Year: 1878

ArOom in the mansion Of Mr.. and
Mrs. Benjamin Bounce, which had fol
years held the light and joy Of the


household, was deserted, a small satch-
q 6lled with trihes stood in the front


hall, and Dan Bounce, the adopted son


Of Mr.. and Mrs. Benjamin Bounce,


stood in the front door, resting his head
against the door post and gazing down
the road.


Nineteen years before, Mr.. and Mrs


Bounce, being childless and forlorn,
adopted the child Of a respectable but
poor neighbor, and named him Daniel.
Every advantage Of education and every
indulgence which they would have be-
slowed on one of their own offspring
was given to the adopted child; if they
failed to have exactly the-same feelings
toward him that people naturally have
for their own, it never appeared in their
treatment Of him-st least, in their
public treatment Of him. We will ven
ture to say that Dan himself, as he
stood looking down the road with any
thing but a completely kindly feeling
toward his foster parents. would have
told you that from the time as tar back
as he could remember up lowell,
quite recent date, he received nothing
but kindness, generosity and indulgence
from those whom he had learned to call
father and mother. He had always
been allowed to choose his companions
and entertain them at home when be
pleased, and accept Of their hospitality
inreturn.


But one day not very long before the
time wh6h we see him in a position
suggestive of an approaching farewell,
he came suddenly to a point in his road
Of life where his mind and that Of his
benefactOrs took diverse ways He had
been attending school in the city, not
FAR away, aud during the first week of
his attendance found himself every day
taking the same route hOmeWard with
a pretty brunette Of his school whom
he repeatedly overlook, and with whom
it was very agreeable to him to walk
the little way which their routes lay to-
gether. He found it pleasant, and the
source Of absorbing after thoughts, to
tarry at the gate in q few moments
chat each day. Pretty soon he found
himself looking forward to with impa-
tience, experiencing with blissful and
yet painful confusion, and thinking Of
with a strange mixture Of pleasure aRd
uneasiness, these daily walks in the
highway and parting chats at the gate.
And 1 know you will believe me when
l say it was not long before these meet.
ings we're anticipated by Dan by "a walk
in the dusk, a timid knock on the cot
tage door Of Mr.. Dale, and call for
Miss Mary Dale, into whose blushing
presence he straighaway carried his yet
more scarlet face.


But these things in due time came
10 the ears of Mr.. and Mrs. Bounce.
Well, what Of that2 What of thati
Why the deserted room in the Bounce
mansion, the little satchel in the hall,
and young man sore grieved at heart
standing in the door slOBe, is of that.
Dan never made a secret Of his love
(any farther than is always necessary
to the very life Of the tender passionI,
and he was as much surprised as you
are-more surprised than you, for Dan
was young-when his father and moth
er, who had been so indulgent in little
things, now in the case OF this FIRST great
thing that had ever happened to him,
entered their determined protestI Mary
Dale was a Iaborer's daughter; Daniel
Bounce wasa a gentleman's son; the pas
sion, or fancy, OF whatever it was, must |
be put under foot at once. Such was
the only reason given for the objection,