Year: 1876

has been but there, 'sBless me-" as sister
Priscilla says, it is only human nature to
attach Importance to what relates to
oneself; and, it no one wrote anything
but what was exceptionally worth reading,
there would not be 80 many books in the
world-that's all. $50
If you came to Leigh. and asked, as
strangers mostly do ask, the name of the
pretty white house that stands in q good
sized garden just a little way back from
the high-road, any one would tell you that
the house was the Hawthorne, and be-
longed to Miss Deane, who has been liv-
ing there with her two sisters. Miss Mercy
and Miss Hetty, for--oh, ever 30 many
years and these three Misses Deane form
| the trio of whom my two sisters and my
self are in the habit of speaking as I'VE
three women


do not think poor papa was ever quite
| the same after mammals death--indeed,
my aunt Garry used to say that mamma
was the only person of mind in our family,
and that the business could not 60 on
without her; but what mind had to do
with buying hides or selling leather, /
never quite understood, though, rs aunt
Garry always added that she was the coun-
terpart of mamma, perhaps she did. How
ever, soon after becoming a widower,
papa sold the business, bought the Haw-
thorns, gave up the London House, and
with us three girls--remember, that was
long time ago, and we really were girls
then-came to Leigh to live; and here we
have lived the very quietest Of lives ever
since. 4i


Not that we have been quite without
shadow of romance in the course of all
these long years; twice-nay, three times
the quietude of Hawthorns has been dis
turbed by external circumstances.
The first time was when the then curate
of the parish showed such unmistakable
sighs OF affectionate-well,I really think
am justified in making use OF that term
interest in my sister Priscilla, who was al
ways somewhat inclined to be serious. and
whose untiring zeal in the Sunday-school
and at mothers meetings, to say nothing
of the Dorcas Society and village coal
club. was something wonderful to behold.


In fact, though Priscilla always reproved
US for our frivolity, must confess that
Mercy and had quite made up our minds
as to the dresses we should wear as brides
maids; when, just then, Mr.. Champion
was appointed to living, and when he
was going away he told US he should be
L
der, and actually said that it had been
great comfort to him to have Priscilla as
fellow-worker at Leigh, "there was such
Mrs. Champion


never felt so angry in my life; and
Mercy, who would not Inconvenience
black beetle If she could by any possibili-
ty avoid it, actually told me she should
like to shake Mr.. Champion |; but Priscilla
never said anything, and we both agreed
that her silence was bad sign.


My trouble came next; and IL oame In
this way. There was a cousin George be-
tween whom and myself q boy-and-girl
love had existed for a long while, SO,
when this cousin George went with his
regiment to the Crimea, my heart ached a
good deal, and though she did not approve
of young ladies reading newspapers. she
let me share the Times with papa without
no eyes except for the sadly-glorious news
from the seat of war--news for which
paid with many hearfache, in common
with other poor souls at that weary time !;
and then. when it was all over, cousin
George came home to die. sa


l think it was Mercy who prevailed up





way home and, when he saw him, we
knew as we'll as he did that the home to
which he was going was the "house Of
many mansions" When he was buried
in Leigh churchyard, they let me choose
the words for his tombstone; so chose.
mot lost. but gone before !" and they all
knew what that meant. vying with each
other in their kindness to me when l was
apt to grow impatient in my grief.


Mercpwas the last to have any heart.
aches of the sort; but then Merey's is
such quiet, even temperament; and
when papa proved to her that Mr. Asthu-
ther was anything but good man, and
that it would be best to decline his pro-
posal, she cried little, but she obeyed,
and in a week or two was our own cheer
ful, happy hearted Mercy again.


After that everything went on very
quietly for years, and there was so little to
mark their passage that we were all
started when, one morning at breakfast,
Priscilla solemnly announced that her hair
was beginning to turn gray.


"De me p said Mercy What can be
the meaning of thatp"


Time" replied Priscilla, with laconic
gravity.


You see she had little space In which to
grow used to the startling tact; and that
Time was not quite forgetting us sudden
ly burst upon Mercy and myself. OF
course it was ''time" that was gradually
making the east wind more and more q
terror and an abomination to Mercy /;
whilst who but Time could have recon
ciled me to wearing goloshes as had
done all last winterp Oh, dear To think
that we had left our girlhood behind u.
forever was not a pleasant truth, for, in
spite of that grave in Leigh church.
yard did not like the idea of growing old
what woman ever did P-and broke
the solemn silene by saying-but then, like
poor papa, had no mind


Gracious. Priscilla, one would think
we were really quite ancient, we three
girlsl"


I'VE three women" corrected my SIS.
ter; and from that time to this seith1
Mercy or myself has ever vehtnred to
speak of ourselves as girls:


Soon after that papa died. He had been
IyraduaIIy growing weaker for months