Year: 1866

and courtf lady; and both saw the
same love the same anxiety, the same |
terror Mt tfb sight of lonely boy strug-
Cling in tie moonlight through break |
ing Ice with no one to help him, catch
ing at thefrozen reeds, and then creep
ing up, shvering and bcnumed, to the
cottage dopr. |


But even as she stopped the woman
forgot her Imagination, for she had
taken w.isteoat into her hands, such
as had never passed between them be-
fore; q gold pencil-case dropped from
the pocket, and OH the floor, among a
heap of mud that covered the outer
garments, lay white shirt sleeve, so
white, indeed, and fine, that she
thought it could hardly be worn by a
squire. .... 49,. a.. ....


She glanced from the clothes to the
owner. He bad thrown down his cap,
and his fair, curly hair and broad fore
head convinced her that he was Of gen.
tie birth; but whilo she hesitated to sit
down, he set chair for her, and said
with boyish frankness: " say, what n
lonely place this is; il you had not let
me in, the water had frozen on me be-
fore reached home. Catch me duck
shooting again by myself!"


ITS very cold sport that, SIR" said
the woman. s...


The young gentleman assented most
readily, and asked if ho might stir the
fire.


"And Welcome SIR" said the woman.
She felt curiosity to know who
he was, and he partly satisfied
her by remarking that he was stay
ing ut Deen Hall, a house about five
miles of, adding that, I'm tho morning
he had bcoken hole in the ice near
the decoy; but it had iced over SO fast,
that in the dusk he had missed it and
fallen in, for it would not bear him.


He had made some landmarks, and
had taken every precaution, but he sup


posed the sport had excited him so much
that, in the moonlight he had passed
them by. He then told her of his at
tempt to get shelter in the other cottage.


"Sir," said the woman, "if you had
said you were Il gentleman y


The boy laughed, ~ don't think /
knew it," my good woman, he replied,
"my senses were so henumed; for /


was some time struggling at the waters
edge among tho broken ice, and then l


believe / was nearly an hour creeping
up to your cottage door. remember
it all rather indistinctly, but as soon rs


l felt the fire, and drank the warm beer,


| was different creature.


Whilo they still talked the husband
came in, and, while he was eating his
supper they aggreed that he should


walk to Deem Hall and let its inmates
know of the gentleman's safety: aud
when he was gone they made up tho
fire with all the coal that remained to
that poor household, and the woman
crept up to bed and left her guest to lie
down aud rest before il. ..


In the gray dawn the laborer return
ed, with a servant leading the horse,
and bringing fresh suit of clothes


The young gentleman took his leave
with many thanks, slipping three half
crowns into the womau's hand, prob
ably all the money he had about him.
And / must not forget to mention that
he kissed the baby, for when she tells
the story, the mother alwas adverts
to that circumstance with great pride,
adding that her child being as "clean
rs wax, was quite fit to be kissed by
anybody"
stood i'm the doorway, looking after their
guest, "who dost think that be?n


81 don't know" answered the Missis.


"Then I'll just tell thee, that be
young Lord W.; so thou mayest be a
proud woman, thou sits and talks with
lords, and asks them into supper-ha,
ha" So saying, her master shouldercd
his spade and went his way, leaving
her blinking the three half crowns in
her hand, and considering what she
should do with them. Her neiShbor
from the other cottage presently step
ped in, and when sho heard the tale and
saw the money, her heart was ready to
break with envy and jealousy,


go, to think that good luc k should
have come to her door, and she should
have been so foolish aS to turn 1t away.
Seven shillings and siXpence for II NOR
sci of food and a nights shelter, why,
it was nearly weeks wages"


So there, rs they both supposed, the
matter, ended, and the next week the
frost was sharper than ever. Sheep were
frozen i'm the fenny fields, and poultry
OH their perches, but the good woman
had walked to the nearest town and
to their bed covering, and 1t
was many long year since they had
been SO comfortable.


But il chanced one day at noon, that,
looking out ut her easement, she spied
three young gentleman skating along
the ice toward her cottage. They
sprang on to the bank, took off their
skates, and made for her door. The
young nobleman informed her that he
had had such severe cold he could not
come to see her before. "He spoke rs
she observed, in telling
the story, "as il had been lady, and
no less and then he brought q parcel
out of his pocket, 'and I've been over
to b. he says, 'and bought you book
for keepsake, and ! hope you will ac-
cept it, And then they all talked as
pretty as could be for q matter of ten
and went away. So I''waited
till my master came home, and we
opened the parcel, and there was fine
Bible inside, all over gold and red mo-
rocco, and nay name was written inside |
and, bless him! a ten pound note
doubled down over the names. I'm
'ure when thought he was poor for |
orn creature, he was kindly welcome. |
SO my masterl laid out part of the money
ne goes over on market days to sell
what we grow; 80 now, thank God, we
want for nothing


This Is how shs generally concludes
,hc little history, never falling to add
hat the young lord kissed her baby.


But" said my friend, 81 have not
old you what thought the best part !
If the anecdote. When this pure
Christian woman was asked what had |
induced her to take in a perfect stranger,
md trust him with the best clothing
Ter home afforded, she answered sim /
ply, Well, / saw him shivering and
so J thought, thou shalt come
n here for the sake of Him that had
lot where to lay His head.'n


The old woman in the other cottage |
nay open her door every night OF her |
'uture life to some forlorn beggar, but
t is all but certain that she win never
,pen tito a nobleman in disguise!


Let us do good, not to receive more
good In return, but as an evidence of
gratitude for what has been already be-
Itowed. In few words, let 1t be "all
or the love and nothing for the re-
ward"


RE5OLUTIoN.--"I have great con-
idence," says a writer, in young men
who believe in themselves aud are ac-
to rely on their own rcsour-
,es from an early period. When q res
,lute young fellow steps up to the great
,ully, the world, and fakes him boldly