Year: 1873

, from the day when Cora ha,
lost her mother, resolved as far a
possible to fill her place to the children
and had comforted the deathbed partin,
: by this promise. Cora was very beau
tiful, so young and childlike, that
was sickening thought to imagin
her alone in great city, poor an,
friendless. She had received a tirst-rat
musical education, and had few pupil
IN the Immediate neighborhood, VIII,


were glad to get cheap taition. Sh,
was too thankful to have even the smul
sum thus paid to her, to murmur at tn,
wearisome drudgery it certainly was t,


spend hours in training clumsy finger,
and dull minds over instruction book.


and Jingling tunes, often having to sub
init to vulgar complaints, because pupil.


who had no more music in their soul.


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


Woodworking 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
RED at once to fairy-land, by being
introduced to a world of music. Mr..


Jameson took Henrietta, Jennie and
Cora to every musical entertainment,
and his useful hints and guidance were
improving Cora in the selection of her
oTn music and the management of her
| glorious young voice.


He did not rest until another change
had been made. One day he came home
with roll of music to he copied for a
| friend, and Cora was instructed in this
accomplishment, and furnished with
sufficient employment, at fair prices, to
allow her to give up one pupil after an
other, till all were provided with teach
ers who paid more attention to tunes
and less to solid instruction.


When the spring opened, and fine
days shone, MIR. Jameson had delight
fll habit of coming suddenly to the
door with large, easy hack, bundling
the whole family-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 !un, jest, and kind
ness.


1t would make my tale too long, were
| 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 "2S7n for
nearly year, Shen one day he invited
his landlady to take walk with him,
and thus accosted her:


Miss Henrietta, / am thinking of
getting married, and l want you to tell
NE how 10 furnish my house. Come in,
and see it,


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


81 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 as she spoke her head sank, for she
feared her kind friend was courting dis
appointment.


Cora p he cried: "ah, yes, Cora
will live here, of course. Now will you
help me? must have carpets and cur
tains, crockery, and a thousand things
of whose very names am ignorant.
am anxious to move i'll time for a
thanksgiving dinner to commemorate
the day when / 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 us if she was
in dream, and must pinch her herself
before she could wake up. The 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 man whose generous love ex-
tended to the children, surely there
could be no greater happiness for all.
Mr.. Jameson was noble and thoroughly
good, that could not be doubted but
Henrietta felt half sadly, that if Cora
married him. it would be for home for
the sake of the children, perhaps from
respect and gratitude, but not from the
loving impulse of her untried young
heart.


The little old maid had no heart his
tory of her own to guide her misgivings:
she had lived lonely life of slavery to
q tyrannical, invalid father, and since
his death the uneventful life of keeping
a small boarding house for the poorer
class, always having women for inmates.
Yet the woman's heart in her little
frame, knew by its own instincts that
this was n marriage that would bring
misery, ard not happiness. Cora was
just twenty, Mr.. Jameson certainly
double that age. She was a dreamy
girl, musical enthusiast ; he was prac-
teal, bustling, and energetic. Kind as
he was to Cora, he could never fill her |
heart, of that Henrietta was convinced.
Her forebodings were confirmed an hour
later, when Cora came to her room to
say goodnight. The young girl was
very pale.


"Auutie," snc said, using the familiar
name to which she had only the claim
of love, "do you think, please do not
laugh at me, do you think Mr.. Jameson
isis wanting to marry me ? You think
| am unmaidenly," she said, in an