Year: 1878

VI course the marriage could no


take place directly. Mr.. simond
was going to Germany, to study meth
DDS of education for two years-h
had "means" of his own to do So
and then there was place to get a
principal or professor somewhere afte
he got back.


Itwas rather long prospect fol
Florence Amanda, but her home wa.
ready and glad to receive her. She
passed the later fall months in thai
quiet retreat, being petted and waited
on, forgetting her mental labors and
enduring her physical ills as best she
could.


When the end of October came. she
went to make a visit in Rock6eld,
and was there taken i'll with a low
fever and her mother had to be sent
for.


With many misgivings Mrs, Jake
way started for the distant station as
early as usual, and spent miserable
hour on the platform waiting for the
train.


She would not let Mr.. Jakeway
leave her till the cars came, the place
was SO lonely, and when she was
gone he logged along homeward at his
own pace-to find, on arriving in
Dover, telegram to the effect that
his daughter was on her way home
and wanted to be met at the Rockfeld
train.


If his wife had been willing to wait
even fifteen minutes later she would
have been spared her journey, and
Florence Amanda would not have
spent half an hour alone at the soll-
tary shed, propped against her trunk
and carpetbag, while Jehiel was whip
ping up old Grey to the highest speed
he could extract from that ancient ami
NAL, who did not approve of retrac-
ing the road he had just travelled.


When "Mis' Smart" arrived at
Dover the next morning it was with
a certain grim pleasure that Uncle
Jakeway narrowed up her soul all
the way home.


"You was sight too smart for once
in your life, now, warn't ye, Sary +?
I thought Florence Amanda would
a most died gettin home, she was so
tuckered out. Doctor says he ex-
poets she'll have RELAPSE. I had ter
get Miss Ellery right over, and
Widder Wells sot up with her last
night. Seems as though you could
ha' waited leetle longer, don't it ?"


Poor Mrs. Jakeway was too much
troubled in her own conscience to
make fight against these true charges;
but when Florence after all recovered
though the tedious winter had to go
first, and the April days encourage
her with their fallible promises of
spring-her mother slipped back into
the old ways. 1t needed one more
and severer lesson to teach her that
to be too soon. is almost as bad as to
be too late.


1t was two years after this that Mr..
Simonds was expected from Europe,
and Florence Amanda was to go to
New York to meet him; for he had
been invited to accept the mastership
of an academy in large Western
town, whittier he must proceed with
out unnecessary delay. AS she had
no friends in New York, her mother
was to accompany her.


Now a visit the city was an ex-
citing matter to this good woman, and
it was a matter of more moment to
her than ever that they should be
there on time since that time was 30
blief. The steamer was expected on
Thursday, and early Wednesday
morning the two left Dover by the
first train.


There was no need of this, for the
next train, which was fast express,
made a connection with the river
line to New York daily; but it struck
"Mis' Smart" that perhaps it would
not to-day, and it was better to wait
two hours at Willowtown station than
to take any risk. So the house was
reused as usual, and Florence Aman-
da, pale and chilly, swallowed a little
breakfast; and was carried over to the
station with her mother half an hour
before time.


The early train was part freight,
no ri oooommod t;op onJ norr +;,o