Year: 1873

fearing he had altogether lost his wife's
love. Silently he moved about the house.
thinking how to cure the evil; but NO
idea occurred to him so at noon he
went ont into the village, and loitered
carelessly through the fields. The rich
ripe carn waved Like golden lake, and
the birds sang sweetly enough. but his
heart was full of sorrow. In the dis
tance stood the old Dreaming Beech. !.
queen OF the forest it lowered towards
heaven. 1t seemed to beckon him with
its green waving branches to come
nearer like good old friend. He went
and sat beneath its shade, thinking of
days gone by. Five years had passed
since he, poor miserable wretch. had
rested there for the first time. and
dreamt that pleasant dream. How
pleasant for it had lasted five wears.
and now-all gone all gone forever
and ever.


Then the beech began to rustic again,
as it had done five years ago, and to
move its mighty branches and as they
moved there fell, as then, the golden
glittering sunlight across its leaves, and
through the boughs peeped ever and
anon the deep blue sky. Then his
heart grew calmer, and he slept. Soon
he dreamt that dream again of five years
ago. The woman at the table and the
little children at their play but now,
the faces were the faces of his own dear
wife and children, and she looked at
him with herlarge brown eyes so kindly.
ah, SO kindly And then he awoke, and
found it was only dream More sor-
rowful than before, he broke off a small
green twig from the tree. and went
home and placed it in his hymn-book.


The next day was Sunday, and as
they went to church the leaves fell out
at the wife's feet. He turned scarlet as
he stopped to pick them up and put
them into his pocket. But the wife had
seen it and asked what it was


Only leaves from the Dreaming
Beech, which is much kinder to me than
you are. Yesterday [ was resting be-
meath it and fell asleep. 1t wished to
console me, for dreamt that you were
kind to me again, and had forgiven
everything; but it is not true. The
good old beech, though it is noble
tree, knows nothing about the future. p


The wife gazed at him, and it was as
II a ray of sunshine had crossed her
face


Husband, did you really dream
that ?"


Yes" he answered, positively.


And she knew it was the truth, by the
twitching about his mouth, like one
who has "a difficulty in restraining his
tears.


''And [ was really your wife ?"


oo1 r. Il.
fell on his neck, and half suffocated him
with kisses.


"Thank God," she said, snow it is
all right again [ love you so dearly,
how dearly you can never know. And
all these long weary days have been in
such dread, lest l was wrong in loving
you, and that God meant me to have
another husband, and you another wife !
for you certainly did steal my heart,
you bad man and there was a decep-
ton at trst-yes, you stole my heart,
but it did not do you much good, for
you know things must have happened
just as they did, whether we would or
no." Then, after pause, she con-
tinued-


Promise me never to speak slight
ingly of the Dreaming Beech again ?''


81 never will, for [ believe in it, as
you do, depend upon it, though in a
different way, perhaps. And now let us
paste the leaves in the beginning of our
hymn-book, so that they may not be
lost. - Chambers Journal.