Year: 1870

falling needles made under her feet Re
earlino it then, and not till then did she no
tice that she still had on her new CATERS.
Provoking. The morning dew would nearly
spoil their beauty, but it was not worth the
while to 90 .sclear home again." so, resolv-
inc to maxi the best of it, she passed on out
at the bars, and down little piece of dusty
road to the little brown house which was her
destination.


/ The soft, clear, summer night passed slow
ly away, the patient watcher moving quietly
about, doing all that sympathy could prompt
! for the poor old woman now so nearly be.
yond the reach of her gentle ministrations
! With touch as tender as though the invalid
We're Il dear friend, she chated the aged
limbs, smoothcd back the snowy hair from
the wrinkled face, and bathed the aching
head. Unweared were her attentions, and
much were they needed by the worn sufferer
until toward morning they took effect, and
Still Charity sat by the bedside, driving away
with her fan the yilainous mosquitoes that
persisted in annoying her charge, at the
same time creating with it fresh currents Of
air for the comfort of the sufferer. whose
lungs We're well nigh wasted away.


AT sunrise the family were up, and Charity
was released from her post, glad to 90 forth
in the fresh morning air, after her wearisome
night


The first rays of the morning sun shone iui
in Dr. Norton's face, rouslng him from q
night of unusually quiet and undisturbet
sleep. To visit old Mrs. Wells was the first
thought, and he made hasty toilet and
started out. A sudden determination seizeo
him to 90 across the fields on foot, instead of
taking his horse to 90 round by the road
which was twice as far. The morning all
was so invigoratng that he felt as il the
walk would be a decided benefit. so he struck
into the path across the pasture, which, at the
rye field, came into the path Charity travers-
ed the evening before and walked briskly
on.


Mindful of the we'll being Of her new
CATERS, Charity picked her way carefully
along the road, wetting them in the dewy
covering them with dirt when she tried tC
avoid the dew by taking the middle of the
road Once in the shadow Of the pines, she
paused to look at them in disgust, when /;
brilliant thought struck her. Why not doh
shoes and stockings and go home barefoot
Ii was SO warm and pleasant, and the patl
smooth and soft. There was no danger OF
meeting any one, and She could slip in unob-
served ut the back door at home, 80 that even
her Watchful mother need not know it, TC
plan was to execute with this active young
lady, and seating herself on Il fallen tree
trunk by the path she quickly barred her feet
rolled up her snowy stockings into 4 SNUG
ball, which she put into her pocket, lightly
knoted together the strings to her gaiters SC
she might hang them over her arm, then
rose and went bravely onward, congratulate
ing herself on her brilliant idea, Alas fol
the lrailty of human calculations Out OF
the pine woods, along by the edge of the
thrifty rye, and there was Dir. Norton him
self Just coming around the corner, an'
within ten yards OF meeting her, palpably
and undisguisedly barefooted rs She was
with her skirts caught up to avoid the dew
and her new CATERS carefully hung over heI
arm.


II was n trying moment for Charity Alb
bott, and all sorts of wild things careered
th.,u el hcr mind At once. .hui ii too late 70
conceamenl Yesterdays bushes when Ii,
caught her exhibiting her CATERS, were a
white roses TO peonies compared with thu
burning ted which sutfused her cheeks an(
forehead, and even crlmsoned her shell like
ears That he should think her 50 careful
and penurouS rs to save her new CATERS a
the expense of her teet--hcr confusion was
altogether overwhelming. What thought;
/
passed through his mind we will not preten,
to say but it is certain that he then and ther'
discovered that he was fully in love with th.
girl before him, hitherto he had thought tha
he only half loved. So careful and withl
so modest 4 girl Us her bushcs betokcned he
to be, could but make a prudent, faithful


wife. The impulse of the moment came
over him, and he yielded to ii so that they a
last met and he took her hand to say ''Good
morning." he looked frankly INTO her cleal
eyes, and said instead, in a quiet, resolut'
way, Charity Abbott will you be my wife ?


Charity's answer is not on record, but WI
are told that, not many months after, sh'
bought for herself Il pair of snowy satin slip
pers, and that her feet were shou with them
rs she stood dressed in pure white, by DIR
Noron's side in her fathers large parlor
while the gray-hairel minister said to then
some very solemn words-trom all Of Whicl
we infer that her answer at that very EN-


barassing moment was not especially dis
couraging