.


Death came gently at last The sweet
voice was hushed, the bright, eager eyes
closed forever. The mother, unable to be-
lieve what she saw, pressed wild kisses on
the marble brow and still lips, that for the
first time were unanswering. She believed
at last, and with one piercing shrek, sank
back insensible


It was while Charles little coffin lay still
unburried in the house, that the tidings of
the failure of that brilliant, but unsuccess-
full expedition which Mr. Gray had joined
arrived. Its members were killed by the
savages among whom they had been wan
dering, or scattered in that wild and unex-
plored country where, to them, death SEEM
ed to be inevitable. To which party Mr.
Gray belonged, it was impossible to ascer-
tain. We could only hope that his life had
been spared, and that he might still escape
from the dangers that surround him.


No one spoke to Mrs. Gray upon the sub
ject. Sunk into the apathy of early grief,
she never read the newspapers of the day,
and all ordinary sources of information were
thus closed to her. But after some weeks
fresh tidings came that classed Mr.. Gray's
name fn,i6ss ta5se " 10 lad bsea SUI
ed and cut off. No doubt now remained
that he was dead, and the inexorable claims
of business then presented themselves.


Mr.. Gray had not neglected to prepare
for such not impossible contingency His
business had been left in the hands of
trusted legal friend, to whom the interests
Of his wife, an orphan without relatives,
and his son, were committed. This gentle
man came now to visit his childless and
widowed charge.


[ had known him long, for he was friend
and frequent guest of my brother, Counsel
lor B, and he earnestly requested me
to be present at the painful interview he was
about to hold with Mrs. Gray.


Very gently and tenderly Mr. E. per-
formed his task. Ere it was over, the
widowed one lay cold and insensible in my
arms.


1t was terrible awakening--to utter
loneliness and a growing consciousness of
hopeless bereavement Mrs. Gray was
youthful and vigorous, both in mind and
body. Life flowed strongly through her
veins. Grief might PROSTATE, but could
not destroy her. In little while she ap-
peared once more at the table, and in the
parlor, much paler than of old, indeed of
almost ghastly pallor in her deep sables,
and very quiet, but otherwise scarcely
changed from the joyous, girlish creature I
had first seen scarce year before.


The re-appearance of Mrs. Gray was the
occasion of the display of many of these ex-
cellent traits that, spite of all croakers may
say, still exist in much abused human ma
ture, even in its least agreeable forms. Our
landlady, sometimes accused Of sordid
spirit, was kind and tender, almost mother
ly, to Mrs. Gray. All the detestable board
ing house pickering and gossip ceased in
her presence. The elder ladies were quiet
ly attentive to her, the younger ones ceased
their tittering and flirting, and even the
''gents' assumed subdued manner. that
told Of native kindness better even than the
conventionalities of good breeding, which
they SO much lacked.


Henceforth, Mrs. Gray was the silently.
acknowledged pet and protege of the house
hold. The best seat at table, the earliest
from the inmates and servants,



the most agreeable corner of the Greside or
sofa. or the easiest chair in the parlor, were
quietly allotted, as by general consent, to
her. Her tastes were consulted. Books
and flowers found their way to her room
from the most unexpected sources bits of
fancy work from the dainty fingers of those
thoughtless girls were freely of
fered to her acceptance; the music she loved
was played, with thoughtfulness that made
a request unnecessary (; in short, all the
small but important tokens of sympathy that
are SO cheering to the afflicted, were show
cred upon Mrs. Gray with quiet kindness,
such as one would scarcely. expect to see
falling upon the arid sands of boarding house
life


And so the months passed away Charlie
had died in the springtime. and another
May was now gladdening the waiting earth
Mrs. Gray and I had fixed upon certain
morning to drive to Greenwood, on visit
to that little grave. which was the shrine of