Year: 1874

How pleasantly those glowing embers
hobnob tOgetherl How closely they cling,
each one rejecting. Frightening, and en-
hancing the flame of the otherl Present
ly one tumbles down, and forthwith its
comrade falls atop of it, and around and
about the other fagots gather. Cheerfully
then spouts out the little flame. But away
over there lies long crooked stick, quite
alone, blazing away merrily just now.
But it can't last long. In union there is
strength, old boy. What! waning al
ready? Come, then. here is sturdy poker
that will shove you back TO the magical
ring. Now blaze away with the rest!


All me! would that some sturdy poker
had been used in my case while there was
yet time!


in spite of the light and warmth and
luxury about me, feel out in the cold
somehow, lndubitably out i'm the cold!


Is it my fault, / wonder, or my mistpr-
tune? Which? When | was lad of
eighteen | had a comcly countenance, a
shapely figure. an active BRAN, and, as a
respectable cOrrelative to all these. a fine
fortune. Soon after reaching my eighteenth
birthday was, although a clever horse
man. tumbled almost upon the spikes of
an inclosure that had i'm my daily rides
often seemed to me like the flaming swords
that kept intruderS out of the garden of
Eden.


Not that the grounds were more allur-
ing than most ordinary cOuntry-seats can
boast. but at about the hour passed that
way | invariably saw therein group of
children, and young lady apparently at
tending them. This latter human cred-
ture was the Eve that created that garden
of Eden in nv imagination, lending a
charm to the place that caused me to liken
il to Paradise,


How plainly it comes back to me now
briers and bushes and slovenly under
brush, around and about it all the spike
crowned fence. through which gazes with
his soul in his eyes that ardent lad of
eighteen, the little ones a rod or two in the
foreground, and Miss Clara BurtOn-fOr
that is the name of the beautiful goyernesS
-walkingwith proud and stately step after
them, Her shapely head is inclined. per-
hapS, over book, or her luminous eyes
gather i'm the landscape about her, and rest
appreciatively upon the lights and shad-
owS of yOnder wind-blown rock, or wan
der dreamily TO the fleecy clouds hanging
athwart the dazzlingly blue sky. How
glad and fair is the morning. how fresh and
bright the sunshine and the balmy air,
and. oh. how beautiful she isl That lad





can scarce get his breath for looking at her.
Only the surly fence between, and yet how
far. how immeasurably, heart-breakingly
far


Well, it so happened that this nearness
for which he had vainly yearned was
thrust upon him. for one spring morning
as he reined in his horse, and prepared 10
imbibe the usual basis for his dreams for
that day, the lively animal under him. be-
coming no doubt disguised with this RI
diculOus and extremely monOtOnOus love
malady, determined TO change the tenor OF
affairs by throwing him over his head, and
nicely poising him upon a stone pillar that
intersected the spikes.


There he lay. like young Adonis, in the
wood, his fair hair bedabbled with blood,
and all pale his rounded cheeks, the light
shut out of his blue eyes.


Venus, i'm the shape of Miss Burton, than
whom there could have been no fairer pro-
tOtype for the goddess, went quickly to the
rescue, losing her own brilliant colorin the
mean while, and clasping her hands in
graceful dismay.


He was carried into the house, and some
hours elapsed before he was even aware of
this felicity: but when ne did at last open
those blue eyes, and open them to the con-
sciousneSS that near him knelt Miss Clara
Burton, her taper fingers busy in helping
the doctor mend his unfortunate head,
which had been rudely handled by the jag
ged edge of the stone pillar-when he
found himself within hand OF
her shining hair-when he could almost
feel her fragrant breath upon his cheek.
his soul became SO completely surcharged
with rapture that he closed his ewes with
a sigh, and actually lost consciousness
again.


But iOy don't kill-in fact. it must have
some healing prOclivities; for speedily. all
too speedily for poor Phil Fairfield, came
vicor and strength again, and had it not
been for lucky sprain OF the right ankle
he would have been compelled TO getaway
from that enchanted palace in the course
of the afternoon. How he thanked his pre-
siding star for that comfortable sprain tha
detained him! To be sure, it brought !
few nasty accessories, a severe twlng'
every little while that wrenched his whole
being. heavy sodden ache tugging con
tinuallv at the muscles of mis- whole r1gh
leg: but what was that compared TO tht
unsatisfed yearning pangs OF an unfeC
passion2 Now at least he was near her
Constantly he heard her clear silvery voice
He could distinguish the rustic of hel
dress as it floated past the corridor. Twice
three times that day, perhaps even NOR
frequently. she came 10 the lounge Wher'
he lay, and once (it was toward evening
she let her hand fall lightly on his broker
head. and dasked if he was better.


Better Oh. Phil Fairfield, but once in
lifetime comes that soul-thrilling rap
ture, the firstmingling of material with
an adolescent spiritual passion. Never
again. never again. charm they never so
wisely, can all the women you are fated tC
behold. give YOU one 1.-THE of that ecstasy
Ii was rambling old country-house in.
habitedz only sby an old widow lady ant
three grandchildren her only son ha(