Year: 1873

| NOc Ill UtF nelrt.


+ Hush, ANY, said her father as
! handed her into a carriage. There W:
: harshness in his tone, though he mear
. it not unkindly, but Stephen Abbo


twas man who never indulged in pull


lie exhibition of grief.


Stephen Abbott's farm would no.
miss one who did much to aid him j


keeping a thrifty watch over the ez


pense necessary to carry on the bus


ness. 1t VAS afew days afserthe funel
al that he spoke to his daughter thus:


"Amy, Imust now depend upon you
the farm will feel the loss of your moth
Ter in more ways than one; but you ar


asensible girl, and therefore can aid m


very Pheh 4 ksepsns matters in q


Now Amy abbott was about thirteel
years OF age, and the responsibility sh


was expected to assume was very con


siderable to one of such tender years.


Ere Amy Abbott had entered he


eighteenth year, she had several appli


cAtions for her hand and her heart, bn
each slsitor in turn was referred TO he


father, who carefully considering tn


habits and qualities of the aspirants


very ungraeiously dismissed them all a


in no manner suitable for a husband t.


his daughter Amy heard the fiat q


forth against several she regarded witt
great preference, but she resigned her
self to her fate with a patient humility
nor sought to interpose one word in hel
own behalf. About this time there ap
peared in the village young man o.
remarkably fine appearance. He was
moreover, a correspondence for an in


iuential newspaper. Now, if there
was one profession above another that
Stephen Abbott detested, it was that OF
Journalism. 1t was his abomination
As soon, therefore, as he discovered
that George Wier had made his daugh-
ter's acquaintance, he set his face stern
ly against the attentions he was paying
her. Some of wfer's friends took the
trouble to inform Stephen Abbott that
young Wier's character was unexcep-
tiOnable, and his talents bespoke him a
promising career. But farmer Abbott
was not toebe appeased in q way like
that, and his prejudiees once having Ia
ken root, it was hard to eradicate them
from an obstinate mind like his. He
denied the young man admission to his
house and otherwise treated him so
rudely that the poor fellow, who was
deeply in love with Amy, wrote her a
farewell fetter expressed in, the most
touching language, and then packed his
trunk and departed. ttla-


The field now seemed pretty well free
of @popinjays,r oas Stephen Abbott
termed them, and his mind began to
feel some repose,,


One day he came riding home appar-
emily in excellent spirits. He had been
to the post Office and had received let
ter from an old friend; in fact the wri-
ter had been one of his youthful sweet
hearts, who, having been married, had
settled into an adjacent county. Ste
phen Abbott had not seen her for years,
and so when she wrote that her hus-
band and herself would be glad if he
would receive her son for a few weeks
as guest, farmer" Abbott felt a thrill
like that he knew in olden times, dart
through his heart.


The young man was % years of age,
and had been suffering from slight
illness which rendered change of air
desirable. Moreover, he was an enthu-
siastic farmer, and would be sole heir
to his fathers fortune. These things
farmer Abbott learned from the letter
which Mary Galpin had written to him.


Amy listened to her father with a
manner which betrayed no anxiety to
meet the object of his eneomiums. To
be sure, she thought it unusual for him
to appear so delighted over one he had
as yet never seen, but the poor girl did
not know the motive which prompted
her father to applaud one whose moth
er he had loved in other days. Undue
season Edwin Galpin, arrived at Ste
phen Abbotts's dwelling. He was re-
ceived with a welcome so warm that it
must have been gratifying to him. He
was grave and dignifled young man, a
great reader and profound talker on
the subject OF agriculture. Perhaps it
may have piqued Amy's vanity that he
devoted so much time and attention to
her father and so little to herself. But
after awhile he commenced to seek her
society and she became reconciled
enough to treat him as fayorite guest
of her fathers house. r.-
Weeks flew by and Edwin Galpin an
nounced his attention of returning to
his home, but Stephen Abbott would
not listen to any such proposal, and the
consequence was that Galpin had to
lcngthen his visit. WHO


In many little ingenious ways he con-
timed to throw Edwin and Amy to-
gether, and the fruit of this scheme
soon began to manifest itself. Galpin
began to find himself desiring the pres
ence of Amy more frequently than had
been his wont, and matters firifted on
until at last he openly declared his at
tachment for the daughter of Stephen
Abbott. If at first she hesitated in
placing her hand and heart in his keep
ing it was only natural. Up to this
moment she had not learned to love
him, but she could not deny that she
respected him and regarded his talents.
The rest might follow and she surely
was building ON good foundation.


I Edwin Galpin never seemed so well
contented as when in Amy's society.
He read to her and walked with her,
beguiling many an hour that would
have hung tediously on her hands, for
her father had provided her the assist
ance of housekeeper which gave her
more relaxation from the duties hither-
to imposed upon her.


When Edwin Galpin disclosed his
feelings to Stephen Abbott, he had small
reason to complain of the way he was
received. The farmer was scarcely able
to restrain the joy he felt at the happy