Year: 1872

They had grown up together in the
full sense of the term, and that was the
matter. Taey had eaten each others
mud pies. taken the Group in each
Others snow forts, cried out the sums on
each others states, tipped over each
Others ink with their mutual hanaker-
chiefs, told on each other in about
equal proportions, and made up" in
common exuberance of sobs and sassa-
fras. They had played at lovers behind
the wood pile, been married by the piece
speaker, been divorced by the first
base" been reunited by the minister
daughter, and gone TO housekeeping in
the peat swamp at regular intervals, as
far back as their memory extended.
She had blue eyes, and never understood
vulgar fractions. He used to miss, so
that she might get to the head of the
class. One day she braided her hair in
two little braids behind, tied it with pink
lutestring ribbon at three cents yard.
When they walked home together, he
touched it gently to signify appreciation,
and she blushed like May flower. 1t
could not have been long after that be-
fore she grew shy at singing school, and
was apt to be going home with her brother.
In another year, when he went to st.
David's college, she cried herself to
sleep, forgot to crimp her hair and said
nothing was the matter. So, of course,
when he came home on the first vaca-
ton, it all happened as it could not very
well help happening to the end of all
young things dreaming or old ones
warning. She sat in the choir in blue
dress with spots, with pink bonnet and
pink cheeks, and sang in very sweet
little country voice that quivered and
curled about the pillars of the sunny
white Westinghouse like incense in an
open field on May day, you might have
thought, and you might not. He, grown
rather tall, rather quiet, with long hair,
and the unmistakable st. David's shawl,
sat below in his fathers new box-and
listened. One Sunday it CHANGED that
Rev. Mr.. Love, the recently settled and
very popular shepherd Of the meeting
house" felt moved in the spirit to preach
to his flock a sermon upon Christian
amity, and to suggest as its most fitting
musical accomplishment, hymn eight
hundred and fifty-seyen of the Sweet
Singer Of Israel" Gust introduced). All,
you excellent mothers with washing days
on your minds, and ye excellent fathers,
struggling to keep your faith under the dis
covery of Toms first cigar, do you never
suspect in your stupid, good hearts, the
tears Of solid comfort rolling into spec
tacles as you sing. and your soul
aglow with all the hidden meaning
Of fellowship in the one Master
whom they who love not never
know-do you never suspect the fiirta-
tions conducted over that admirable
hymn2 ltmay be much too bad, but it
is very much the case. 1t is quite as
bad in me to suggest the sacrilege to
your young people. Bless your indig-
nant souls, they stand in need of no sug-
gestion. Ask them. ! do not deny that
it is atrocious in me to spoil the hymn
for you; but that is another matter. She
then in her blue and white dress, with a
sunbeam struggling through a little
ground-glass gallery window upon her
pink bonnet, sang;


Blest be the tie that binds


Our hearts in Christian loves.


The fellowship ofkindred minds.


1t struck him that her voice was less
like incense now, and more like melted
silver; which was very good fancy, by
the way, and he would make note of il
against some indefinite exigencies as
class orator.


Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one,


Our comforts and our cares,


faltered the little silver voice, and so
tinkled into this:


When we asunder part,


1t gives us inward pain.


But we shall still be joined in heart;
and he, turning round with the audi
ence, back to the Rev. Mr.. Love, as was
the custom in the Bloomsbury First
Church, lifted his face to hers, and their
foolish young eyes met-met and drop
ped, and the work was done.