Year: 1875




1t actually seemed to all the nighbor
hood, at about that time. as though Bessie
Allan were beside herself with exuberanct
and the mere delight of youth and health
and sunshine. The sewing circles ant
the prayer-meetings were only so many
places for her wiles and witcheries-pos
sessed with glee at the one, a coquettsh
little Puritan at the other under all hel
glances - always contriving to 90 home
with some other gallant than the minis
ter. The Bible class was the only place
that tanned her much, and there she grew
more and more silent; her veil gradually
lowered and lowered till it shielded her
face; and as long as her unaccountable
tears could fall quietly, and only blister
the leaves OF her Testament unperceived,
she stayed; and when an hysterical burst
became inevitable, without a word Of
warning she would rush away, as if in
danger of her life Nobody else dreamed
what ii meant Mr. Beckwih thought
he knew. Poor little Bessie if ever 4
young falcon out of the forest objected to
the clipping OF her wings, she was one,
tor she felt the band Tightening around
her. Evidently she was in the mood of
those who mean to have their fling ont
because they know an end is coming


And vet if YOU could have seen Bessie's
face sometimes as she sat in the twilight.
there was such serene content in it's half
hidden smile, you would have said to your
self that here, if anywhere, was there su-
preme happiness But the child did not
know herself, for, close upon any such
brlet experience Of content, there would
follow such restve rebellion against all
chains that even Mr.. Beckwith was star
tied, If he happened to be in the house on
some parochial errand, and saw her dane
ing down the stairs and through the halls,
youchsahng his neither word nor look,
answering neither father nor mother, fling
ing down her hat if any body called to her
to put it on, whistling to her dogs, and
making off for q tramp that was to tire
out with its fatigue some of the refractory
spirit.


Most men would have hesitated while
alter one or two such scenes, would have
foreseen the plucking of a little tcrmagant
from this nettle; would have anticipated
trouble in the flesh after the fight was won.
Not SO Mr. Beckwith. If SO good man
could be piqued, he was perhaps piquea
into the resolve for cOnquest he was de-
termined to teach the tantalizing thing
that it was happiness she was flying from
and not torment, as she seemed to believe !;
he was all the more fixed in his intention
to win her--to win her and to tame her
But not one chance for his winning and
tanning did he get. that is to say, not one
chance after the abrupt end OF the single
opportunity he had contIived to seize and
lose


He had been called that day-amost
three months since he first saw Bessie-to
visit dying person across the hills; for
many OF those who did not exactly belong
to Mr. BeckWith's parish used to beg for
his mlnlstratlons; and IN the little time Of
his residence among them. more than one
soul had seemed to wing away the easier
on their eternal path for the rapt PRAYERS
with which his presence had upbuoved
their flight


The roads being roundabout, and the
bride path direct, he had borrowed sad
die -horse-a valuable one, as it CHANGED
and was returning now in the twilight,
lost IN thought, and coming slowly, his
horses feet falling so softly on the turfy
way that one could hardly hear them,
Cnea Whep q fqhden cared cry as he tHrnadh
was wandering ll.ere li before fore him, with her
light garments tiuttering in the wind at
sight of which his horse had reared ana
swelved aside; and he cast himself from
the saddle and caught Bessie Allan's hand,
begging her not to be alarmed


But have been = cried Bessie


Il was thinking" said Mr. Beckwith,
"and | had forgotten myself And when
| saw your white dress, it seemed like a
continuation Of my thought"


"Were you thinking of my white dress,
then ?' asked Bessie, aptly


No, of another; whittier dress. y said
Mr.. Beskwith, grayely ly-"oi white dress
that | saw soul put on to-day, winging
its heavenly way"


A little overawed, Bessie was silent


II have just come from IA death-bcd,
Bessie,'' said Mr.. Beckwith, taking adyan-
tage of the mood. $50 peaceful and beau
tiful it was that it makes the things Of this
life seem too poor and small for thought
beside that everlasting one"


'Is Miss Barton dead, then ?n she asked,
though no one knows how she had learned
where the minister had been "Yes, she
was saint wouldn't like to be so good N


bessie ~


II mean it would be 50 stupid I"


''But at the last p he queried, patiently


III don't like to hear about death, N
said Bessie, with half pout, halt fling


Few of us do when we are young, NJ
said the minister ''But we are all DRIFT
ing on the tide that takes us there"


"Don't"' she cried.


"Ah, | have felt it myself" said the
minister. youth is SO full of vitality
that it is antipathetic to death. There are
only two things that quite reconcile Us
with the inevitable fact-one, WEAKNESS
of life, and the other, that exceeding love
which makes the hours seem long. | hope
the first will never come to you, my


mo. indeed" cried Bessie. How
could | be weary of life--how could any
one be?"


"It such an hour as this were perpet-
ual," said the minister taking off his hat,
better to enjoy the perfumed breeze upon
his brow and in his hair-''this purple all,
with the scent of the hay fields floating
through it; this tender sky. that trem-
bling star. and the young strong health
and heart Oh no, if such an hour We're
perpetual ~


1T isr' said Bessie 1t comes day
after day, summer alter summer 1t al
ways will come to me as long as live
No, | never shall be willing to die and
leave it; never shall be willing to lie in
my grave, and know other girls are walk
ing in the lane these summer nights, with
the sweet wind blowing over them, and
the-the-''


Bessie stopped in confusion What wa
it she had been about to say


Perhaps the young minister was not
aware that he still held Bessie's hand but
Bessie was She essayed to withdraw it,
and then the grasp tightened. She blush
ed red and redder; she felt an arm steal
ing round her; and ther, looking defiantly
up, there was the minister's face bending
before her. She knew what he was about
TO say She didn't want to hear it; not
yet at any rate, did she want to hear it.
But she did hear it. That arm held her
close, close to plunging heart; that voice
was murmuring in her ear; those lips,
they sought her own; and her own--yes,
indeed. Mistress Bessie-half eager. halt