Year: 1879

lie WIS llcc " III Cih tnFil SH-
gayement but if held her to it,
she would do her duty and be 1;
faithful wife to him.


Henry Merle was q man OF the
world. Love was on y name 10
him ; he had palled Of it's sweets
long before be met the girl now
speaking to him, with the pale.
pleading face and heavy eyes. lie
knew Ethel had u fortune, and
that she was the most beautiful
woman he had ever seen, so he
clung fast to his prize, and never
thought Of letting her go.


The preparations for the MAI
riage were rapidly going on, when
EtheI's quiet was rudely broken
by one Of those terrible shocks
which sometimes come in peo-
pies lives.


Her brother, who had left Ler
when their parents died, and WHO
had seemed to have forgotten her
very existence, was a torger to a
large amount. lie had spent his
own fortune, gone from bad to
worse, and now every paper
throughout the land was full Of
the details of his crime.


But Ethel rose superior to the
blow. which would have crushed a
weaker nature. She did not sit
down to think, but acted prompt
". And her action saved him
from further dishonor. Money,
some say, is the "root OF all evil J"
but oitcner it is the root OF a good
deal Of good; and Ethel, with 4
thankful heart, gave all Of hers TO
cover the stolen amount, and the
offender was allowed to remain i'll
merciful oblivion in foreign
country.


Now tho excitement was over
Ethel had time to think. She had
not seen Henry Merle during all
the sad trial she had so bravely
passed through but she did not
think it strange, as she knew that
his time Was very much taken up
in business, and her thoughts
dwelt upon him and their ap-
preaching marriage with a nearer
approach to real tenderness than
ever before.


Il was sweet to feel that there
was some one TO share her trouble
with her some one to whom she
had a right to look for comfort.


But a letter came, stating that
the writer had thought over the
story she had once told him, and
had decided it would be injustice
for him to hold her to her en-
gagement.


But Ethel saw through the
specious words, and now, poor
oirl the waves Of bitterness did
indeed overwhclm her.


No one to turn to, her money
gone, and with it those friends
who smile when fortune smiles,
add worst of all, Ethel felt her
trust in human natnre gong
too.


So she sat, one afternoon, in her
little lodging house room, sadly
forming her plans for the future,
when a tap came upon the door, II
opened and there stood the manly
;uaoe she had ruthlesslv driven
from her heart.


Ethel my poor darling!'


The poor girl rose, hes'tated'
and then with low, glad cry
sprang into the outstretched arms.


"Oh, my precious one! can L
take the right TO comfort you! |
only just heard Of your trouble
| never once thought that the
Arnold Stuart | read Of was your
brother and then, when l heard
your engagement was broken l
imagined how 1t was, ana came On
the wings of the wind"


He paused, and lifting the
dropping head with his firm hand
he gazed long and earnestly into
the lustrous eyes, and then quietly
pressed his own lips to the sweet,
trembling mouth. In that kiss
Ethel felt all her troubles vanish.


And so it always is-the darkest
hour is always just before the
dawning.


Nu,u Havcn Conn.,. residents