Year: 1878

moment, and then kissed her finger
tips, 'Redolette,' said he, you've been
imprudent; you've been imprudentayou'vo
got chilled through; your hand is as cold
as ice That was just all he thought
about it, but women is more keen; and l
says to myself, that very mint, Yes,
she's caught a chill, and she's caught a
FEVER: the fever may lastor it may not !;
but the chill she's caught'll last her the
rest of her life.'"


There comes into almost every expert
ence a night that, for its very distinction
OF darkness and gloom and binding
fright, is counted ever afterwards as :. the
night"


Such night came to Redolette. It
was the hour that Willie had anticipated
when he made her make a solemn prom
ise 6 for her good.''


A night OF storm, of wild wind and
drenching rain. But wind and rain seem
ed feeble elements in comparison with
the cruel anger, the passionate upbraid-
ing, and pitlless threats that formed the
actual dark pre-eminence Of the eventful
night.


One. bright scene stood out in relief
against the stormy background the
opening OF a door in answer to a faint,
despairing knock; a beam1ng home room
warm with freight and gay with cheer
full lamps; kind faces, kind voices, sym
pathy, encouragement, help So every
dark night--even the darkest has its
friend.


Before monring dawned Redolette,
urged with allthe gentle and firm aid of
which she had need, was speeded forth
on ajourney that was to cast into higher
plane her whole future life. Bv the time
night had glimmered into day Redolette
had made her escape.


Examination week at the famous girls
school of N had reached its closing
act. Compositions we're to be read in
the afternoon prizes were to be awarded; !;
and at evening a collation. would be
spread at half past ten in the not spacious
but particularly attractive grounds of the
N--Seminary, to end in garden-party
style, with band of music and merry
dance, the ardaous exercise Of the week


Intense interest gathered about this
closing afternoon. Indeed, when one con-
siders how small a part of the great world
the female seminary of N, with all
its tame, actually was, it was wonderful
how intense this interest became One
would say, who happened to peep into
the greenroom of the compostion-readers
waiting with cold fright or with hectic
agitation, each for her turn to be called
upon the stage, that the result of this
evening would be something momentous
enough to cause an alteration in the
course Of our planet, or at the very least,
a trembling in its onward step.


This impression would not have been
lessened by reading the titles Of the com
positions: woman of our Century ;" 'sThe
Dead Past burying its Dead" EsThe Flu
ture of the American Republic"-a very
fine thing, and winner OF the first prize {;
/" Spiritual Tendencies of Astronomical
Research" !" /" Drawln's Development The
ory confronted with Argyle'sr / Reign cf
Law" 1" Is Genius Hereditary, and if so
from the Paternal or the Maternal Side?
with Statistics from Galton, carefully
compiled" and so on, and so forth.


Very simply, after this array, came the
announcement given by the principal of
the seminary, "A Mountain Brook" by
Miss r. Kane.


Closing exercises had been heightened
beyond their fixed time, and daylight
was departing as Miss Kane made her
appearance from the greenroom, compost
ton in hand. A side window had to be
opened to give sufficient light, and through
this opening came a rosy glow that al
most atoned for the lack OF floral tributes
such as had overwhelmed the entrance
OF every other reader. Not single flower
was thrown to welcome the coming of
Miss r. Kane. ga friendless girl" many
OF the audience thought. But no one in
the world is friendIess girl, so the sud
denly opened window said; for the sunset
glow poured in and enshrined her feet
and iltumined her garments, and crowned
her young head with flowers of light


And IN tinaid but clear voice the com
position was read. "A Mountain Brook,
not scientific Or erudite, but theme OF
action, and taking as smile Of useful life
'he trite figure OF a river bearing from its
rocky solitude, through wood and through
field of grain, and over mill-wheel and by
the town, its ever-augmenting stream Of
refreshing and compelling force.


The trite comparison was treated with
novel grace And one thing was quite
remarkable about the position
description of the scenery in which the
Mountain Brook was supposed to receive
from high authority its mission through
the thirsting earth. This description was
so wildly accurate that any cne familiar
with a certain mountain locality would
have recognized at once that the Brook
sprang to light under the fernfanned cav
ern Of Block Height,