Year: 1878

Shortly after this Emma's mother
sent her some little delicacy, manufac.
tured by herself, of which she knew
her daughter TO be particularly fond.


Mrs. Hall brought it into her room
and set it down on the table as if she
were testing the strength of the dish.


% / wonder if your mother is afraid
you'll not have enough to eat here?'
she said. Zone would think you were
a child at boarding-school."


Emma controlled herself by a strong
effort, and made no reply, simply taking
the gift from her hands, with nod OF
acknowledgement.


| Every day brought her some such
petty annoyance; and her father-in-
law, who was old and childish, being
quite as troublesome as his wife in these
respects, it required all Emma's love
for Harry to carry her through.


She still adhered to her determination,
however, to conceal her trouble from
heT husband; and though he noticed
she was less vivacious, perhaps he
thought the mantle of matronly dignity
so becoming to his young wife that he
felt no disposition TO find fault with it.


In the meantime, old Mrs. Hall being
confined TO her room with influenza.
the reins of government were very un-
willingly resigned into Emma's hands.
What endless charges she received
about the busting, and sweeping, and
cooking, ending always with the sOli,o-
guy, as the door closed upon Emma s
retreating form: - l am goose TO tell
her anything about it. She's as igno-
rant as a Hottentot: il will all go in one
ear and ont of the other"


And the old lady groaned in spirit as
the vision of the nose OF the tea-kettle
pointing the wrong way, or the sauce
pan hung on the wrong nail fitted
through her mind.


Emma eXerted herself 10 the utmost
to please her, but the Cruel was always
mot quite right" the pillows not ar
ranged easily behind her back, or she
expected to find Bedlam let loose y
when she got down stairs, and various
other encouraging prognostics of the
same character.


Emma, said Harry, one day, chow
should you like living five miles out of
the city? | have seen place that just
suits my fancy, and think of hiring ii
on trial.


Emma hesitated. She wished 10 ask
- Does your mother go with us:" but
she only said, =" could not tell, dear
Harry, how / should like the place till
| saw il; but fear it would take you
too much from me. 1t would seem so
odd to have five miles distance between
us the whole day. Oh, I'm very sure |
shouldn't like it, Harry" and the
thought of her mother-in-law clouded
her sunny face, and in spite of herself
a tear dropped on her husbands hand.


well, dear Emma, now I'm very
sure you will like it," and his large
dark eyes had look she did not quite
understand, even with all her skill and
practice in reading them; and so I'm
going to drive you out there this very
afternoon and we'll see, said he, gaily
kissing her forehead.


Thither they accordingly went.


"Oh, what a little paradise, Harry
Look at that cluster of roses, What
splendid old trees, See how the wind
sweeps the dropping branches across
the tall grass. And that little low win
dow latticed over with sweet briar; and
that pretty terraced flower-garden-
oh, Harry"


.sWell, let us 90 inside, Emma"


And, applying a key he held in his
hand, the door yielded to his touch and
they stood side by side in a rustic par
lor, furnished simply, but yet so taste
fully.


Tables, stands and mantles, covered
with vases, sending forth fragrance
from the sweetest of wild flowers; the
long white muslin curtains looped away
from a window, whence could be seen
wooded hill, and fertile valley and sill
very stream.


Then they ascended into the cham
bers, which were as sunexceptionable in
their appointments.


Emma looked about in bewildcred
wonder.


"Bnt who lives here now, Harry:''


Nobody"


" Nobody: What a tease you are
To whom does all this furniture belong
and who arranged everything with
such exquisite taste: have been ex-
pecting every minute to see the mistress
of the mansion step out"


'sWell, there she is" said Harry, lead
ing her gaily to the looking-glass. :"
only hope you admire her half as much
as do. Do you think I've not seen my
high-spirited little wife struggling with
trial day by day, suffering, enduring
gaining the victory over her own spirit,
silently and uncomplainingly! Doyou
think | could see all this, and not think
she was the dearest little woman in the
world ?''-and tears and smiles strug-
gled for mastery, as he pressed his lips
to her forehead. And now you will
have nobody to please here but me,
Emma. Do you think that task will be
difficult?


The answer was highly satisfactory
to the husband, as the reader may rest
assured.


| A Yankee Trick.


"what do you charge for board? %
asked tall Green Mountain boy, as he
walked up to the bar of second-rate