Year: 1866

but now that he was convalescent Alice
sometimes thought him hard to please.
We thought him downright M-natured,
and if ace had been his wife, he should
have ironed out the wrinkles on his
forehead before we would have given
him a bit of breakfast


There he sat, only thirty-two, with
his fair, broad brow contracted like an
aged grandfather's; not at all thankful
for the blessings which surrounded him,
because they were virtually only bor-
rowed of friends, and his pride rebelled
against such pecuniary obligations; not
thankful that he was now able to sit up
because he had been sick so long. 1t
vexed him to see his wife come in with
such a pleasant smile, and to hear the
children chatter like two magpies so
he returned their morning salutations
coldly, and sat down at the breakfast
table with face like a thunder cloud.


Alice turned out the coffee which she
had prepared with her own hands, look
ing satisfied with its color and flavor,
for, thanks to stern necessity she had
| become an excellent cook.


81 think this coffee has not its usual
flavor this morning." drawled George,
after taking swallow "Ah, I thought
l had succeeded admirably in its prep
aration," replied Alice, with forced
smile, and slight bitterness in her
tone 81 wish now that I had learned
to cook earlier in life 1 am aware that
l sometimes make mistakes, but could
not realize that | should ever--''
"Hush !! if you finish that senter ce
you will kill met is for your sake
that am SO unhappy; forgive me; the
coffee is good-excellent.'' Alice re-
piled only with sweet smile and sin
gle tear. and her repenaant husband re-
solved for her sake to be happier man
forever afterwards. He turned around
from tho table to the fire, took bis
youngest born upon his lap, and began
earnestly to brush away the cloud which
had settled so ominously over his house
hold. "You are very pretty sometimes
papa,' said little Lottie, as she watched
the sunshine breaking out again over
his fine countenance, sand you are bet
ter today said the elder child, laying
his hand upon his knee, and gazing
thoughtfully into his face.


eyes, my darling, better in soul and
body. But Alice, dear, have been
thinking much of my lost brother John
of late-what kind brother he always
was to me, and how he loved you and
the babes-after all these years of sep
aration, do you really believe we shall
see him no more forever ?''


"My dear husband, there has been a
strange coincidence in our feelings. I
have been thinking of our dear John
and little else for week ; but you
must not dwell upon this subject, or
you will be worse again. There, ban
ish all painful recollections," and kiss
ing him-sweet wife as she was-she
hurried out of his sight. Did she be-
lieve that he-John Grant-was lost to
them forever? o, no, for if she had she
could not have gone now so cheerily
about her work.


1t was noon, and being washing day,
Alice set upon the table a cold lunch
con and cup of tea, then called her
little family, and they were again seated
at the table, when chang! tang!" went
the knocker. The door swung violent
ly back upon its hinges, and something
was thrown down upon the hall floor,
jarrlng the whole house. The children
crept away from their seats to the feet
of their natural defenders, and "papa"
and "mama" thought of constables and
table wrappers. Another moment and
a manly footstep tramped over the floor
the second door gave way, and John
Grant was at home again


"Why John! dear John! we had
given you up as dead 6' "Dead in
deed do l hug like dead man ?" he
exclaimed, as the tears rolled over his
brown cheeks, and he pressed them all
to his great loving heart. "Dead ? if I
had been l would have notified you of
the fact have been five years in Cal
ifornia. Zounds . I thought that old
jilt fortune would have lodged me after
all, but | hung on-not an inch would
I stir towards home until she forked
over my pile. And here it is-mine
and yours. So let the old board,



with j. and G. Grant, be hung out
again, and no more town lots, darn 'em
Sis, let your servant go back with Inc
to the depot for some baskets of nick