Year: 1874




sort Of Il fix was in? Well, to condense
the matter, | gave him in charge of the
landadv, and went out to see if could
find his mother. 1t was of no use: | ad-
vertised him in every possible way. No
body claimed him, and | concluded that
he had dropped out of the clouds for my
especial benefit Perhaps the bread had
thrown upon the water had been meta-
morphosed into meat, and in this shape had
returned to me sooner than expected
would be careful how | made another COM
pact with my spirit friends. But even vet
it seemed that they had not fully recon-
pensed me Tor my kindness to the children
OF the past Christmas.


was sitting one evening with Dotty by
the fire, some six weeks after his advent.
when there was Il slight shutfling in the
hall, and soon Il tiny rap upon my door
opened it, and a little girl came in timid-
ly with her finger in her mouth AT first
the LIGHT dazzlcd her, but she soon pecred
round the table and espied Dotty. He,
too, had seen her. and with a little scream
he rushed toward her, and then commenc
ed the most rNtrayagant demonstrations
OF Joy | ever witnessed in my fife OF
course | was curious to know what it all
meant, but they did not answer my ques-
tions They did not seem to hear them.
1t was 'Oh, Dotty" and "Oh, Lily" kiss
kiss kiss, and "lnm up to de fire, Lily,
ct me shake de snow off oor cloak ;" and
Nv here did 90 dit dat petty horsey, Dot
| tv?" and then more eNclamations and
more kissing. / was utterly bewildered.
and after cudgeIinG my brain to an extent
undreamr,l of in all my previous wears, |
gave ii up as hopeless for that night at
least. and concluded to sleep on it as soon
as they got done kissing In the succeed
/ ing DAYS | found out. partly by question
children were twins Who they were or
what the object in palming them off upon
me, remained Il profound mystery for
years. will Just say, in passing, that
though 4 little resenttul at first At what
seemed an objectionable liberty in thus
| forcing 4 great responsibility upon me- |
soon became not only reconciled, but in
| finitely happier than lever expected to be.
My darlings grew in grace and beauty
and became the very life of my life But
from the moment of their entering my
house was haunted by 4 woman, who in
spite OF all my efforts baflled every attempt
to see her plainly. One summer eve, As
SIT III my NIUE SNtil-ltpil w lllt lIt tliIl
dren at dinner, became conscious of some
strange influence near me- and glancing
around saw her through the open Win
dow, Just melting out Of sight in the dim
darkness. And many q time after caught
partial glimpscs of a thin, wasted form,
but never once was in position to catch
or detain her At last moved by com
passion for what knew to be in that poor
mothers heart posted an advertisement
on all the conspicuous places near my
dwelling, which was something like this


If the mother of Dotty and Lily will
come to me openly she shall see her chill
dren without reserve, But in case she
shall have reasons Of her own foi~not com
ing, | would like to let her know that he
to whom she gave them thanks her with
humble and happy heart tor her precious
gift, and will pledge himsefnever to prove
recreant to so sacred Il trust


Now 50 far from this producing the eff
feet | had desired it seemed to Danish the
mother entirely away, and it was nearly
twelve Years after the children came to
me that the next event happened.
There was IN exhibition in Lilys school,
and She was to have the leading character
in some theatrical performance. She was
tural sel,? 'iolle snitn6u nGr part with avldl-
tv, and with the most thrilling and brilliant
action rehearsed it again and again before
me. When the night came, she appeared
on the stage in character, eNqulsltely
dressed in court train and Jewels, 1t was
the first time | had ever seen her out OF
short dresses Who was it She reminded
me of? Surely had known some one at
some time of my life lust like my splendid
darling | listened to her and watched
her, with what pride who can tell? until
the last act when the curtain tails upon
her in tabeall-with hands crossed upon
her breast. with tender eyes upralsed the
whole wealth OF her pale golden hair ta!!
ing in one curling, misty cataract down to
her waist, the innocence Of angels radiat-
ing from her. and yelling her girlish form
with gentle grace, so wonderfully pure
so tenderly touching. Through the happy
tears that filled my eyes saw halo en-
circle her like rainbow, and then the
curtain tell and | heard a scream from
some woman in the audience hat scream
pierced my heart like = knife, for lifted
out of myself as | was by the intensity OF
my feelings. there came perfect revela-
ton of all the ineNplicable events OF the
past few years-so full Of quiet content to
me, so full of agony to others. In vain,
Tor some moments, struggled to pene-
trate the crowd whence issued that terrible
cry. At last Preached her, pale, PROSTATE,
llfeless. ''Stand back / cried ''she'F
mine, o Emma Emma


There is little more to tell took her
to her old home--to the very chambers
she ha.! frightened with her presence
when a child She was faded and old and
worn beyond her years Her splendid
fragrant hair, whose touch upon my cheek
and shoulder had once tuned my pulse
to the delicious, naddening rhyme OF love,
was now shalt gray half ruined gold"
She knew her children, and they brought
her all the long galnered affection OF their
fresh Young hearts. But even that could
not save her She faded from us daily,
and at last, with many promises Of re-
union in that world where we hope to recli~
fy the mistakes of this, we parted.


And O, thank God for that older fash
ion vet Of Immortality. For who could
live to bear the ills OF this life if deprived
OF the one great hope of the life to come?


Charley had died before the twins We're
born, and poverty had pursued her relent-
lessly-bitteriy. @, if she had only come
back to the heart that cherished her. How
this thought tortured me, how it wore
upon me and darkened my lite for years.
And how those lines Of Whittier ring their
endless refrain through the tortured brain ;


.'Of all sad words of tongue or pen.


The saddest are these-it might have been,


1t was years before the remainder of
the poem took root in my heart, but at
last | could say:


SO, we'll for us all some sweet hope lies


Deeply hidden from human eyes;


And in the hereafter angels may


Roll the stone from its grave away.


RICHES. 1t is strange delus;on for men
to suppose that happiness consists in riches.
Contentment is not to be found in splendor
and magniiicence or why is it that princes
have sometimes exchanged the grandeur
of a palace for the more simple employ
ments of private life? Why is the coun-