Year: 1877

| w as on the eve, Jnei, OF dnOJneT
great discovery? Was it not enough
that / had found lately that there
were other sights and sounds worth
listening to than are supplied by
London streets, other elevatiug emo
tions than those referable to arith-
metic and bookkeeping by double
entry, but that must have thrust
upon me also the fact that there |
was really something worth living
1or besides ones self and making |
money! 1t seemed so! AS | had |
been taken by surprise by the pleas
ure to be extracted from a quiet |
country life, so equally was l now
suddenly awakened to the posi-
bility of what the doctor had called |
Settling down." There absolutely
appeared a chance of my taking to
the idea, and of so carrying out his
prescription to the letter. What a
wonderful and benefcient effect it
was wOrkingl


Why, there she is in the garden
at this moment, and how beautiful
she looks. Now that l have made
myself preferable, l thought, 1 will
go down Immediately and thank her
like coherent being and gentle.
man"


She was sitting in little arbor at
the end of the inn garden. As ap-
preached, blush, the more evident
from the paleness which her undue
exertion and subsequent faintness
had left, overspread her sweet face
that angel face which l had at
first thought dream, and which to
me now, with newly-awakened poet
ical sensibilities, scarcely seemed a
reality.


canuot describe it. Why should
l? Other people would not see it
with my eyes; there were hundreds
and hundreds of faces in the world,
doubtless, far more beautiful.
hope you are feeling better,
said. l am afraid that what you
have done for me has overtaxed your
strength; l shall never forgive my
self if it has made you seriously i'll. |


o no, she answered, l was only a
little out of breath with the running
and the scramble through the brush
wood and trees; but l was sure that
if was to be of any use there was
no time to be lost. Please don't say
any more about it.


Oh, put indeed l must; you must
tell me how you saw me and how
you were able to reach me.


Oh, l had merely gone down to
look at the WATERFALL knew it
would be very much swollen-and |
the moment l came upon it, to my |
horror and surprise l saw you
standing upon that rock in the mid
die of the river. l felt sure that
you would be drowned; but before
could even call out you were washed
off it, and l saw you carried away.
Well, | don't know what it was that
made me do it, but l ran along
Through the wood by the side of the
river as fast as l could. don't sup
pose thought of being able to save
YOU, but it seemed so dreadful; and
then lost sight of you. But 1 still
ran on to near the second fall, and
got close down to. try if l could see
YOU: the trees were so thick up
above that l was obliged to get
close to the edge. was looking all
about for you when l suddenly saw
Won lust underneath where [ was
standing, and trying to reach that
bough. Well, then, pushed it
down to you-that's all.


All, indeed! 1 cried. "Can l ever
repay you for that all? You simply
saved my life; l should never have
got out but for you.


Hope you are not much worse for
your ducking, sir! here broke in her
fathers voice. l and my wife hope
that you will give us the pleasure of
your company at dinner this evening;
you must be little dull and lonely
here by yourself.


| OF course Iwould, and of course
] did, and of course, too, Ispent the
very pleasantest evening ! had ever
known in my life. told the family
| who I was aud all about myself; and
they told me q good deal about
tbemselyes-father, mother and two
daughi efs-and howithey had come
out for their annslrun as they called
ili4, and how they often made very
pleasant acquaintances on their little
btours. II s


But it's not often, said my host, that
we make one in this fashion; it is
not to be wished. We don't expect
to become heroines- of domestic
drama every day. Ha, ha! but, by
George, it was very lucky Lucy saw
you.


And so, on, and so on.


| After this evening followed a sue
cession of the most delightful hours
| / had ever known; morning evening
and noon were spent in the company
of nv new acquaintanoes, and at
the end of very short time those
acouaintances had become fast
friends. was as completely over
head and ears in love as l had been
over head and ears in the turbulent
water, and | told her so.


Save me once more, ! said; give
me that hand once again and let 1t
I be mine forever; otherwise it would
have been kinder to have left me to
drown outright.


She dropped her head, held out her
hand, that hand which at this mo-
ment has just touched my arm, as
silvery voice says: Come, Billy,
stop; have been peeping over your
lsboulder. You need not write any
more; people can guess the rest. l
would rather you did not enter into
"details. Il


t. Very well, dear, l answer; as it is
nov nearly twenty years since 1t
happened, perhaps you are right
Yes, settled down for twenty years;
who would think of it! And IN a
week or two we must be off, tor the
nineteenth time together, ON an an,
other holiday diversion " hao
shall it be and where shall we ind ltF
Oh I am still for the country, you