Year: 1862

Willie will not come down tonight,
said he / have left him in the Study
with lesson that will keep him all
night


thought | saw tear start from my
mothers eye, as she turned her face to the
window and looked out upon the snow,
which still continued to fall heavily.


1t was the anniversary Of Emily's birth
day, and we were expecting a party Of
young friends Children of the neighbor-
ing gentry) to pass the evening at the
Vicarage.


1t began to grow dark about four
O'Clock, and then onr company began TO
arrive. There were, first, the children OF
Squire Harcourt, who came wrapped in
soft furs and shawls in the old-fashioned
cozy family carriage, with its couple Of
docile greys. Then came Harry Vernon,
and his sisters, Emily and Agnes and, as
the time wore on, about a score of young
people were assembled at the Vicaragc.
1t was a merry party. Ny father, whom
it would be an injustice to represent as an
unkind man, threw himself into the spirit
of our merriment as though he had been
one of us. The furniture, excepting the
old-fashioned piano, had been removed
from the drawing-room, and il and the
sitting-roOm had, by the removal of a par
tition, been thrown into one, making Il
large and commodious room, which had
been plentifnlly hung with holly and other
evergreens. The red berries cleaned like
tiny masses of fire beneath the dark green
glossy leaves, and here and there my sis.
ter's hands had gracefully arranged
punches of many colored ribbons.


Many inquiries were made for Willie,
and for moment or two shadow SEEM
ed cast upon the pleasure of the children
when they were told that Willie, the pre-
siding spirit of fun in every juvenile par
ty, would not be with them; bnt all feel
ing of disappointment vanished as the
time wore on-eXcept from one gentle,
loving spirit.


| knew that my mother was thinking of
the dear boy in the room above ms, for
Willie was my mothers fayorite. She
was thinking of a handsome face pressed
against the door, and of 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 qnick
eager spirit would fret in the Study above
like wild bird in a cage.


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


My sister played, with 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 the holly in corner of the
room-the dance began. Whilst this
was going on, saw my father put some
thing into my mothers hand. 1t was the
Study key With a grateful smile-oh,
how sweet that smile was i-she left the
room, stole after her to the foot of the
wide, old-iashioned staircase; / saw her
glide swiftly up the stairs; and could
hear when she unlocked tine door-and
when she opened it to pass in, the moon
light streamed brightly through the door-
way on to the dark landing, and as its
light fell on the face Of the old clock
which stood there, saw it wanted but a
few minutes of ten o'clock


had not stood more than minute ut
the foot of the stairs when / heard my
mother cry "Willie !" Then l heard a
piercing scream, and she suddenly passed
me, her face 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, Will
lie, darling '' fell fainting at his feet.


Ny sister Immediately left the piano,
and with the aid of some cold water, my
mother was restored very soon. Of course
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 endea-
voring to amuse group of the younger
children, she heard Wilie's voice distinct
ly calling Mamma mammal" She in
stantly got the key, as have before re-
lated, and went up to the Study. AS soon
as she opened the door she felt the win
dow was open, by the rushing of the cold,
frosty air past her The instant she en-
tered the room, she felt tremor seize her.
Why did not Willie spring to meet her +?
She felt in 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 iyy-stems,
which grew up to the pinuacles of the
gables, on to the top of the antique por-
ticO, and from thence have leaped to the
ground Willie, agile as a squirrel, could
easily have accomplished this.


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


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


Strange TO say, my mother went in
stinctively towards deep pool of water
beneath the orchard wall, called by the
villagers the Black Pool-so called be.
cause of its depth. Near it, and over
shadowing it, grew an old gnarled thorn
bush, which, after many winters frosts
and SHOWS, still preserved its vitality. II
was IA pleasant place in summer the
broad, fan-like ferns, with their beautiful
serrated leaves, loved to grow there, anC