Year: 1873

his touch.


Henrietta Mosely, herself an or
phan, with very small income, had,
from the day when Cora had
lost her mother, resolved as far as
possible to fill her place to the children,
and had comforted the deathbed parting
by this promise Cora was very beau
tiful, so young and childlike, that it
was a sickening thought to imagine
her alone in great city, poor and
friendless. She had received first rate
musical education, and had few pupils
in the Immediate neighborhood, who
were glad to get cheap tuition. She
was too thankful to have even the small
sum thus paid to her, to murmur at the
wearisomc drudgery it certainly was to
spend hours in training clumsy fingers
and dull minds over instruction books
and iingling tunes, often having to sub
nit to vulgar complaints, because pupils
who had no more music in their souls
than the miserable old instruments they
played upon, could not play more
tunes.


Jennie had left school to assist in the
care of Eddy, and also to make artificial
flowers, to help out the expenses. Miss
Henrietta never let the children see that
they were a heavy burden upon her
slender purse, but the board Cora paid
with nearly the whole of her earnings,
did not really furnish food for three
hearty young appetites.


The arrival of Mr.. Jameson was a
naagr working change. His board was
a magnificent income in itself, in that
quiet household Jennie was sent to
school, Eddy became Henrietta's special
charge, now that Matilda, the Hibernian
before mentioned, presided over the
kitchen department, and Cora was car
ried at once to fairy-land, by being
introduced to q world of music. Mr..
Jameson took Hcnrietta, Jennie and
Cora to every musical entertainment,
and his useful hints and guidance were
improving Cora in the selection of her
own music and the management of her
glorious young voice.


He did not rest until another change
had been mado. One day he came home
with a roll of music to be copied for n
friend, and Cora was instructed in this
sufficient employment, at fair prices, to
allow her to give up one pupil after an
other, till all We're provided with teach
ers VINO PAID more attention to tunes
and less to solid instruction.


When the spring opened, and fine
days shone, MIR. Jameson had delight
full habit of coming suddenly to the
door with a large, easy hack, bundling
the whole amily-Eddy included-in-
side, and driving far out into the lovely
country, where he would produce mys-
terlous luncheons, and picnic in shady
spots, always full OF Fun, jest, and kind
ness.


1t would make my tale too long, were
L to attempt to describe half the eccen-
trio kindness and generosity of the queer
little man; his love for the children, his
respectful attention to Henrietta, his
tender care for Cora.


He had been an inmate of "2S7 for
nearly year, when one day he invited
his landiady to take walk with him,
and thus accosted her:


Miss Hennetta, | am thinking OF
getting married, and want you to tell
me how to furnish my house. Come III,
and see 1t.


They had left the small streets long
before he spoke, and stood before a
large, handsome house, in a fashionable
neighborhood.


% L mean to make this home as perfect
as possible for my bride, "he said, open
ing door after door +; this must be Jen-
MES room, this for Eddy"


"Then it is Cora?' said Henrietta,
and us she spoke her head sank, for she
feared her kind friend was courting dis
appointment:


"Cora !" he cried: "ah, yes, Cora
will live here, of course. Now will you
help me? l must have carpets and cur
tains, crockery, and thousand things
of whose very names J. am ignorant. L
am anxious to move in time for a
Thanksgiving dinner to commemorate
the day when L first saw-Cora.


OF course she would help him. They
went from store to store, consulting, ar
ranging, and ordering goods, the little
lady feeling all the time lis If she was
in Il dream, and must pinch her herself
before she could wake up. Tho odd,
lost feeling lasted all day, and when she
came home, weary and pale, she shut
herself in her own room, and tried to
face calmly this terrible possibility. To
lose Cora! to lose the children and
above all, to lose her eccentric boarder
How could she bear this loneliness that
seemed threatening her. She had no
claim, no right to complain. If Cora
married Il man whose generous love ex-
tended to the children, surely there
could be no greater happiness for all.