Year: 1874

lieving that it would be a good begin
ming in her efforts to do something
useful.


All this my new pupil did not tell me
in so many words, but It WIS the sub
stance of what gathered by degrees.
I was very much interested las usual
and one day, as she was leaving, casu-
ally remarked that her husband was, no
doubt, pleased at her progress In mas
tering the mystery. Then heard what
had almost before suspected, as with
tears filing her eyes she said that she
had no husband In one sense-that she
had separated from him-that it was
her own fault-an act done by herself
IN hot anger and rage, but now bitterly
repented. She indicated that there
were others to blame, but did not ex-
cuss herself; and said that she had
spent the night previous to the day, in
which she had taken her frst lesson on
great grief from learning that he was
very soon to sail from Europe, and the
thought they would then be utterly and
forever separated had nearly driven her
to distraction.


1 felt very sorry-nevsr more SO for
any human being her repentance was
so sincere and her sorrow so hopeless.
A dim suspicion had been creeping
through my mind during this last rela-
ton, that had heard q story something
akin TO this before; and as she was
about leaving I reminded her that al
though we were well acquainted as
teacher and pupil, I had never yet heard
her name. Apologiziug for her remiss-
ness, she handed me a card as she left
the room. I will not Say that was very
much surprised, for I had half guessed
the coincidence by intuition, I
read on the card I held in my hand,
Mrs. Oracle Lee.


Yes, it was Harry Lees wife who had
been my pupil ! A great many strange
feelings were at work within my breast
during the next ten minutes. I had
not seen Mr.. Lee for some time; he
had avoided the instruction-room-a
course of conduct for which I had been
thankful. heard nothing of his inten-
tiOn of going to Europe, and felt sure
it must be a new project, very suddenly
thought of. And why? Had my ac-
tions anything to do with it =? l felt
sorely distressed before had done
thinking out the whole matter: and
might have been even more so had not
possessed a resource always so dear to
women and children-that of doing
something.


Now the rest of this is going to be
very brief. On my bed, that night, the
desire to "do something" born Of the
necessity, took practical shape, and l
saw nv way to my revenge on Harry
Lee. Dickens Christmas stories were
then in the height of their popularity
I had been fascinated by them, and to
their influence and that Of the approach
ing holy season perhaps my plans were



bushes may be spared. when say that
to accomplish it took occasion to throw
myself in Mr.. Lees way (of course by
apparent accident) and that within a
week had won him back to the instruc-
tion-room and the renewal of our friend
ly chats, though at such hours Qate IN
the afternoon) that there was no chance
of his meeting his wife. That 1 never
labored harder with any pupil than with
that willing but nervous little lady, to
enable her rapidly to become not only
proficient at the machine, but to seem
so. Then that progressed by making
an appointment with Mrs. Lee, on some
excuse as to my convenience, at four
o'clock on the afternoon before Christ
mas christmas Eve at a very early
stage of the anniveI sary), and mean
while gained a character for benevolence
DY LCllluR uly COMPANIONS III bCdCLALk
that they had better go home early and
thus enjoy the gay sights and sounds
presented by the streets on that festive
season. And then that 7 crowned the
whole by making another sppoint-
ment with Mr.. Harry Lee, for the same
place, half an hour later, having in view
the necessity of bringing him unexpect-
edly upon his wife at the very moment
when she should be sewing away at the
top of her ability.


Once upon a time I kept an extraor-
binary bug that had captured, under
a glass tumbler, for days, to see the
change by which it would become some
thing else. It effected the change one
night when could not see it, and was
left very little wiser than before. And
I know not much more about the meet
ing between Harry Lee and his wife,
over the sewing machine, that evening
before Christmas; as (confound it ,
felt myself obliged to leave them alone
together just at the interesting moment.
and they had made it all up before I
thought it proper to return!


However, Ihad my revenge. Mr.. Lee
q wish to be understood and believed
on this point) never fiirted any more
with me, however mildly never no
more" He went to Europe, but little
later, and took his wife, leaving his lit
tie son with his notable New England
mother, who was sure to take good care
of him though she might not permit
him to romp too hilariously. They were
kind enough to believe that had been
of service to them; and was the recip-
lent of certain rings, one of which Harry
Lee gave me with what thought was
rather a conscious look, and the other
of which Oracle Lee gave me with no
shamefacedness and a hearty kiss.


/ saw them together, and at home
again, In pretty new home over which,
taught by some mistakes In the past,
the wife was sole mistress, apparently
very happy, the next Christmas ard
think that Mrs. Lee, under some sort
of idea that she owed the recovery of
her husband to her sewing machine,
looked upon that useful article as a
species of good fairy, and her seat at it
as place of refuge, and always was to
be found sewing when things went at all
crooked Ia the household.


My after-acquaintaDce with them, at
all events, showed that the indolent,
useless, and self-wilIed wife had be-
come the busy, useful, and gentle one;
and that the husband, who had begun
by misunderstanding her, had come
fully back to his senses, snd grown
much wiser as to the quality of the wc-
man with whom he had been intrusted.
And something of this, If not all OF it,
was the result of a little Irritation nip
ped IN the bud, and OF My Christmas
Revenge. ge.-The AldiHe for December.


A HindOO Strike.


The labor problem has assumed