Year: 1876

BY MRS. sALLIE A. RAMAGE.


The house was very lonely and dreary
since the sympstbizing friends, the curious
crowd, had abandoned it, and left the
quiet little woman to the rest and solitude
she so coveted. Hers had been no life of
lsnguid ease, no hours of idleness, no days
of dreamy reverie. scarce had she had the
necessary time for sleep. for exercise, so
constantly had she been kept by the bed
side of the invalid father, the dear gentle
one, who last week had called her
to him for the last time, aud kiss
ing her fond y, sadly blessed her for
her affection ahd devotion, and then
''slept that dresmless sleep that knows no
earthly awsking." In 81 the world there
was none more beresved of kindred than
Ruth HsZlett. Her mother she family re-
membered as quiet, gentle woman, whose
face was like the memory OF dream. She
had had neither brother n T sister, and OF
uncles and sunts had known nothing.
She was literally alone in the world.


She had had but one lover, and to day
she paused for q moment in the little Ii
brsry where she had read alone 90 many
hours to her father. She went over step
by step the path her young feet had trod
den. the way that had been so s.rewu with
flowers, until she had left 1t
steep of duty, and with a faint blush on
the cheeks, that had lost their girlish
bloom but not their freshness and beauty,
she kissed the pictured lace in the old
fashioned locket.


Sne was seventeen when she and Es->2e
Marshall met. Sne was a wee bit shy, for
be was city gentleman Od she but a
country girl, and yet in q little while she
forgot this aud only knew that the tall
c0urtly stranger was very attentive and
kind to her and seemed to be most pless d
wnen he could visit the old fai m-bouse, or
roam with her through the woods. All
the summer she watched for his coming,
Tor the days went merrily by, there was
no thought of the future, no shadow of
par ing, they were in the sunshine of
"young loves dream" Her father knew
of his family, knew that he was honora-
ole and manly, and though kis heart
would VIE. at the idea OF Ruth ever
leaving him, still, when Mr.. Marshall
asked him tor permission to WOO and win
her tor bis wife, he did not say one word
of forbidding. Gently, lovingly he taught
the young girl to trust him. TO believe in
che love he offered her, aud to promise
nim her own. But she, unframed in any
of the deceptive arts that less guileless wo-
Ren practice, could Eot at q noment's bid
ding lay aside her m8idenly reserve and
give her heart aud hand, though sac was
learning to love dearly the man who
sought so Increasingly and dsvo ecly TO
win her smiles.


But one morning, Just as the first cold
breath OF the autumn mad touche 1 the
fair flowers, and tarnisbed the beauty OF
their spotless loveliness, he told her he
must go away, must go back home to his
work. His eye marked the change ia her
lace that sent the blood from cheek and
lip, and 10 de the lids drop low ere the
mist of tears could fall, and his heart gave
a glad bound, tor only love could have
made her pulses quicken. or the full red


ps culver.


"Bsfore leave, Ruth, will you go up On
the hillside with me? We will gather
some autumn leaves, 1 see they are all
scarlet and gold this morning, and those
YOU asked me 10 get last week are now the
most beautiful, and want to get them
for you, for they arc too high for YOU to
reach. Will you go is atternoon?" She
could not trust her voice, she was fearful
that the sobs that checked her would
make him know ner secret, ana bowling
her head in answer, she slipped away TO
her own room, where she cried herself to
sleep.


The afternoon was beautifully gorgeous
with the glory that the autumn wraps
about her as she stands up IN the hill top,
as she leaves the world To the icy clasp oj
winter. The air was crisp ana keen, and
| the sunshine was as II yelled, so softly diO
| it's light fall upon the bosOm OF mother
earth, covered with the MAJ tie OF the har-
vest, the glorious fruition of her spring
time hopes. The wind stirred the tree
tops until like bits OF brightest gold, the
leaves futtered to the grass ali brown and
sere. And when the maple lowered high,
the breath of the frost had turned To ruby
and garnet the crown of green that now
1 Tk. .ak,
burned las altar fire. until through the
aisles OF the temple OF the forest the flame
light shone. The hickory and beech re-
| ioicing in their boarded store rocked not
the wind that stripped their molly rob be
and strewed its tsJters over the valley. II
was the carnival OF nature, when gaudy
aud brilliant the troops over the hills gath
cred the gayest of the drsoery OF tne forest
To glorify her mad revsll Dgs. IL was the
ds cs of defiance before the close of the
revelry, before the cold, icy death that is
| TO end all.


And vet to Ruth Fl zIett the dsy was
one of beauty such as spring and summer
tide bad never brought to hel
life. Pacing slowly the length
OF the narrow way, she had
| listen ei again to the pleadings of her COM
psnioD, and had hstteringly given tbe
promise to be his VILE when the June rose:
snouid be red. An, how recklessly, wildly
hspoy they we're that day, defying fate
looking into the future, aud psinting none
out bright pictures, enjoying the lullness
of the present moment. and caring naught
| Tor the days to come. o blessed hours
they are known but once. They are tb,
portion of youth and love, the heritage W,
| lose with age.


AS Garrett showersd the leaves upoI
her. she gathered them In her basket, re-
jectiog coquettishly all but the perfect ones
che brightest and richest. They had who'll


bougbs where the back was rough ant
brown, and the crimsoa or darker reu


raves like pennanls stresmed from tn


heavy sem.


Res ing at the foot of huge oak, b
wove her crown OF the leayes, n .shin,


snd CAV, but she pushed IL away before b


could lay it on her Dair. "No, no, Gsrreti