Year: 1874

"Now, Ida, my dear girl, take my ad-
VICE. said Aunt Charlotte to her giddy
young niece, land don't imperil your
own future happiness nor be guilty Of in
justice by sighting the man to whom you
have given your troth or by foolishly teas
ing him in order to test his affection.
There is a story in my own memory that
have never told you; and could not
now bring myself to do 50 only that see
wish you to learn wisdom by an easier
method than that of bitter experience.


"When was young girl we lived, as
you know, in Canada, in one of the small
lake-shore towns between Toronto and
Kingston. Your grandfather was a man
of note in the town, and | was a good
deal sought after. was giddy, too, and
selfish, though did not then consider
myself so. l had many admirers and
suitors, among whom the one liked best
was Harry Vane. From my very infancy
Harry had been my gallant, and though l
sometimes pretended to be, and sometimes
really was, jealous of him or otherwise
offended, and he the same with regard to
me, we always made up again and we're
better friends than ever. There was not
really any engagement between US, though
Harry had asked me to form one; but my
parents objected to long engagements, and
we were not ready to marry. Matters
stood thus when, early one spring, we had
an addition to our list Of beaux in the
form of dashing young fellow, an En-
glishman, sent out by wealthy firm of the
mother country for the purpose of cstab.
fishing an agency in their line of business.
His headquarters had been in Montreal,
but he now announced his intention of
making our town his home during the
summer.


He had good deal of leisure, and
spent no inconsiderable part of it at our
house, or in promenading the streets with
me. l could hardly set my feet on the
sidewalks without encountering him.
His name was Downs, and he claimed to
be of aristoeratic ,parentage. He was
handsome and atable, though rather su.
appearance; so no wonder the girls
our set wished to attract his attention and
were envious Of me. OF course I was
proud Of my conquest, and perhaps carried
myself little haughtily in consequence.
For some time Harry pouted, then OPEN
ly demonstrated, even pleaded; but, as
angrily asserted my independence, he
finally desisted from all apparent notice
of the matter; and whenever we met he
treated me with Indifferent courtesy, and
altogether showed a manly selfcommand
which l did not fail to note and admire.
Still must confess that at that time
gave very little thought to Harry or to
any OF my old admirers; it seems won
derful to me, how completely1 was fas-
cinated by the prepossessing stranger.


"T0 be sure, he flattered nv vanity not
little, and my empty head was turned
by his lavish, adulatOry style of compli-
ments. He raved about my eyes of heav-
enly blue, the golden color of my mer.
maid locks, my swan:like neck, and an
endless flow Of bathos that ought to have
disgusted me, but did not; and So I
listened and he ranted. About the middle
OF August we made up among our set a
picnic party to drive out to Rice Lake
Plains and speud the day in boating on
the Like, gathering huckleberries, wild
flowers, etc., and generally amusing our.
selves.


"You must know that there is an irreg.
ular chain OF small lakes extending trans.
versely from the Bay of Quinte, near the
eastern end OF Lake Ontario, to the east
crn end OF Superior. Rice Lake is the
first Of the chain counting from Ontario,
and it lies at distance Of from two to
four hours drive from several small
towns on the frontier. We had an carly
breakfast, and set off at eight O'Clock, so
that we need not be on the road during
. the heat of the day. There were. several
carriages; the one in which rode was a
handsome barouche hired from livery
stable for the occasion, and by my side
sat the all-conquering Mr.. Downs.