Year: 1879

On a wild October night, Elsie Ray mond sat beside her solitary fireside in deep thought-in thought that, truth to tell, was tinctured by sadness. It was not often that she sat thus, for she was the most cheerful and busy of little wo- men, the best of sisters and aunts, and the kindliest of neighbors. This being the case, she found little leisure for thought or solitary musing, for, in some one of these relations, work enough was always provided for her.

 But tonight she seemed to have ar rived at one of the halting-places in her life. Her young sister Sophie, the last of her charges, had that morning been married. The old gray homestead had been left desolate when her smiling face went from it, at least so Elsie thought. True, she had a tribe of small nephews and nieces staying with her, while their mother, Elsie's sister Mary, and her husband accompanied the bridal pal ty on their tour, but they had long been asleep, and there was no token of their presence in the somewhat prim- looking room, except great basket of playthings in & corner, and row of shoes, headed by Willie's new boots," and closed by baby Elsie's tiny bronzed slippers, that were ranged against the wall

 Elsie's father had died suddenly, the victim of a fatal accident, and his widow, overwhelmed .by the sad and terrible bereavement, soon followed him. With her dying breaah she com mended her younger children to the care of their elder sister, and exacted from her promise that she would de- vote her life to them. The girl could hesitate at no demand made in the last feeble accents of her dying mother. She lifted the little unconscious babe from | the feeble arms that clasped it, and hold ing it close to her bos )m, and looking upon the fearful face of the little group gathered around that death-bed, gave | herequired promise.

 In an hour her mother had ceased to breathe, and Elsie's life-work had be- gun. But it was not until the sad cere- monies of the funeral were over, and the little family had returned to the deso- late home, that Elsie fully comprehended all she had undertaken

 1 None who have truly loved will fail to comprehend the struggle that for the l following weeks went on in Elsie's soul. 1 It was no light sacrifice that was de- manded of Elsie; duty and love, hel promise to the dead and her VOWS to the living, were the antagonists that con- tended every inch of ground John Francis loved Elsie full well enough to have aided her in her life task. He saw no reason in the duties she had under taken why she should not fulfill her VOWS, and in becoming his wife divide the burden of her responsibilities and care.

 But she thought differently. She felt that she had no right to allow his gen. erosity to lead him into such sacrifice He was young, and life lay bright and long before him. Should she allow tn shadow of her care to project across the sunny pathp Should she seek to lax upon his shoulders the burden thai weighed her down and doomed her to 2 life of toilP She could endure and sacri. flee much for the children, so dear to hel l by ties of blood-the sacred legacy of hel dead parents. But to him they were nothing, save for her sake, and sht might have to see him grow weary ane discontented with the untimely cares that marriage with her must thrust upor him