Year: 1870

taken a fancy 70 change It to a reception
room. In the rear, communicating with


II. is a sleeping closet.


The room IS what you might expect


to find in village boarding house the


floor of Iliputian extent; the ceiling low,
uneven. cracked, and yellow the or
/ iginaIly coarse and ugly wall paper now


blotched with age; the carpet thin,


threadDare, patched, and stained the


furniture Of various woods and colors,


and IN various stages Of decrepitude.


But tiny bracket or two, three or
four handsome engravings, two fresh
wreaths Of evergreens. two vases of gar
den flowers, a number of Swiss and


French knicknacks, and few prettily-
bound books. give the nest an air Of re-
fnement which IS almost ele ance.
You judge at once that the occupant
must be a woman woman, moreover,
of sensibility and taste woman of
good society. OF all this you become
positive when you look at her, take note
| of her gracious manner, and listen to
her cultured voice.


Her expression is singularly frank
and almost childIil<e; it exhibits rapid
/ play of thoughts, and even of emotions !;
i It IS beth vivacious and refined, both
]
/ here were the impossible combination,
the ideal union, so often dreamed of by
poets and artists, of girlish simplicity
and innocence with wonanly oleverness
and feeling.


! In a large easy-chair reclines her Fath-
I er small. slender, and willowy form,
/ starting slightly forward when she speaks
and sinking back when she listens. Her
/ sparkling eyes are fixed on the eyes of
/ her one visitor with an intentness and
interest which should be very fascina-
4 ting.


/ He, young man not FIVE years older
/ than herself, very gentle in manner and
with a remarkably sweet expression Of
/ face, evidently is fascinated, and even
strongly moved, if one may judge by the
| feverish color of her cheeks, the eager
/ inquiry of her gaze andthe tremor Of his
( lips.


The first words of hers which we shall
record are a strange utterance to come
from a woman:


Let me tell you something which
have read lately. 1t sounds like a satire,
and yet there IS too much truth in it
/ Every woman in these days needs two
husbands-one to fill her purse, and one
to fill her heart; one to dress her, and
one to love her. It is not easy to be the
two in one. That is what have read,
and it IS only too true. Remember it and
don't marry"


A spasm of intense spiritual pain
crossed the young mans fine and kindly
face.


Don't say such things, l beg of you"
he impIored. II am sure that in what
you have quoted there is a slander upon
most women. / know it ISLANDERS you. .
Her lips parted as if for a contradic-
ton, but it was evidently very pleasant
to hear such words from him, and with
little child-lize smile of gratitude she
let him proceed.


II have perfect confidence in you" he
murmured. Il am willing to put all my
chances of happiness in your hands. My
only fear is that I am not half worthy of
you--net a thousandth part worthy of
you. Will you not listen to me serious
ly? Viii you not be so kind 2


A tremor of emotion slightly lifted her
hands, and it seemed for moment as
if she would extend them to him. Then
there was a sudden revulsion with
more violent shudder, evidently of a
painful nature, she threw herself back
ward, her face turned pale, and she
closed her eyes as if to shut him from
her sight.


tsI-ought to ask your pardon, she
whispered. Il never thought that 1t
would come to this. / never meant it
should. Oh, / ask your pardon" Re
covering herself with singular quick
ness, a bright smile dancing along the
constantly changing curves Of her lips,
like sunbeams leaping from wavelet to
wavelet, she once more leaned cordially
toward him, and said in a gay yet plead
ing tone, Let US talk of something else
Come, tell me about yourself-all about
yourself, nothing about me.
81 cannot speak of anything else" he
replied, after looking at her long III
silence. '.My whole being is full of you
l cannot think of anything else. :


A. smile of gratitude sweetly mastered
her mouth then suddenly turned to a
smile Of pity then it died in a quiver Of
remorse.


"Oh, we cannot marry she sighed.
I'VE must not marry, if we could. Let
me tell you something dreadful. People
hate each other after they are married
/ know: have seen it. / knew a girl
of seventeen who married man ten
years ol,ler-a man who was Reason it
self. Her friends told her. and she her
self believed it, that she was sure of hap
piness. But after three years she found
that she was not loved and that she was
miserable He was too rational he used
to Judge her as he would column of
figures-he had no comprehension for
her feelings.


There-was a nomentsry pause, dur
| ing which she folded her hands and
looked at him, but with. an air of not
seeing him. In the recollection of this
heart-tragedy of the past and of another
i she had apparently forgotten the one
4 which was now pressing upon herself


1T was incredible how cold and un-
| sympathizing and dull he could be,
she went on. "Once, after she had work
ed week in secret to surprise him with
a dressing-gown made by her own
| hands-labored a week, waited and
hoped week for one word of praise
he only said, 1t is too short. Don't you
think ii was cruel 1t was. I suppose
he soon forgot it, but she never could.
| A woman cannot forget such Sights
/ they do not seem little blows to her
! they make her very soul bleed


sDon't reproach me for it, whisper
| ed the young man, with a pleading
/ smile. You seem to be reproving me,
and can't bear it. am not guilty.


"Oh, not you, she answered quickly.
q am not scolding you. ! could not


She did not mean it, but she gave
him a smile of indescribable sweetness !;
she had no intention of putting out her
hands toward him, but she did it. He


seized the delicate fingers, and slowly
drew her against his heart. Her face
crimsoned with feeling. her whole form
trembling to the tiniest vein, she rose to


her feet, turning away her head as if to


fly, and yet did not escape, and could


not wish to escape. Holding her in his


arms, he poured into her ear a murmur


which was not words, it was so much
more than words.


ooh, could you truly love me r. she
Eat last sobbed. "Couid you keep loving


me p


After while some painful reeollec-


ton seemed to awaken from this dream


of happiness. and, drawing herself out