Year: 1873

He was a young man, with IA rea.
sonably good education and pleasing
presence. An average American OF
the city-bred sort; bright, active and
very much in love with her.


She, pretty and sensible, though tri.
fling and snowy on the surface, loved
him after a certain shy, unspoken
fashion.


Both knew it, and had not cxchang-
cd word, hardly lock expressive
thereof.


Like children. one was afraid, and
the other dare not.


1t has been remarked by q certain
orator, that happiness is like crow
Love is much of feather. 1t sits in
the tree-tops, sings its song, and all
the birds Of the forest are more or
less charmed. But, anon it flies to
the ground and feeds itself upon COM
monplacc things. The poets never
speak of it: yet love eats--really
eats like any other creature. Take
away its dinner, and it is a poor-spir-
tied bird.


With great wisdom our young man
had apprehended this fact, and though
be was trifie ashamed of it, worked
hard that his love might have some
thing to eat. lie toiled that he might
tempt the shy bird to live with him
by the offer of good dinner.


Instead of being ashamed, he should
have been glad He was ashamed,
and on this fact hangs the curious
part of this little love tale. She, too,
had some worldly wisdom, though
she hid it from him. The idea of
love being dependent on dinners =
Yea, it was so, and it was not nice TO
think Of it. Therefore she did not.


The English Of all this is that he
was at work in store trying to win
enough money to enable him to mar
ry her. Very proper in him, to be
sure. Virtue is always rewarded,
and his employers had given hints
that if he was good he should be TIA
ken i'm


With her hoped-for love in view,
be tried hard to be very, very good
But the firm suddenly suspened, fail.
ed and utterly stopped, and the poor
boy was penniless.


Virtue never is awarded" he
said to himself in disappointment
Virtue is its own reward, only it is
hard to see it without cent in the
world The store and hope were
locked up the same day, and he went
to his lodgings almost broken-hearted.
How or where he was 10 earn a liv-
ing was problem. He sat down in
his forlorn little room, to consider the
matter. Very little thought could he
give to it. A greater question APP
pearcd and drove it away. A dark
er shadow extinguished the gloomy
prospect, and it was very dark in-
deed. A poet would have said that
even the stars were blottcd from his
darkened sky. 1t was worse than
that, for the gas was shut of.


She is very yeXacious subject
sometimes. He knew it now. and
was sorrowful. The history of their
love was not remarkable, but its as
pect under the present circumstances
was peculiar They had met at some
party, been introduced, spoke, dane
ed, and called, on her invitation. He
called twice, three times-many times
They went to see the pigs when the
cattle fair came around. They had
read the same books, enjoyed the same
flavor of Jessop's candy, and been
out to walk together in the moonlight
with their rubbers on Her father
and mother approved, and everything
went on as smoothly and sweetly as
Stewards syrup.


His prospects were good, and she
was of suitable age 10 know her
own mind. 1t was commonly report
ed that they were engaged. 1t is
never safe 10 believe reports. They
were not engaged, though they both
adored the same things However, if
they were not engaged, there was
every prospect that they would be, if
nothing happened. Why not? He
was to be partner soon, and could
support her properly. Something did
happen. The firm wound up, as we
have seen.


Under these unhappy circumstan-
ces, what ought he to do? He could
not even think. He was absolutely
without means of support, and the
engagement should be broken off,
Engagement They were not en-
gagged. Yes, they were. Had she
not accepted flowers from him; had
she not gone to the Sunday School
concert with him, had they not "sat
up" ever so late after everybody had
gone to bed, at least dozen times ?
Had not her mother invited him to
tea, and had not her father taken off
his hal to him in the street? He was
the recognized suiter for the daught-
er's hand, and something ought to be
done about it.


Under his present circumstances,
he ought not to be engaged to her
he was not, and yet it was delicate
question. To solve it was q sad
trial to him. He slept upon it, and
awoke the next day to find that the
trial had made man of him. Trials