Year: 1865

| was hOAIAs duu NJ" d DI4Au O|5S"4


woman came to the door with littlegirl


Heading her, poor and cold, and how she


couldn't help crying over the little she


had given her, and how the poor woman


invoked a blessing on her, which she


really believed had been answered in the


happiness she had received and about
| the organ-grinder, and the little peddler
girl with the buttons, and the new ser


want. at the parsonage who threw the
potato parings into the well. What a


atory there was to tell about everything /;


and how pleasantly Watkins sat aud


listened, all the while the dinner was be-


ing eaten, with the keenest relish. Wat


kins never had achieved a meal that was


more cheerful, and after dinner, as he


kissed his rosy little wife for dessert, he


averred that he did not believe happier


dog than himself existed within a good


many days journey. He ventured to


say that he thought Wilkins was stand


ing fearfully in his own light in not get


ting married, and limited gravely that he


must give him a talking to.


Julia, said he, one Of my gloves has


a rent in it, whichI wish you would re-


pair; you don't want your husband to


look shabby, you know. You will find
it in the right pocket of my coat


She, like a very dutiful, beautiful


sweet little wife as she was, went to the


coat as it hung on its peg in the entry,


and reaching down into the pocket to
find the glove, she touched something of.
a paper kind, that to her decidedly re-
sembled letter. She took it out with


the glove, and as her work basket was


upstairs, she thought she would mend


the rent there, while Watkins was eniov-


ing his newspaper. It was curiosity


passion which has clung around poor hu.
manity with a pertinaciousstrength from
the beginning-that prompted her to
take tie letter, but when alone by her
self she reflected before she opened It, /
and laid it on the table. She proceeded
to mend the glove, still thinking of the
letter, asking herself should she open it? /
fearing it would be wrong to do so, and /
at last determining that she would. It
was a letter of which the envelope was
destroyed, and glance at the first page
assured her it was a female hand. At
chat instant her husbands foot was heard .
upon the stair, and placing the letter
under her basket, she gave him his glove,
and be went away bidding her good-by.


He is dear good SOUL said she,
and it is almost like doubling him to
read this letter. But of course it can't
be anything he would not want me to see
of course not, and with this reflection
she took the letter in her hand again
The first glance caused her to turn dead
ly pale, and in an instant the mere sug-
gestion of idle curiosity had become
transformed into intense anxiety. Her
lips we're apart, her eyes we're fixed with
a stony glare upon-the paper, her form
trembled violently, and the poor little
thing came nigh swooning under the
pressuo Of feeling that overpowered her.
There was a letter, written in a female
hand to her husband, beginning with
My dear, dear, dear W. and ending
with Yours, alone, Anna The letter
was of the most tendercharaeter, burning
all up with its own fervor, glowing with I
loving intensity, and proposing a meeting
at little. cottage just out of the town,
the next day-the evening of the town,
the next day-the evening of the day
that on which the discovery
was made. She was frantic with the 4;
passion the discovery awakened. She +;
patted her little foot on the carpet, she {
the letter in her hand, she cried {
ike child, and would have screamed,
probably, had she not been restrained by {
a latent idea of the absurdity Of such a {
course. She cIenched her little hands
till the nails almost cut her palms, and !
at length resolved, as any other woman {
ofspirit would have done, to be "a third $
party at the interview in the cottage,
whose location she well knew, from the r
fact that Mr.. Watkins had admired it
once as they we're riding by it. +


Mr. Watkins walked back to the store l
in mood of mind the most complacent, t
little dreaming of the tempest that was
raging round his pleasant home, smash a
ng his household goods into irremediabio I
ruin. Insatiato Watkins, would not t
1ne suffice ?" Wilkins came back to the 7
store, and after idling around for about a
IN hour, said he had an engagement. and t
vent away again. The afternoon passed, a
md Watkins left an hour earlier than
Usual, giving the clerk to understand I
hat he was going home. All, Watkins c
perhaps if were to look into that heart c
.hrObbing beneath its encasement of I
we should find it black du- l
1licity perhaps. Watkins, the VOWS and c
thou hast made to that l