Year: 1867

the reins from her hand while she alight.
cd and helped out the little gill and
though she expressed warmly her pleasure
at his unsolicited policncss and attention;
his difIidence was such that he could not
utter single word in reply; for he had
recognized in her widow lady who had
very recently taken up her residence at
fine old mansion not far srom the village,
of whose wealth and grandeur he had
heard fabulous rumors. So he only stool
by the horse, blushing and smiling till the
occupants of the carriage were safely on
the ground. and then carefully secured
the horse in a ne,ghboring shed, while the
lady and her daughter went into the
church.


Now, grl4, trivial and unimportant as
this occurrence may seem, it essentially
modified the whole after life of that lad.
1t wasn't simply the act itself. but the
mode and tense of it, which had such
power to affect his destiny. Do you
understand The manner and time of
doing a thing quite indifferent in itself
NAV, AMI often does, make an incilaccable
impression!


Father stopped short and looked car
ne-tly, but very pleasantly.


'Ycs, SIR answered Rebccca, thinking
he awaited some response on our part
'ycs, sir, but that isn't all, is it p


'Nut quite, replied he, with a queer
twinkle in his eyes, unless you arc tired
of listening.


'No, indeed, papa, do 90 on urged
we all in the same breath


well, then proceeded father, 'arter
service, the widow, Mrs. d, and her
little girl, found their horse and chaiso at
the door, and the slmc boy in attendance
with the same friendly smile, and the
same unsurmountable diff icncc holding
him tongue tied.


Mrs ID. took silver qnarcr from her
pocket and was going TO slip 1t into the
boys hand as an accompaniment to her
thanks, but he was out of sight the mo-
mcnt they were seated in the chai,e


who is that boys Elizabeth 2 inquired
the widow as they drove homeward.


Il don't know, mamma, but saw him
in the Sunday school; his class is very
near nine replied Elizabeth.


Inhccd ? salI Mrs. d., but might
have known he belonged to the Sunday
school, AMI l,at he bad been carefully
trained at home, too. by his civil and
obliging behavior Qnte extraordinary
in raw country lad. 1 shall keep my
eye on that boy, Elizabeth, for you may
rely upon it he will yet be heard Of in the
world, whatever his situation and pros
poets may now be


Elizabeth WIS pleased to hear him
commended, and added her own remarks
to the same purpurt.


Through the succeeding week the lad
was often mentioned; and by taking some
trouble, ln1 name and residence were us
certained, together with certain partlcu-
lars respecting his ambitious purposes for
the future all of which information only
served to convince the widow ID that she
had no, been mistaken in her first esti
mate OF the young'tcr.


we now pas, over an interval Of ten



years Of stern but rcsolutc struggle and
toll. Bent on the course which had been
the theme Of his childish pratllc, he had
undertaken, sin lie handed, to grapplc
with the Thousand obstacles which rose
mountain high etwccn his poverty and Il
liberal elucaton and professional career
Bat he had never ialtercd nor wavered in
his determination, though sometimes ready
to sink in unequal contest with untow"rl
circumstances lie fought his way through
a preparatory process, entered college IN
advance anl finally graduated with the
highest honors of his elias,


But results like these, Cat least he
thought 80, could never have been achicv-
el, had not his courage, energy and res
olutiUn been sustained from some unknown
and mysterious source. lie felt Il convc-
tion that there were somewhere those who
watched h.s conflict with deep and earnest
interest and though he could not coniec-
ture where they were, nor who, he deter
mined that those invisible eyes should not
witness n defeat. Now and then in his
greatest emergencies Ctor these seemed to
he understood by others besides himsclf),
! he would find some solid testimonial of
interest appearing just at the moment OF
need and in Il manner, too, so consider.
ate and delicate as TO awaken no other
/ feeling than the livelicst gratitude. More
than once, when he went with rucful
face TO make known the impossihilly OF
/ dlscharglng certain pecuniarY obligations
at the appointed time, he found them
/ already canceled and when he entered
on the study Of the law, he was not un-
| frequently astonished by the arrival at his
/ quarters Of packages of books, just the
ones he needed to aid his progress Here
father looked complacenty at his own
capacous and well filled with deep and
earnest interest shelves.


when he was admitted to the bar, and
was obviously casting about for some
humble place where he might open an
Office and commence the practice of hi.
laboriously acquired profession, he found
friends, hitherto unknown to himself,
ready to lend him assistance and counsel
saying they had for years been acquainted
with his stout hearted endeavors How
it could be he was unable to divine, but
he thanked Heaven and them, and made
good use of their kindly suggestions


Soon an advantageous partnership was