392 PHCEBE ELLIOT. 



raised to meet Holmes at the village church on 

 the day he mentioned, only requiring, that no one 

 should be invited to be present at the ceremony. 



The day at last arrived, bright with sunshine, 

 and all nature smiling with joy. Her father was 

 confined to his room by a severe fit of the gout. 

 Phoebe gently drew aside the curtain, and while 

 she kissed him, a tear fell on his cheek. The old 

 man was greatly affected, and pressed her cold 

 hand. 



" Dear father," said his daughter, " do not 

 grieve for me, I shall be happy when I see you so ;" 

 and at that moment of excitement, feeling as she 

 did, that she was about to be the means of saving 

 her beloved father from impending ruin, poor 

 Phoebe believed in the truth of what she said. 



On quitting his room, she put on her close 

 straw bonnet, and having previously arranged with 

 the fat cow-boy to accompany her to the church, 

 she proceeded towards it. The lad knew the oc- 

 casion of her going there, and that it was to save 

 her father from ruin. They walked slowly, and 

 in silence. Phoebe turned round to see if the boy 

 was following her, when she observed the tears 

 running down his cheeks. If anything could have 

 added to her misery, it was in seeing this proof of 

 the regard of a poor parish apprentice. She had 

 always treated him with kindness, and his affec- 



