Year: 1874

Ahu tHc Aappy HSHcTiudH !!


WAS your humble servant


Now, whether this was true or not, no
one could say for files of Land and Water
are not as common in the country as but
tercups. The bold assertion. however.
scored one tor Mr.. Humphreys, and pretty
nearly put the finishing touch to his rivals
resentment and chagrin. We began to
wonder when these two would rush at
each other.


''Now, young people," said the lady
who looks after us all, ..don't keep louno-
ing about the river side, or you will get
chilled. You must all go out for a short
walk before bedtime, all except myself.
| am going indoors to unpack.''
In one moment the young man had
darted forward. He would show Miss
Newton the shortest way round to the
road. Was it not delightful evening for
stroll and how differently situated one
was in the country.


Humphreys and l walked after these
two, and our light hearted friend was
most uncommonly morose. Sometimes he
whlstied; but that form of gayety sounded
strangely in the silence of the evening,
lie had his eyes fixed on the two figures
before him, and kept pretty close upon
them.


SO very still and calm was the evening
that we could not but overhear what Miss
Mary and her companion were talking
about. Perhaps the silence and the strange
twilight over the woods had somewhat inn
pressed them; but, at all events, thew
were speaking in rather a sad way of the
occurrences OF life, and of the fashion in
when hopes sprang up only destroyed by
ruthless fate, and of the sympathy that
was so valuable in healing these wounds,
and that was so rarely to be met with.
Young Maurice had gentle and pleasant
voice; he was talking in an undertone
these two, as they walked together along
the quiet country road, looked very like
lovers


My companion, ,,whistled another bar of
The Minstrel Boy" aud then began to
yawn.


Il think | shall go back and have
cigar before going to bed" said he.


Very WE'LL" said L.


but you don't mean to leave those two
walking Oh by themselves P" said he sharp
y. Why that long-legged idiot would
go stalking on to the crack of doom-till
he tumbled over the edge of the world.
Call him back. Does he want to drag the
girl to the shores OF the German Ocean ?"


called them; they turned and met us;
and there was for a moment little con-
fusion. lie Immediately said to her, 'sOh,
Miss Newton, | want to tell you what You
must do about tomorrow" and then, be-
fore the poor girl knew where she was, he
had walked her off, and deposited the
wrathful and fuming Maurice with me. 1t
was pleasant walk back to the inn
ones companion being a young man
whose chief desire was to dispatch some-
body or other on voyage to another
world.


"Now,' said Mr.. Humphreys to me that
night, when he had lit his second cigar
and mixed his parting glass, "now that
that spindle-shanked giraffe has gone to
bed, will tell you all that happened as
we came back this evening. BY Jove,
what sweet and engaging creature that
girl is-what fine thing it would be to
take her about always-to picture exhibit
tlons, you know, where your friends were
to dinner parties, drums. and all that;
and then, when you were tired, to take a
run down to this quiet little spot and have
a good time all by yourselves. She is
little taller than | am, to be sure"-


81 thought you were going to tell me
story"


an, yes. W eli, uO SOONER nau we
started TO walk home than | found that
that milk-iaced wisp of straw had been
making the girl wretched bv talking of
troubles and misfortune and the sympathy
OF unhappy people with each other. Now
you know, that amt my line; and didn't
see the fun of it; and saws to myself,
Just let's see what this girl is really un-
happy about = You know, not one of you
wOulu tell me-,


surely it was not our business. even if
we had known"


"Well," said |, dear Miss Newton,
hear you have been rather unhappy" She
sighed at this. Then | went on to tell her
that 1t was very impertinant of me to ask
about her private affairs, but she must ex.
cuse the interest which |, in common with
everybody else, felt in her; and would she
tell me something of the young gentleman
who was lost.


ell, said the attentive listener, ''if
cheek has any buoyancy about it, there's
no fear OF your drowning


"Oh, my dear fellow" remarked the
complacent gentleman in gray, with a
quiet grin on his face II know how to
treat one OF your very sentimental girls.
She told me at once. He was her cousin.
| said his being drowned must have been
great shock to her; and she said that it
was so; and yet she didn't seem to make
much OF it. SO | said that people some
times exaggerated the concern you ought
to have in your relations and that there
were cousins and cousins. She said that
was true, almost in n cheerful voice; and
admitted that she did not know much
about the young man. Il suppose said
that your relatives rather looked forward
to your marrying him as a sort of family
affair-you know what mean.' She said
that was 50, too, and added, poor ,young
man = Now, I'll tell you honestly | had
come by this time not to believe in the
depth OF her misery about the elegant
young gentleman who was supposed to
play Paul to her Virginia; and ventured
to hint as much. She was not offended.
In fact she grew quite lively; and was
rather Inclined to poke fun at my curiosity
which she said was the thing that Ameri-
cans were blamed for. But what was he