Year: 1868

bout that-your heart is in the right
place. know"


How can you say he is changed p
said my mother, gently. Ito be sure,
be looks older and gravcr and more like a
man than when he went away, but his
eyes and smile are the same as ever. 1t
is heavy heart which changes him-he
is my boy STILL"


AYE, mother" l answered. sadly, RI
am your boy still"


Heaven help me! At that moment [
felt like boy and it would have been a
blessed relief to have weP upon her bo:-
som, as l had done in infancy. But I
kept down the beating of my heart and
the tremor of my lip and answered quiet
Ily, as | looked into his full, and hand
some face:


"You have changed too, Frank, but
think for the best. !"


ooh! yes Thank you for the compli-
ment," he answered, with hearty laugh.
my wife tells me I grow handsomer
every day"


His wife. Could hear that name and
keep silence still.


And have you seen my little girl 2"
be added, lifting the infant in his arms
and kissing her crimsoned cheek. Il tell
you, Harry, there is no such another in
the world. Don't you think she looks
very much like her mother used to p


"Very much" faltered.


"Hallo!" cried Frank. with sudden
ness which made me start violently, Il
have forgotten to introduce you to my
wife. I believe she and you used to be
playmates in your younger days. Yes,
Harry" and he slapped me on the back,
for the sake of old times, and because you
we're not at the wedding. I will give you
leave to kiss her once, but mind old fel-
low. you are not to repeat the ceremony.
Come-here she is. and [ for once, want
to see how you VII manage those feroci-
Gus moustaches or yours in the operation.


He pushed Lizzie, laughing and blush
ing, towards me. A CLEAN of light and
hope almost too dazzling to bear. came
over me and cried out before I thought:


''Not Mary"


1t must have betrayed my secret to
every one in the room, but nothing was
said; even Frank, in general SO obtuse,
was this time silent [ kissed the fair
cheek Of the young wife and hurried to
the silent figure looking out the window.


"Mary-Mary Moore" I said. in
low, eager tone, ''bave you no welcome
to give the wanderer p


She turned and laid her hand in mine,
and said, hrrriedly:


Il am glad to sec you here, Harry"


Simple words. and yet how blessed they
made me-. would not have yielded her
up that moment for an emperor's crown.
There was happy home group at the
dear home 6re-iie, with sweet Mary Moore.
The eyes [ had dreamed of by day and
night, were falling beneath the ardent
gaze of mine and the sweet face | long
prayed to see was there beside me. |
never knew the meaning of happiness un-
till that moment.


Many years have passed since that hap
py night, and the hair that was dark and
glossy then, is fast turning gray. I am
now grown to be an old man and can look
back to happy and, hope. we'll spent
life. And yet. sweet as it has been. |
would not recall single day, for the love
that made my manhood so bright shines
also upon my white hairs.


An old man! Can this be SO? At
heart [ am as young as ever. And Mary,
with her bright hair parted smoothly from
a brow that has slight furrow upon it.
is the Mary of other days. To me she
can never grow old or change The heart
that held her infancy and sheltered her in
the beauty and flush of womanhood can
never cast her out till life shall cease to
warm it! Not even then. for love still
lives above