Year: 1871

and | am sure that if poor James were alive
he would extend to him his warmest friend
ship tor his kind attentions to me.''


"Then he would be very generous. The
young mans visits are very frequent
''Ihat is because our residence is on his
way from visiting his patients in the neigh
| bOrhood."


"Ah! disease must have become very pre-
valent without my knowledge. l remember
that before that snake adventure of yours his
professional duties did not call him this way
more than once in two or three weeks.'
cit is very compassionate in him to call so
frequently to learn if we are all WE'LL when
his time must be so precious"


"That he can devote the half Of every day
to- our humble selves" dryly put in the old
lady.


Now, auntie, l am sure l should have
been very i'll after that terrible fright, but for
his care and kindness"


81 agree, darling. that his course of treat
ment has been very beneficial to you.''


''And, auntie, he is generous to sacrifice
his own comfort by coming over every day
to accompany me in my walks. Just think,
| should not dare to 60 out of the house for
fear of those dreadful snakes if it We're not
for his thoughtfulness.


'fNo doubt he is very taisinterested.''
=
''Why, can he be looking for a reward p"


"Oh! no, aunte; he is to unsetish for
that"


''Of course''


And Mabel went away satisfied that the
dear old auntie did realize how good, noble
and disinterested the young docter was,
though, for the moment, she imagined there
was a slight tinge of sarcasm in that last ut
terance Of hers. She had been afraid that
the old lady might think she was to much in
company with the young man, and that she
was forgetting the one whom she mourned
for; indeed, unwecome thoughts, to the cf-
feet that she really was forgetting him, some
times intruded themselves, but not so often
now as formerly. She was silencing them,
for she knew that Ernest M'Clelland would
never, never presume to be more to her than
her dearest living friend, and that her good,
James was more precious to her than ever
before.


And thus having satisfied the old lady and
quieted her own conscience, she thought ii
was only right to make amends for her mis-
erable doubts about the docter by leaning
more heavily on his arm and looking up
more confidingly into his eyes. that shown
down on her with such warm light. 1t
was natural that he should pass his arm
around her to help her over the marshy
places, and as natural that he should retain
it there, only with q closer pressure-lest she
might take cold if it were removed, l sup
pose. Strange to say, the buried James was
SO satisfied with this bold proceeding on the
part of the daring docter that he did not arise
from the grave to forbid it. and, of course,
after this proof of her dead IDOLS acquies-
cence Mabel could not find it in her heart
to object


NTaha ;foo n
q good deal of trepidation about something
the nature Of which Mrs. Fleming could not
divine for a moment.


''Auntie!


81 am listening, darling"


''Do you think there would be any harm
in my wearing white cuffs and collar %
"None in the least, child nor if you went
farther and discarded mourning altogether.


"Gracious anntie, you shock me fear
fully"


CAS- l did a number of weeks ago, when
proposed that you should put on white
collar, But Mabel, | am dying with curos-
ity to know what good influence has been at
work to occasion this query of yours"


'I-I look so fearfuly horrid in deep
mourning, with nothing to relieve it."


"And has it taken you three years to find
that out?"


"And-and Ernest thinks I ought not to
wear mourning all the time"
THACKERY's FIRST AMERICAN OYSTERS
Thackery announced to me by letter in the
early autumn Of 1852, that he had determn-
ed to visit America, and would sail for Bos-
ton by the Canada, on the 30th of October
All the necessary arrangements for his lee
turing tour had been made without troubling
him with any of the details. He arrived on
a frosty November evening" and went direct
ly to the fremont House. where rooms had
been engaged for him. remember his de-
light in getting off the sea, and the enthu-
! siasm with which he hailed the announce
ment that dinner would be ready shortly. A
few friends were ready to sit down with him
and he seemed greatly to enjoy an American
repast. In London he had been very curious
in his enquiries about American oysters, as
had been told him Of their great size. We
had taken care that the largest specimens to
be procured should startle his unwonted
| vision when he came to the table. although,
| | blush at the remembrance of it now, we
apologized in our wicked waywardness to
him for what we called extreme smallness OF
the oysters, promising that we would do bet
ter next time. Six bloated Falstaffian bi-
valves lay before hlm in their shells. no
ticed that he gazed at them anxiously with
fork appraised, then he whispered to me, with
look of anguish, "How shall do it F'
described him the simple process by which
the free born citizens of America were accus
toned to perform such a task. He seemed
satittied that the thing was feasible, selected
the smallest one in the half dozen, and then
bowed his head as if he was saying grace
All eyes were turned upon him to watch the
effect of a new sensation in the person of Il
great British author. Opening his mouth
very wide, he struggled for a moment, and
then all was over. l shall never forget the
comic look of despair he cast upon the other
five over-occupied shells. broke the per
feet stiffness by asking him how he felt
"Profoundly grateful" he gasped, "and as il
had swallowed q little baby" From the
Atlantic Monthly for January.


A young man named Patrick Fleming and
young girl named Harriet B. Halleck were
coasting together upon one sled at Manches
ter on Wednesday evening, and passed rapid
ly across Canal street over the track Of the
Concord Railroad, at point opposite the
counting room of the Amoskeag Mills. just
before they reached the track the Northern
eight o'clock express train approached and
struck the sled and its occupants. The body
of the girl was shockingly mangled and she
was instantly killed. Her head was COM
pletely severed from her body and thrown
upon one side OF the track The remainder
of the body was bourne about three rods
further, and the train passed over it. The