Year: 1875

"Hadn't you better leave the door
unfastened, Eliza!" said my hus-
band, as I turned the key in the door,
and dropped it in my pocket.


Il don't know" | said doubtfully;
then after a moments hesitation,
mo, | think it had better be fastened.
The children might get out and run
down to the gate at the foot of the
meadow, and it is but a step from
there to the creek, you know"


He made no reply, but stopped
down and looked at some part of the
harness with a slightly perplexed
air.


"What is the matter now? | said
with some asperity.


The truth Is, my husband belonged
to that numerous class of individuals,
whose motto is, never to do to-day
what they can put off until to-mor-
row, while /, on the contrary, was
prompt and decided. With me, to
will and to do were Synonymous.
and l had little mercy for snch fail
ing.


81 fancy this little piece of twine
will carry us through this time, but
l will certainly mend it to morrow"
he replied, as l climbed in to the old
fashioned pheton.


The harness being adjusted to his
satisfaction, if not to mine, he seat
ed himself beside me, and nodded a
last goodbye to the little faces press
ed against the window pane, we drove
off.


Our cottage was situated in the lit
tie valley lying to the southwest ol
what was at that time the village OF
Lanoy, Canada. A hill of considera.
Bile height stood between us and the
village: on one side verdure crown
ed, gently rising slope, on the other
a more abrupt descent with a rather
circuitous road winding past little
cottages and farm houses of more OF
less pretensions.


Our present errand was to the
shop, to which we carried our pro
duce as it accumulated from time to
time, and received in exchange gro
ceries and clothes. Our load consist
ed in part of basket Of eggs, con
sequently we were obliged to drive
rather more slowly than usual.


l left, as l had often done before
the younger children in the care Of
Grace, who, though but eight years Of
age, was never more pleased than when
entrusted with some similar duty oil
responsibility. l charged her not tt
take the baby from the cradle, but tt
rock him gently to sleep if he awaken
ed, or if he would not sleep to amus'
him with his playthings until our re
turn.


1t was lovely day in the latteI
part of September-copious showers
of rain had alternated with midsum
mer suns, and the freshness of thu
verdure was undimmed. 1t wa
scarcely vet time for the ''sere anC
yellow leaf" though the naples ha'
hung out their contrast with the liv
ing green of the other forest trees
The birds sang cheerily as they fiut
tered two and fro in the hedgerows
and numerous ground squirrels skim
med along the fence-rails and drop
ped and disappeared mysteriously.


Old Whitley ambled along in hi
usual monotonous fashion, and W
soon reached our destination. l ha'
number of articles to purchase an
examine, as we'll as the merits OF
new churn to discuss and just as W
had settled all to our satisfaction,
neighbor whom we had not seen TO
some time came in, which detained Il
longer, so that when we turned on
horses head homeward, | saw wit
some surprise, as well as slight fee
ing of alarm, that the sun had a
ready set, and the soft gray twiligl
was stealing up the valley.
: Our load was a heavy one, my hui


band having purchased several az
ricuItural implements of no gre'
. weight individually, but collective


making no small weight for OF


horse, so that, though we were nece
!. sarily anxious to get home, we we
u obliged to drive moderately, partic


larly as the road was not only hill


but rough.


Chatting upon the various lit
y items of gossip which we had hear


we drove on until we had near


reached the top of the hill, when tur
= ing to make some remark to my nj
band, l saw change come over |
face, which struck me with a sudd
~ terror. He was as pale as a corpse.
"Lookr' he said in voice hoar