Year: 1871

sight, you should not only give up work,
but it would be even better for you to go
away altogether--to Europe say"


Impossible n q ea v


There was momentary silence. Then
dear old aunt Becky, brushing away the
tears that had gathered beneath her spec
tacles, took Dicks two white sl1apely
hands in her brown wrinkled ones.


Richard" she said, " I'm an old
woman now. have nothing to live for
but to make you young folks happy. I've
been saving up q nest egg all these years,
and it comes to tidy little sum now.
Will you take it from your cross, grabbed
old aunty, and go on this journeyps Mar
garet and baby shall be safe with me till
you come home. WIN you, my dear ?''


l don't know which did it, but certainly
either Richard hugged my aunt and gave
her sounding kiss, or Dr. Blount did.
think, upon the whole it was both of
them, and; lying on my sofa, to, which
had been promoted for the first time, could
only cry. "God bless you, from my heart,
pray, dear, dear Aunt Becky - 7 -


A month afterward Dick went. It was
a hard struggle. parting from my bonny
darling for that long voyage, that longer
absence in foreign land above all.
when it was still SO painful for him to do
more than glance at objects through the
strange blue spectacles they put over his
handsome brown eyes. Baby Margaret
and / went to my aunt's old-fashiOned
since left it to be q
wife. The dear little rooms in st. Thom-
ass Buildings were closed and locked, the
office let to an architectural friend of my
husband, How happy was when the
first letter came after three months! Only
a few lines, but enough to show that the
cure was working. How I longed and
watched for my darling when the time
drew near for his return-praying, fear
ing lest some accident should befan the
steamer-rushing down to the Office in the
mnst unreasonable way, to know Ii she
any possibility OF such an event And
when the summer tide was at. its height
once more, and baby Margaret could just
toddle TO the door, and utter wooing
sound that my fond, believing ears an
nounced to be papa the good ship
Europe fioated safely into the harbor; and
trough the golden sunset to the old house,
as he had come many a time two years
ago, came my Richard, restored thank
God to perfection of sight and strength.


We are rich people now. Our house
stands stately among the homes ofthe
wealthy OF the land. Its rooms are filed
with every luxury that sense could de-
mand or artistic taste require; but on an
upper floor is a little room that is dearer
to us than all the rest besides. No carpet
covers its floor, the furniture is only cane,
with one tiny, shabby green couch among
it; a brass lamp stands on the green COW
cred table; bright chrome hangs over
the mantel, with quaint screen Of Gothic
design beneath. And here, in the soft
twilight often came the master and the
mistress of the mansion. There is a
sound of children's voices below. The
glittering lights and festal flower crowned
table seem to tell that brilliant dinner
party is soon to begin. But Richard ling
ers yet and putting his arm around the
:" blue eyed morsel OF u woman" beside
him. he whisperes, Il am happy now.
God has given me all could have asked;
but never can be happier than when !
first brought home my darling wife-my
precious Little Dame Trot y