Year: 1875

rarily arranged, sending up its glistening je
of spray to plash, with musical murmur
into the basin below, and scattering peary
shower upon the grass around it. Of course
went into an ecstacy over everything, papa
as usual, looking calmly on while rushed
hither and thither, finding something new to
admire at every turn.


Papa, it is like picture out of the Ara
bian Nights How did that fountain gel
there? 1t must have sprung up by enchant'
ment."


Certainly it did don't you know that
am magician, and have a wand?"


II do believe you are. And Oh there is
Dickey's cage hanging up-you must have
had him stolen out of my room while l was
asleep" -,


Dick, pretty canary, as yellow as gold
futtered joyously from perch to perch as
approached his cage, and broke into a lively
carol, as if to assure me of his eagerness to
participate in the coming revels. The How
ers, the green grass, the sparkling jet deau,
the birds song, the dew everywhere glittering
like spangled veil, the fresh morning at,
nlOsCpheIe, redolenG wfCh perfume, were all
indeed like fairy scene, filling me with an
intoxicating sense of pleasure. How happy
I felt! It seemed to me as though the world,
filled with so much beauty, had been created
for my delight. What a joyous thing it is to
be seventeen years old


"Let US look little farther" said papa,
and parting the leafy screen, he led me into
path that ran through a thicket toward
neighboring spring. Close by the spring
house was little bower woven of cedar sap
lings, and curtained with moss. Here was a
table spread with snowy damask, mirror,
with vases of flowers on either side, and the
various accessories of lady's toilette near at
hand.


"This is your dressing room, to which you
may retire when you are little weary, or
wish to refresh yourselves after the fatigue OF
dancing. I had it built close to the spring,
for the convenience of replenishing your
pitcher with fresh water. Now on our way
back, 1 will show you the musicians stand -
see here, in this nook, quite out of sight.
I thought the music would have better effect
if the source of it was unseen


"Papa, you really are magician. How
did you contrive to have all these things ar
ranged so quickly?"


"Oh! Robert and his assistants have been
very dilgent. They wanted to give you q
pleasant surprise. Of course, I directed all
the work, but they did the greater part of it. !"


Hanging on my fathers arm, strolled with
him, back to the house, in order to preside, as
usual, at the breakfast table; but l was far
too excited to eat, and whilst slipped my tea,
opened the case which contained my new
ornaments, that l might have the childish
satisfaction of looking at them as they lay be-
side my plate


Breakfast over, | ran up to my room, and
found Matilda, my sable handmaiden, spread
ing out my white dress upon the bed, and
contemplating, with similar complaeency, the
dainty muslin founces, with their garniture of
azure ribbons


xxi! Miss Rosamond, you'll look like a
queen to-day, for sure," was her salutation to
me, as l entered. But if the white muslin
captivated her fancy, still greater was her de-
lig hit when put on the turquoises, and par
AIDED, back and forth, before the looking glass,
no doubt with considerable vanity, to try the
effect.


And now the important ceremony OF dress
ing commenced for although my guests we're
not expected until twelve, and it was now
barely nine, l decided that three hours was,
by no means, too long time in which to ar
range all things to my satisfaction. Unhap-
PLY, WAS ready so long before the appointed
hour, that I found myself in rather an un-
comfortable condition, for would not, on any
account, sit down, for fear of injuring the
freshness of my toilette, and l found it tire
some to stand or walk about for such length
of time 1t was, therefore, great relief
when the sound Of the first carriage wheels
was heard, and, with parting glance at the
mirror, ran down, in renewed spirits, to greet
the coming guests.


What gala time it was which followed
seem to see before me now the fair girls,
with their attendant cavaliers, moving to the
sound of the joyous music over the emerald
grass, or reclining on mossy banks beneath
the trees, making scene, in its gay and deli
cate colorng and picturesque surroundings,
worthy of the pencil of Vatican. l was
still enough of child to enter with the most
unbounded and unqualified enjoyment into all
the amusements provided for us. | danced
with heart as light as my feet, and listened
with undisguised pleasure to the fiatterlng
speeches poured into my ear. And they were
not few for | was not only accounted pretty
and agreeable, Ctis many years ago of which
l write,) but was something of an heiress as
we'll, and this combination Of attractions was
quite powerful enough to win for me any
number of compliments, and sufficient degree
of genuine admiration to turn a less giddy
head than mine. My father did the honors like
gentleman of the old school, paying cour.
teous attention to each and every member of
the company, but managing throughout to
give watcbful eye to his Rosy, and see that
she did not enter too seriously into any f;rta-
tion. l could not possibly have entered Sc.
riously into anything just then. | talked a
quantity ofnonseuse, and dispensed my smiles
literally among my satellites, but thought
them all equally nice, and forgot each one in
turn as fresh one came.


"Miss Rosamond," said voice near me, as
1 found myself, by some chance, alone for one
or two moments II believe am the only
person here who has not yet had the honor of
dancing with you to-day"


"And pray, Mr.. Holcombe, whose fault is
that?" Responded, gaily. as l looked up and
encountered the steadfast gaze of pair of
keen black eyes, set in dark, Spanish-look-
ing face Gam to blame that you have not
come near me until now?"


II have been watching my chance" he re,
piled, "but you were so beset by admirers
that could find no opening through which
TO nrnffar my claim to q small norton of your