Year: 1873

tinued up to the present time IN the possession
of tenants, and Edward resolved that every
thing should be made as cheerful and elegant
as possible.


When the young widow and her compan'
ions arrived, they found the establishment in
perfect order, and everything properly ap-
pointed in the household, consisting of their
own family servants, who welcomed them
home with heartfelt joy.


Lucy appreciated her cousins kindness,
and warmly thanked him for the interest he
had manifested, and the pains he had taken
in the completion of these arrangements.


81 would do far more, my sweet cousin, ne
rejoined, pressing her hand, "to restore the
smile to your lips, and tighten the burden
you still cherish at your heart"


Lucy turned from him with sigh. She
felt then that the "burden she cherished"
could never be lightened, and grieved at the
manifestation, which Edward could not al
ways repress, of the hopes which still inspired
him for the future. 1t seemed to her that her
grief was of kind that could not be lessened,
and that she had no right to look forward to
anything like happiness again in the world.
Hers had been no common sorrow but she
was wrong in nursing the morbid idea that
she was, in measure, cut off by the pecu-
liarity of her position from the happier por'
ton of her fellow beings, and that she had no
longer right to mix Familiarity with them as
of yore. This sensitveness made her with
draw so persistently unto herself, and shun so
pertinaciously all the advances of her friends,
that she became the object of much commits
seration, and people thought Stanley must
have been very superior person, and most
exemplary husband, for his death to have left
such deep impression on her heart. At
last even her mother thought it necessary to
demonstrate with her on this line of conduct,
fearing that if it continued it would act ia
tally on both her mental and bodily health.
She tried to rouse her from her depression,
insisted on her mingling somewhat in society,
brought her interesting books to read, and
tried, in every possible way, to divert her
mind from the constant contemplation OF her
misfortunes and Lucy, still docile, and yield
ing almost insensibly to the influence which
had formerly been her constant guide-but
which had not been exercised for so long a
time-gradually began to give in to these et-
forts.


It was not until three years had elapsed
after Stanley's death, that Edward ventured
to approach the subject nearest to his heart,
and plead once more for return of his ar
dent love.


Lucy wept when he spoke of his wishes and
hopes, and told him to seek another and a
happier bride. 1t was not for her, she said,
to think of ever marrying: it was the will OF
Heaven that a burden should be laid upon
her, which she must bear through life alone.


She spoke so decidedly that Edward would
not press the matter; but resolved to wait for
favorable time to renew his suit. Though
discouraged, he was not hopeless; and he re-
solved, without annoying her by too constant
attention, to show her, by every delicate
means in his power, how fixed and unaltera-
BILE was the desire of his heart, and to eudeav-
or to effect, by patience and constancy, what
he could not hope to accomplish by any other
means.


She could not but appreciate his conduct,
and was touched by devotion which was
untarnished by sel6shness, and sought so
carefully to act in accordance with all the
consideration due to her feelings.


Occasionally glimpse seemed to be re-
vealed to her, of possible future, in which
life of peace, if not Of joy, might be vouch-
safed to her in compensation for the bitter
ness Of past grief.


She shrank, at first, from these CLEANS of
sunshine, which dazzled eyes so long accus'
toned to look upon darkness, as person re-
covered from blindness shrinks from the first
return of light.


By degrees the idea became more familiar
to her, and she dared, sometimes, to indulge it
without being haunted afterward, by the self
reproach which, at first, was the consequence
of such thoughts.


And so at last it came about that Edward,
watching his opportunity, ventured to press
his suit again; and this time she did not re-
fuse him positively, but bid him wait still a
while for his answer. And in all this there
was no touch of coquetry-no idle desire to
keep him in suspense-for her heart truly was
too sad to indulge in such feelings as these
but she longed, and yet was afraid, to allow
herself to think of such change in her life.
1t seemed impossible that all the dreariness
which seemed part of her existence, could
ever be banished, and the light of love and
| happiness substituted in its place.


But Lucy was very young still-not yet
twenty y-four-and at that age it is hard to re-
sign voluntarily all hope in life. 1t was very
cherries to her to look through the long vista
of coming years, and see therein only barren
rocks and gloomy skies, instead of blosson,ing
flowers and green meadows, ripping streams
and gladdening sunshine And so it was no
wonder that after time she should yield to
the wishes of those around her, and the prompt
ing of her own heart, and consent to find, at
last, haven of peace for her storm.tossed
bark, in the manly and noble breast of him
who had loved and waited so patiently and so
long.


And 80 Lucy became, after all, a happy
wife. She never could quite forget the trials
of the past, or quite regain the buoyancy of
spirit that had once been hers; the shadows
that had darkened those weary years, though