Year: 1872

low like me has to do with the world in
these days, when everybody seems to
be in hurry, and there is no time to
dream even after one has gone to bed.
When ] was a boy people used to be.
ieve in dreams, and to buy the " Royal
Dream Book" There was life and
pleasant company enough, of the quiet
sort when was younger. Well.to-do
tradesfolk, all within sound of the great
bell of st. Paul's, kept their hearts
warm with hospitable intents, and
many was the cosy little party where I
was an invited guest, for Ioonld sing q
good song mostly sentimental, though
and my position in the city was that
of sober fellow, grave beyond his
years, oven after he had silver streaks
in his hair and had looked in the old
family Bible to see whether he was to
be forty five or forty-six next birthday.


l suppose that shall be told that q
man of my age has no business to fall
In love, aud think so too. But per-
haps nobody could see Alice r
without thinking Of love. She was the
daughter OF pastry cook. Men who
lead such quiet lives as mine, and Jour-
ney down the road of time in such q
dog-trot way, often cease to count the
mile-stones. I have often blessed her
that she did not make sport of the
sudden declaration into which the
strange intoxication of my love led me.
She was surprised, and sorry, very
sorry-that was all, and that was
enough. It was q failure-no more
Well, folly, if you will have it 80
but it remained q tender
secret, such as man locks i'm
his heart and seldom speaks OF
till he has grown old or thinks that
he is like to die. Twas lonely enough
so far as kith and kin were concerned.
My sister-there were but two of us
aud her husband were both dead. YEAR
ago, and though they left . son, q
bright likely boy, he was handed owe,
to the charge of another uncle-his ia,
theirs brother: All that I could do 70,
the lad, when he was a little fellow, ]
tried hard to accomplish; and though
the hfe-that of lower-form boy in
Christ's Hospital-was hard enough, he
was often allowed to come to Twidlers
Hall. There was something to my mind
wonderfully in keeping with the lads
quaint dress and the dim, shadowy an.
te-room, where he woul.l sit with hif
yellow legs curled mp on one of the biz
leathern chairs and read some of nv
old fashioned books.


Tales of adventute-sea stories
were most to his taste, and I have look.
ed at him with q misgiving many 9
time as I saw his luminous gray eyer
raised from the book and staring on,
over the tops of the plane trees, ~
though he heard the sound of the rivel
and smelt the salt breeze rushing ur
the channel of the.. Thames. He was ap
prenticed to his uncle, and the in.
dentures were made ont. The day be
fore they were to he signed he had dis
appeared, with such clothes AZ he could
call his own, and in his pockets onl,
tifteeu shillings and an old silver watcI
that 1 had given him.


Yes, 1 was lonely indeed when the
beauty OF Alice R. flashed like 8
dazzling light into the dim chamber Of
my life, and my heart went out to sc,
after the boy WHO might have been q
son to me if only I could have beer
more bold to claim him, as had ,
right to do. Did say that Alice mar.
ried. The wedding. day had been fixed
between her and Richard - before
spoke to her words that showed m,
hopeless love. A tall, good LOOKING
fellow from Cumberland, with a devil
may-care air and reputation as q bolt
rider and ''ladies' man." as the can
phrase went. I had met him once O.
twice, and had noted the looks he cas-
upon her-looks that I should hav,
resented but that I knew how
my own snspicions were urged by tn,
silent rivalry I bore him. They were
married and went out of my marrow
compass-made more narrow now tha
1 had to overcome my sense of disap
pointment. Time mellowed down tha
grief into pathetic memory. Th,
wound had healed, and why should
be forever showing the scare went
about again amongst my friends-theil
numbers diminished now as years wen>
on in the humdrum duties of my place
How little did / imagine. amidst al
my sober day-dreams, that Alice R
would yet hold a chief place in my fu
ture life. I was sitting one warm, wei
and long autumn evening, when ou
messenger hurried to my room door te
say that woman was waiting in the
lower lobby to SEQ me. went dowr
immediately, and there stood poo,
Irish wench, crying bitterly, and asking
! me to come with her directly to set
her mistress, who was dying. At tho
name of that mistress / was almost
paralyzed beyond the power to think


and then went out with such eage


haste that the messenger came rnnn;n,