Year: 1875

Then we went up stairs and spent al


evening with Memory. It was little SO


cial gathering; Memory was the social ant


we were the gathering. Nov, if we wer


like some writers, who care more for gos
sipy, ephemeral vanities than the propaga
tion of sound ideas and precepts of gooe
moral character, we would stop right here
and tell what Memory wore on that occa-
sion; how her hair was built, the kind oi
insoles she had in her shoes, how many oi
her back teeth were absent, the number oi
1 inches fnom the end of her nose to the apex
Of her forehead, the style of her breastpin,
the mine from which the gold was taken
that made it, the politics of the miner who
dug the gold, the size of the smile on the
| jewellers face when he sold it, and the
date and denomination of each bank bill
| that was exchanged for it. But the Mem
ory we visited would hardly thank us for
such parade, and SO will only say, in a
confidential way, that the old girl wore a
moire antique pull-back, which was very
becoming, as Memory, you know, is always
inclined to pull back.


We found that visiting with Memory was
very much like spending the evening with
any other girl. She sat on one side of the
center liable, we on the other, while be-
tween us lay that inevitable companion
piece to every comfortable in the universe
an album. Some one has asked what is
home without parent? We would like to
nudge the questioner and ask what is a CEN
ter-table without an album? We have a
strong, healthy appetite for albums. We
like them autographic, Photographic, men-
tai or poetical. We love to grasp our PEN
Gil and write (by request) some appropri-
ate, customary, bliss-shedding verse like
this:


May virtues sweet and mince- pie meat


BE yours both now and ev.ah


May friendships tie bind you and


Forev-ah, to sey-ah, nev-ah.


With one of those ten-by-fourteen smiles
that characterised our courting days, when
the flame of love shone through the bay
window of our smiles, lighting up the
front gate rehearsals, We turned over the
leaves of that book, and familiar faces
stared at us from every page. There was the
wrinkle-faced old school teacher, and as his
stern eyes looked into ours, we could almost
see him reach out bis brawny hand for the
well-remembered strap. He colored his
hair and ran away with trustees daugh-
ter.


There was the couDtenance of our conf
Dental friend who took us in as partner in
the patent pump business and pumped us
dry. AS we scanned those treacherous fea-
lures we could not refrain from cutting his


There was the countenance of that hor
rid old scandal-monger, who, dove-tailing
little truth and good deal of lie together,
tried to swamp our reputation. She was
one of Darwin's pets-a prodiglous tale
bearer.


There too were Deacon Smiths hnea-
ments, which brought to mind the fact that
he could pray more, talk longer, and put
less on the plate than any other member OF
the church. He traded horses, worked his
hired men till value received was all ex-
hausted, and would split kernal OF corn
rather than have the measure heaped.


Then we took long look at the gentle
maid who loaded up the front side Of our
existence with sunshine, letters, rainbows,
ribbons, sweet thoughts, and embroidered
slippers. She married another fellow.


There was the picture of that proper,
nice young man, who keptthe whole neigh
berhood supplied with model of what
good boy could and should be. One OF
those young Do-rights that parents always
lug in to give their lecture-room talk more
body. But, am agonized to say, in after
years he failed, and the people who held
his promises realized about thirty cents on
the dollar.


There was old Offset, who owned retail
store with a wholesale sign, wore kid gloves
and called himself an importer, because his
clerk came from the North of Ireland. But
his wife left him, and the Court gave her
the permission to do SO, together with an
alimony.


But when we turned the next leaf and
saw the sanctimonious, missionary looking
chap who prevailed upon us to swap four
five-dollar bills and ever so much confl-
dence for base, degraded, counterfeit
twenty we threw down the album dis
gusted.