Year: 1875

young benjamin. II nave reason 1Of
going, but cannot at present tell you;
only you may be sure, if it were not u
serious one should not 60 now. Neither
do | know when shall come back. l
may be here in time to be married on the
day appointed. hope may but ii l am
not, our wedding must be postponed. 1t
will be but a few days more at the far
thest"


"Well, well !"


My cousin is staggered; he is half an
cry, halt amused. But l can see that,
through it all. he is proud of his boy
proud of his tirmness and quiet decision.
Once assured that nothing is amiss, he
will trust him under any circumstances to
do what is right and keep to his work.
Young Ben turns to me.
Dear nanny" he says, "wont you
talk to Aice' | must 60 tomorrow.
cruel as it seems, and she will not see me
again--she will not bid me good. bye.
suppose it is no more than natural that she
should be hurt at my going away now.
But all have to say is, that she must trust
me, and believe me when say that ! am
acting under the spur Of a great necessity


So it is all settled. John. the head.man-
| of-all-work, is told to be ready to accom-
pany his young master to the station ut
five O'Clock in the morning. and GO up
stairs to help the lad pack his portmanteau.
He has rather lonely leave.taking in
the morning for Alice does not make her
appearance. She comes down later in
the forenoon, with white, sad face. She
does not ask if Benjamin has gone, but
doubt not she was standing at her window
in the early morning, straining her eyes
out into the dawning light to catch part
ing glimpse of him before he goes out of
her sight, as she believes. forever. Her
poor little heart is torn with vague fears,
distrust and jealousy, and my own heart
grows sad in watching her.
Now follow some uncomfortable days.
kind-hearted neighbors drop in to talk
over the wedding, for which invitations
have already been profusely issued, and
am obliged to explain awkwardly that
young Ben has gone on d journey, and that
young Ben has gone on journey, and
that it is uncertain when he will be home
aga.n. We are not quite sure whether the
wedding will take place on the day ap-
pointed or not.


Miss Prm calls. and sits SO long, and
stares SO stonily, looking about her as if.
she expected our poor, little, miserable
secret to start up in corner like Jack
L
and needles into her.
l begin to wonder, too, if anything is
wrong with our house. 1t seems to me
that never so many people went by be-
fore. Women in groups OF two and threes,
men with their hands in their pockets,
and they all walk slowly. and look us over
from roof to basement, with lingering,
greedy eyes. taH
Once or twice step out and take sur
reptitious look at the outside of our brown
brick house, half expecting to see some
mysterious anathema written in flaming
letters on the wall. some strange banner
on the roof.


But, no. Everything is as usual with
out. 1t is only within that things are
changed


The wedding cake which has been Or
dered comes, beautifully decorated, from
the coniectioncrs in the village, but Alice
cannot bear to look at it. The misty white
dress and veil are sent home from the
city, and Alice puts them away without
once trying them on. or so much as touch
ing them.


Thus the time goes by, and rs no letter
or tidings come from the absent Benjamin
sweet Alice's lace grows paler, her eyes
prouder and more hopeless.


"He will not come back he did not
mean 10 come back when he went away -
she sobs.


And such is the conlagion OF despairing
grief, that |, too. begin to waver in my
faith, though my natural good sense should
have told me better


My cousin Beniami wears stern face,
indicative oi the displeasure in his heart.


The boy should have written u.s." he
says, ''he should remember not to try our
patience too far.


And he looks with tender eyes at nv
Alice


So the evening preceding the wedding
day, that was to have been, comes round.
We are all in the parlor, pretending that
it is not quite time to have our tea. We
are not exactly waiting-but hoping.


When John comes in with the evening
papers, Alice looks up from her low seat
in the window, with "a halt-expectant face,
but Immediately droops again, seeing there
is no letter.


Then, rs the darkness gathers, rise to
light the lamps, but before i have sue
ceeded, the door opens softly, and with
out warning. our wanderer stands among
US. Ben has come home again.


He does not speak, but looks around
him. Then, as little white figure starts
up out OF the gloom, he runs forward, and
catches it in his arms.


"Oh, Ben. Ben. l am glad you have
come thought YOU We're never coming
back again Oh, Benz"


And Alice's little head goes down on
her lovers breast.


He gives her Il gentle shake


"You little goose y


But he kisses her over and over


He kisses me, too, when my turn comes
to welcome him. And am not sure but
he would salute his father, if there were
not So many eye-witnesses present. As
ii is, they shake hands with an affectionate
How are you, dad 9' Home again.
eh ?" and gaze at each other henignly
from their different standpoints.


make hase to get tea ready, while my
hands tremble for very joy.


Alas ! the poor people OF the earth who
have no speech of their own in which to
tell their deep emotions! Who have to
employ the words of other and more for