Year: 1870

When SCdr hath spent its frowns and wra tn
And care been sOrely pressing


lis sweet to turn from our varlike path,


And find fireside blessing.


"What does the paper say thi:


mornings"


"That Richmond is taken and Lee


has surrendered, and the Union army


will probably be discharged and the


officers and soldiers return to theiI


homes in sixty days"


This conversation passed between
Mrs. Lazelle and her ward, Miss Mol
/ lie, as she was usually called, while
sitting at the breakfast table. The
news was almost too good to be true,
vet no one tainted or became uncon-
sciOus, and no doctor or servants were
needed 10 carry them through the
days reaction, yet they all lived, and
the only important features we will
notice were that the coffee and toast
were left untouched by all save Fan
ME, and that the rose on Mary's
cheek was slightly deepened as though
the return Of the soldiers had mys-
teriOus meaning for her.


The next forty days were very busy
ones for Mrs. LaZelle. During the
four years her husband had been alb
sent many important changes had
taken place on the farm. A new or
chard had been set out, and the old
one grated. A new barn had been
erected, and there was yet a little rub
bish to be removed from the place
where the old one stood when he went
away, and the old house too had un-
dergone thorough repairs, and he
would hardly know the place, for the
leaning fences had all been staked and
there was an entirely new fence all
along the front of the farm, and q
very beautiful one around the door
yard and orchard, and the garden had
been removed to the other side of the
ravIne, where the soil was better
adapted to the growth of vegetables.
The carpenters and masOns had left a
great amount of dirt and rubbish too
late in the fall to be taken care of and
the painters and paper-hangers had
not yet finished their work. And,
much as Mrs. Lazelle wished to see
her husband, she really hoped he
would not return until the last days
work was finished; for when he did
she wanted that he should find moth
ing TO disturb his perfect rest and con-
sequent happiness. But oh delusive
thought, for if Mrs. J.. had been eX-
ceedingly industrious during his alb
sence, she had not corrected all the
evils of society, that must needs be
adjusted before a man of Mr.. La
zeile's nature could sit down and rest.


But as far as the house and the
farm and all the home work was con-
cerned, nothing was left incomplete.


1t is a lovely day in June, and the
table is spread with snowy damask,
pearly china and glitterjng silver; an
easy chair is drawn close to the wri-
ting-desk in a eozy room slippers
and dressing-gown are in their places;
pleasant parlOrs are airy and light.
Mrs. LazeIIe and Fannie and Mary
are busy in their dressing-rOoms.
Benny is already pacing the hall with
an impatient tread. Old Ben and
aunt Dinah are at the gate with their
handkerehiefs ready for use, and just
below the bend in the road is the car
riage that was sent for Mr.. LaZelle
and his friend st. Clair. But this re-
union with friends Is a scene too sa-
cred for disinterested minds to gaze
upon, and we will leave them to the
enjoyment of the hallOwed pleasure
without intrusion.


"pve just heard the school at the
Corners is not engaged, and I am go-
ing to apply for it," remarked Mary
to her sister.


"But how viii you get your certifi-
cate 81


"Why, I'll be examined, of course"


well, what do you know of arith-
metic, grammer, geography, algebra,
Or anything else that teacher is ex-
Dected to understand"


Well, I know that grammer is the
science of language, 3 noun is the
name of an object, and pronoun is
word used instead of 8 noun, and
verb is a word that signifies to do,
TO dare and TO suffer, and Squire
Brown says that is enough to know
about grammar


What do you know about geog-
raphy?"


HWhy, know the earth is round
and if they say that is not right, I will
tell them 1t is In the form of a sphere,
and that we live on the outside of It,