Year: 1874

I thought, said Miller, there was
something in the wind that cold Mon
day night when I got back from the
city and found double supply of fa-
vorite hot buttered mullins awaiting me,
and my slippers SO nicely aired on the
hearth. But was sure of it whom my
wife said smiling, /" 1 hope you like the
tea, dear put an extra spoonful in,
because it is such bleak night for
you;" and when my eldest daughter,
Molly, laughed SO very heartily at my
old story of the Chinese Missionary,
which think so good that take every
opportunity of repeating it.


"Now Molly" said I, as L took down
my meerschaum after tea "now, Mol
ly, what is it ?"


"What is what, papa?'' said Molly !;
but she laughed conscious little laugh
all the same.


"Oome," I retorted, "let us have it,.
What is it you want to coax out of me
nowP"


"Well, Molly, as papa seems so cum
ming at finding us out, I think we had
better tell him what we have been talk
ing about" said my wife. "Well,
James, the girls and I have been talk
ing all the afternoon, and, ahem-
these poor things, James. do SO want
you to give them an evening party
something q little stylish, you know
like other people,"


can evening party!" I repeated in
amazeMent.


"Oh yes do, papa" said Molly,
sitting down on the hassock at my feet,
and putting her rosy cheek on my knee,
She is an admirable hand at coaxing, is
Molly.


"Yes, dear, why should we not be
like our neighbors, at least sometimes
like Mrs. Vyner, for instance2" pur-
sued my wife skillfully singing out an
acquaintance who was my pet aversion.


"Well, because we can't, if we tried
we haven't got the money! I replied.
you must surely see what nonsense it
is to talk of our being like Vyner, when
his partnership in Double x brings
him in couple of thousands year,
and have barely as many hundreds"


"Well, but we might just show Mrs.
Vyner we know what's what"


When we went to bed, my wife re-
turned to the attack, and did not leave
me till she was victorious. Her chief
argument now was that we "ought to
give Mollya chance; and Molly thought
30 herself. There was young Kelly
looked very sweet at her; but how
could we expect respectable young
fellow like him to come forward unless
. he saw we knew somebody, and were
not quite out of the pale of good
society,""


"My DEAR" said 7, "pray do not
put these silly notions into Molly's
head. Kelly always seemed to me to
be rather spooney on Ellen Vyner, and
not at all on Molly"


"Ah, the Vyners always try to make
out that he is quite devoted to them :;
but 1 fatter myself know white from
black when I see it-yes, yes, I think
so, indeed"


" We'll, if you really think so, we
ought to give Molly this party" said
I, reluctantly.


eyes, that would be good excuse
for beginning. But I think we ought
to give one every year for the future. "


I groaned in spirit and said, "Pray
let us get safely over this before we
talk of any more. confess I think
the whole notion absurd-the expense,
the trouble, the probability of q break
down with such servants as ours. But
l suppose You must have your way"


Accordingly, in the morning my wife
and two daughters formed themselves
into permanent committe of ways
and means. They decided that things
could not possibly be got ready under
a month, and for the whole of that
time we were in state of disturbance,
First, it was found out that the draw
ing room curtains were old and shabby,
and we must have new ones then,
that the dining room carpet did not
suit the furniture" you would
not wish people to think we have nc
taste, dear?" said my wife. Now, il
was my old bookcase that had to be
showed into an unobtrusive corner,
where / had to go and hunt for my
papers in the dark next, one nearly
broke ones neck over new music
stand which had arrived that morning,
and had been left in the passage, "only
just for minute till The carpet was
put down." then if any friend came
in, there was scarcely single place
where one could sit down. In word
all quiet, homely, comfortable ways