Year: 1863

Selfreproach, upon the earth-tilled dreams
which had SO haunted him. Yet that
memory OF hIs child love would not be
driven from his heart, and, when arrived
al home, he found those beautiful girls
standing together upon the parsonage
porch, II grew still more vivid.


They mad come back TO i've, she sand
and We're not going back ugain and, late
as they arrived ON the past night, she had
resolved TO come to church as soUn ;ls she
heard that William was 10 preach. How
strange that he was grown man and a
minister! 1t seems but yesterday that
they were children, and lac wore Il round
blue Jacket, and tished for minnows with
crooked pm. Yet she knew hIm. And
he--was it possible that he would have
remembered herr so she ram OH, and
her golden haired sister, Etiie, smiled be-
side her like happy child. I'm little
while she lett them, and thought how
strange II was that all those year, OF travel
in n foreign land had altered his play
mates so httle, and into what beautiful
blossom the tender bud OF that spring
time had expanded.


lie preached that night again, and
stroye, If ever man din strive, TO be no
hypocrite; and it was only TOO easy, now,
to forget the trowns of Deacon Grumble
or the signs of Deacon Doleful, while
Caroline Graham sat there looking at him
with her soft black eyes. And when that
night he sought his little bed room, he
found himself thinking of her once more
He had spoken to her, and she remem-
bered the school house and the garden,
and the pond where the wafer lilies grew;
whether she remembered, also, that baby
promise, he could not tell. With this
thought the young minister fell asleep,
and no one could have blamed him more
than he blamed himself next morning.


Time passed on, and that ordeal OF the
first SABBATH had grown to be an ordinary
habit. The congregation were no longer
feartully wide awake, and he was used to
their faces and to his new position. But
if Caroline Graham was absent from the
service, he was conscious of blank, lost
feeling, which he had no power to over
come, and by this time he scarcely strove
to do so, for he had begun to feel as
though the thoughts which clung about
him were the purest of his soul, and had
nothing earthly in them. He had loved
her all his life. If she had not returned
I, llt HChGI AdNC lOkCu duOlUCI
woman. So he thought, and so he said to
himself over and over administering it
truly, as lovers always believe their fan
cies. And it had grown 10 be another
habit of his walk towards her home upon
those golden evenings, and find her upon
upon the porch or IN the garden, TO join
her. and sit talking with her for hours.
His brother Jasper was often with him
and with them also sat or walked golden
haired Effie but William thought neither
ofthese nor of the portly Mr.. Graham, who
would fain have entered into theological
disquisitions with him, nor of the placid
Mrs. Graham, perpetually knitting beside
him. He spoke to all, and seemed to
look at all, but in reality Caroline was
ohe only one he saw or listened TO. Had
he been less in love, less deeply immersed
in his own dreams, he might not have
been so blind to what was passing before
him, and might have read the story which
would have been so plain TO other eyes,
and so have spared himself some pain,


He had other thoughts upon his nina
beside. Jasper had always been trouble
to them, and was one still. He was very
wild and reckless, aed was often absent
from the village; and there were bills for
the angry father to pay, and stories which
brought tears to the mothers eyes, and
William must sooth the one and comfort
the other, and avert what blame he could
from the wild brother he loved so dearly.


And so the autumn passed and winter
came, bringing long bright evenings, when
the moon gGttering upon the bare branch
es of the elm trees about the parsonage,
and he could see afar, upon his nightly
path, the red light from her window shin
ing out upon the drifts of newly fallen
snow like beacon glowing there to guide
him into harbor.


1t was on Christmas Eve that William
Betsworth started across that lonely path
to ask of Caroline Graham the question
which had been On his lips so long; and as
he marked the lamp light growing nearer
and brighter, he thought that thus it
might glow ON some future day lighted
by her hand, from the window of his own
dear home. And the meanest hovel,
the lowliest hut that could be built in
any unciyilized land, would be Il home to
me if her presence blessed it," said the
young minister, with tear-flled eyes; and
bending his. fair head in the bright star
light, he thanked God who had taught
him how to love,


Jasper had been from home that even
ing, and as William opened the garden
gate it startled him to see his brother
standing on the threshold, with some
thing unusual in bearing and in the ex-
preston of his handsome face. 1t startled
him more when lingering yet in the shad-
ow, unseen by them, he saw Caroline
come out into the lsmplit hall and lay her
hand upon his brothers arm, and his heart
stood still as Jasper bent his head above
that hand and kissed it. They spoke in
whispers and he could not hear their
words, but the meaning of that interview
was plain to him, or he thought so; and
white, and cold, and trembling, he leant
upon the little gate post, with deadly
faintness at his heart. He could not move,
even when he saw Jasper coming rapidly
towards him, and so they were beside each
other in moment.


"William !" exclaimed Jasper, in a con-
fused, half-tremulous- voice, which yet
had a ring of happiness in its tones
"William, is this you? Are you going
in?"


''Not now, am not well, William had
Just strength enough to say.


His brother twined his arm around his
waist in boyish fashion. Come with me,
them" he said, 81 have something to tell
you. Perhaps you guess what it is al
ready. think every one must know
how well l love her."


There was fearful struggle in poor Will
liam's breast, but he kept silence, and
did not thrust away the arm that encirI
cted him.


"And So" continued Jasper, although
have been so wild and so little deserv-
ing pure heart like hers, l have some
how won it, and tonight she gave me the
sweet promise that. she would be mine /;
and ! am going to lead a different life,
Will, and study hard and make both fame
and fortune; and just yet we are to tell
no one save her sister and yourself; and
am to go to the city and come back to
claim her when am what / should be to
be her husband and then, when her pa
rents can no longer call me wild and unde
serving, and my own are as proud of me
a. 0f mill fall thew,