THE BEAUTIFUL LADDER. 
25 
shore under the apt instructions of Old Ben the 
diver. He was, indeed, nearly out of his teens, 
and in his Senior year in college. In his course 
of study he had shown the happy results of his 
careful home-training, by keeping well in ad¬ 
vance of his class in all departments of philos¬ 
ophy and natural history, and had received the 
flattering offer of a position as tutor in these 
departments of study after his graduation. 
The sedate Ella was, if possible, more enthu¬ 
siastic in her love of the true and the beautiful, 
spending much of her time in roaming the fields 
and woods, culling wild flowers and drinking in 
the bird melodies that filled them with a gush 
of song. With great ardor she had entered into 
her father’s studies, and, while evincing nothing 
of the blue-stocking, could converse with great 
interest on most subjects of natural history. 
Minnie, the younger daughter, while still 
somewhat whimsical, had gained more solidity 
of character, though the keenness of her wit had 
not been blunted nor her love of the grotesque 
subdued. She was still as apt to see strongly 
the ridiculous aspects of life, and as free to com¬ 
ment upon them, and, as formerly, the first to 
regret and weep over any indiscretions. 
3 
