274 
MOORE'S RURAL HEW-YORKER, 
©ct. as 
(Our ^torir-^eUcr. 
THE LITTLE SISTER. 
CONCERNING THE COURSE OF A TRUE LOVE WHICH * 
DID FINALLY RUN SMOOTH. ' 
- ] 
BY MAY WHITNEY HAM.. ( 
-- 1 
CHAP. I. 
One rosy May morning-, not many years ago, 1 
Dr. SARDANAPAEU8 SlMPKINSON and myself 
turned our Hacks upon Gotham, l 
" With its dirty, crowded streets. 
Where the ocean of existence on the stony pave- 1 
ment heats.” t 
The Summer had come upon us a month he- * 
fore its time, like a Simoon, heated seven times 
hotter than simoons are wont to he heated, and ( 
the city bubbled and seethed In the blistering ' 
sunshine. The sweet Hprlng airs, with their 
billows of fragrant moistures had suddenly > 
“dried up." The little emerald patehes of grass > 
in the areas which were wont to refresh visas < 
we journeyed btisinesswurd, had willed in a 1 
day. The hazy green buds in the public squares I 
became yellow and “fell from grace” before 
reaching the maturity of loaves. The pub- i 
lie foinitalufl steamed like the Geysers; poor 1 
lit tle brown sparrows lay on the brown earth, i 
Muttering piltfully and panting for breath; and 
even the hurdy-gurdy's melodious voice rattled 
ominously in ils parched tin-oat. Brick walls i 
seemed to scorch our garment s as we passed; 1 
and in al! l ho city there was no shady side. Poo- 1 
pie dosed their shutters, drew their double our- 1 
tains, shrouded their pictures, draped their fur¬ 
niture, sent their silver to the bank, boiled their 
house-doors, and walked, sailed, or steamed 
away to some of Ihose popular resorts where 
vulgar hotness cometIt not, is advertised not to 
corne. Newport, Saratoga, Nahant, Long 
Branch, Colmsset, White Mountain Paradises, 
Lake George 1-Mens - all were crowded with 
panting, perspiring, limp, slinky and unroman- 
tic humanity. 
But O! ye searchers after coolness! There 
was one darling dimple of a valley that ye know 
not of, w here Mother Nature, always bountiful 
m her gifts, had reared her grace!blest bowers 
of greenery, spread her richest carpet ol blos¬ 
soms, rolled her cleanest rivers, and sentinelled 
her loftiest hills to keep at bay ttie general tor¬ 
mentor. Toward the fair spot, after much la¬ 
borious persuasion on my part, and much lazy 
iiidilToreuco on Ids, fsAnn.V5ArAi.US and 1 set 
our laces our hearts, (or, rather, my heart, for 
Sardanafauts whs popularly supposed to la- 
devoid of that nll-lmportanl organ,) full of 
pleasant anticipation and satisfaction, and our 
portmanteaus lull of fishing tin kle, sketch-box- 
es, portable-easels, oil-elotb suits and all the 
elect crux of artiste and idlers. 
I may as well make a clean breast of It in the 
beginning. I am willing to confess, c ?lire mows 
that 1 bad laid a deep and dangerous plot against 
the single-blessed misery of my bachelor friend. 
To entrap him into my snare 1 had systematical¬ 
ly slamlcred every Summer resort in the land, 
condemned every vaunted ilsbing ground as 
unworthy a seTmtifie angler's effort* insulted 
and abused Mine Host of the Pea Cliff House, 
wlio had offered us ITocoeeoaunodatioiisfor the 
Summer (which 8 audanafai.ii 5 had had more 
than two-thirds Of a mind to accept), and bur¬ 
dened my soul with innumerable perjuries, that 
T might lure my unsuspecting victim into the 
toils prepared for him at“ Chalicer's.” My Sus¬ 
quehanna property is a precious bit of scenery, 
a* everybody know --, tint I did not hesitate to 
say (o sarijanAFAIXS that the far-famed Alps 
dwindled to Insignificant mole hills in presence 
of my mountains; that the view trom the top 
of Vesuvius was a cheap penny-print compared 
with the sublime picture framed by my garret 
window; that the big trees of the Yo Semite 
■were mere blades of grass beside my magnifi¬ 
cent. Elms, Oaks and Pines; that the Amazon 
was a time-serving diloh, unworthy of mention 
in the game breath with my Susquehanna, the 
only living river on the ball, literally alive, as it 
wa«, with Ash ; in short., that the Garden of Eden 
was a passable handful of dust, and moderately 
fruitful; but if you want a real rara <tvUs, go 
into my melon patch! And if Sardonapoeis 
doubted. It was not for want of exaggeration on 
my part. 
“Any female? down in that old den of yours? 
he inquired one day. 
“ One or two. 1 believe.” 
“ What sort ? ” 
“The usual pattern.” 
“Rather indefinite, considering that we have 
at present several hundred types (all equally 
undesirable). Of what particular stamp are 
these two?" 
“ The stamp of Catn, doubtless, since they arc 
undeniably descended from the ‘ daughters of 
“Unpromising head of stock lor a feeble 
Abei, like me to cope withal. Young?" 
“ Compared to Ihe Sphynx-yes.” 
“ Good-looking, the regular * swell stuff,’ you 
know?" 
“Tastes differ. You may think so, since 
1 beauty lies In the beholder's eyes.’ ” 
“You mean that Beauty lies despite the be¬ 
holders eyes (and to spite its own). Well—are 
they plummy 1” 
»*-as church mice.” 
“ Good. City-bred, of course?" 
“ You had better not talk of city-bred before 
Aunt Hue. She ‘can’t abide it;’ makes her “ 
own ‘rlsinV and turns out more marvelous tl 
things than ever you saw at DelmonICD’s.” si 
“ Very likely. Ami expected to get up a ti 
grande- passion, for either of these marvels? ” ai 
“Of course you are! You'll fall in love with le 
each and ull of them on the spot, you dainty tc 
fellow, or you’re a lost and undone creature! w 
Aunt Sue would never forgive you If you 
slighted the least of her tniraoulouaproductions. b 
Prepare, then, to swallow them, each and sev- ir 
era I, without a grimace, If you would ‘live a; 
long and prosper.’ " c< 
“ So——-t hey aie * Aunt Sue’s ’ daughters, are tl 
they ? ” n 
“‘Still harping on my daughter!’ What a ai 
pity you haven’t outlived a portion of your H 
youthful susceptibility ! 1 assure you I re- tl 
ferred only to Aunt Suit's pastry, not her pro- <1 
lege. The latter you may slight If you choose; a 
but beware how you trifle with the truffles! ” w 
“Now let me tell you, onoo for aU, John a 
CHAI.KE, 1 * ho burst out In a rage; “I'll not (1 
take one step toward that stupid old place Of n 
yours if I’m to be bored with cork-screw curls, si 
and ruffled with frills and Uuvvers. You know 1 h 
hide petticoats, am. 1 will bo free from them for h 
one Summer. Banish your petticoats and I'll o 
come*; otherwise I’ll go to—tho Sandwich J 
Islands first!” a 
“ Most horrible heathen! would you have me a 
request my ladles to go about a la Eve, an 
abomination to every right - minded com- ”, 
muuity?" 1 1 
“I wouldn't have them go about at all. l<et n 
(Hem keep out of sight. Tell them the upon 
air Is warranted to turn bismuth black as ink; 
or say I’ve a glass eye, false moustache and a ,, 
cork leg! Anything to preserve us from the I 
dear creatures' boguilemeuts! Why need you t 
have invited them to Ghai.keu’ 8 at all?" I, 
“Didn't. My grandfathep saved me that " 
trouble with one of them half a century ago ! 
That one is Aunt SUE, a faithful old colored ,, 
woman who has been in tho family all her life, a 
and she is the best cook this side of Paris. No * 
born CfjAT.KEtt would think a dinner perfect 
unless Aunt Sue had a finger in the pie.” (Signs • 
of n watery mouth on the part of Sard A NAPA- t 
t.tts, who had a weakness for good cooking.) | 
“The other female*’—ominous pause and a ] 
scornful snort from SakDANAPAI.Us—“ laa poor n 
relation or mine, a sort of ninety-ninth cousin j 
by marriage with u recently deceased (Tiai.kep, ( 
who literally died on his knees begging me to , 
erne for bis penniless widow and orphan I 
baby.” (Signsof relenting on the part of Kar- 
panapaiatk, who lias a weakuess lor poor rein- | 
tjons.) “Ho was a fascinating fellow In his 
youth, this same ChAekbr. and married one of I 
the loveliest women of our set; but he led her 
a life of it, with his dissipation* his reckless , 
extravagance, and cruel indifference. T have 
reason to know that the poor girl lues w en more 
comfort and happiness, since she became my 
housekeeper than she has known all her lile. 
It's her first breathing-space - ten long years— 
and I don’t like to turn her out upon the bit¬ 
ter charities of Ihe world with that helpless in¬ 
fant crying for bread in her weak arms, and all 
because 8. SlMPKlNSON, Esq., has a prejudice 
against petticoats!" (Decided symptoms of 
watery eyes on the part of 8. 8. Esq., who has a 
•mawkish*leaning toward all penniless widows 
and orphan children.) “ Besides, we are not 
likely to lie blessed with much of her society. 
She'll never attempt begullerueuts with either 
uf us.” 
“ \Vby not, since she's a woman and a widow?" 
“ Wait and see.” 
“Well, the cook is always a privileged petti¬ 
coat, and the widow don't sound formidable; but 
are you sure this is all the gcmix woman we shall 
encounter?” 
“Yes, fortunately—I'm sure of that.” 
“All right i'll go ahead.” And ahead he 
went straight into my 1 1 ap.” 
A word about Hakdanaualus might not be 
amiss just at this point, Fifteen years ago, at 
uur Alma Mater, he had been of all my chums 
most chummy, although “not to decodgeyou,” 
as Mrs. Gam mi doe would say, he did not at tlml 
time give promise of his present greatness. To 
tell the absolute truth, “not to prevaricate." he 
was the blockhead, par excellence . of our class, 
and was put upon by ull the other blockheads in 
the most atrocious manner. He was at. that 
i time a handsome, good-natured, jovial, fun- 
i loving fellow, frank, confiding and affectionate 
i to a fault, so ignorant of the world and its 
crooked ways that the 50’s called him “Inno- 
’ cent Sard too," in derision. 
“No fun, and all the flogging" had been 
bis portion from the cradle; and now, were 
gates to be “lifted," shop-signs to “meander” 
irom their natural courses, or any dust to be 
5 raised by the gallant 60’s, Innocence was the 
first to lie called into requisition, and the hist to 
i leave the field, usually—owing to his comrades’ 
trickery—in tho hands of the police. In every 
y rush the sardine's jolly and determined face 
f fronted the van; in consequence of all which 
irregularities he usually fronted in a different 
e direction on examination days. Upon one oe>- 
casion he was suspended for six months for dis¬ 
turbing and breaking up a junior exhibition by 
i vigorously blowing pepper through a paper 
funnel, backed by a crowd of accessories who 
e made him their mouth-piece and then ignomin- 
iously lied, leaving him sole offender and endu- 
>- rer of the punishment. 
e Had this been all, poor Sardanafauts would 
to-day have been a different man; but his affec¬ 
tionate and susceptible nature was too well 
known to escape scot-free. In his senior year 
e a beautiful and accomplished young lady was 
“set at him" bv the .Vi's. who. after winning ct 
the boy's fervent and whole-souled adoration *. 
suddenly deserted him and bestowed her affoo- pj 
tions elsewhere. Mortified beyond endurance n > 
and stung almost to madness, the sensitive boy h.' 
left the University and the country; and for jjj 
ted loftg years not a syllable was known of his tl; 
whereabouts. B ' : 
At last, when everybody had about forgotten ' ® 
him, like Poor PiuJCODbY’R servant's cous- |, ( 
in’s first husband, be “suddenly turned up m 
again," but not a trace of the original “Inno- 
cent Sardine” remained visible, lie was nei- j 1; 
tber good-natured or jovia l. His genial frank- j* 
ness bad crystalized Into chilly reserve. All H 
affectionatc, tender Impulses seemed as foreign b< 
to him as |n Mont Blane. No devious way of { - 
this wicked world was too dark for his eyes to si 
discern, or too crooked for his mind to follow, 
although his feet scorned to tread them. He [,’J 
was bitterly sarcastic, professedly incredulous tl 
about honoF, virtue, and all those noble quali- hi 
lies wherewith we strive to dignify poor human 
nature. At times he wots snarling, captious, )lf 
surly,currish and misanthropic; a thorough-go- tr 
irig cynic, morbidly irritable, easily excited to 
intense anger, li bundle of nerves which a puff 
of wind ora pinch of dust would set. in a fury, ti 
At others be was unfeeling enough, seeming 
utterly Indifferent to pleasure or pain. A dull D 
apathy dimmed his 6j>irit’E luster, and made him ru 
a proper disciple for Zeno. in 
Despite all this T could not help liking (he fel- w 
low somehow. I couldn't convince myself that 
the original “Innocent Sardine'’ was notlurk- v , 
itig in some Intricate passage or hidden chamber j„ 
of bis large and companionable nature. Little w 
things like these kept up my spirits. tl 
The scapegrace of Glass 50 had I'fttitfl to be a ,r 
great power in our world. 'Die only degree n , 
conferred by an American University (that of >v 
Blockhead) had secured many valuable addt- c < 
t Ions from the foreign institutions where he bad „ 
spent much of Ills ten years abroad. It was no „ 
longer Simple8 ardanapai.us Simpkinson-I He 
was tin A. It., an M. D - a Ph. D., an LL. 1)., an p 
I’. It. 8., and mercy knows what beside. a: 
Nows although he practiced medicine, was 
eagerly sought after, treated the most obscure „ 
and complicated dteuses, and was trusted with *j 
the most delicate eases, be would forego a |, 
wealthy and distinguished patient any day for v; 
a poor wretch who could b e him only with v 
“God-bJesB-yotir-hunorsl " "I'D true, he wrote , 
the most popular t»Ire and poems of the day; M 
imt he til ways bestowed them on the least pnpu- ,, 
lar journal", and thereby inode flu it- fortunes. 
Kverv rear Uls one pint ure” hnmr on the line" „ 
at the Academy, and brought a fabulous price; , 
but each picture had a thousand eloquent M 
tongues, which cried out some popular vice, or 
cried lit some unpopular virtue! Beside which, 
vou iTuiy ho mh*** Uio ihotiHiuiiw which they j 
brought’iff ecildv found their way into emptier V ' 
pnrtK-s than Saudy s He had fallen heir ton 
mined v fortune, but no man lived more plain- j 
lv He pots*eftserl a palatial home, but It. was a 
rendezvous for all his poor relations a pet led t 
hospital for indigent country cousins. Nob- „ 
withstanding- his reputation a« a woinun-hnler, < 
nine tenth - rtf the female world courted, feted, ,i 
flattered, and adored him; nml though ho per¬ 
mitted their citations, only on the remaining 
tenth did be condescend to smile. This tenth, , 
he it understood, was largely made op ol the t 
aforesaid country cousin* with a little sprink¬ 
ling of the fa mi I v servants and whoever among , 
bis poor patients proved themselves honest and J 
virtuous. To tin- world, therefore, this poet- , 
art Ist-phj sielnn was u profound mystery, lits t 
mime stood Tor any unknown quantity of eon . 
tradtetory words and deeds, lie hud double the i 
eccentricities usually attributed ro genius, and 1 
was. lit ore fore, supposed to be doubly charged , 
with that mighty power. t 
But I knew you better, my Sarpy. 1 had t 
caught too many glimpses of your other, Vi 
ter, and dearer sell ; and I couldn't help hoping 
and believing that some “divine perfection of 
a woman" would yet appear, undoing the disas¬ 
trous work of long ago. and restoring hiuhaud 
to hlniseJf again. And so she did, with my help. 
Where my lovely river slmpes Itself a silver 
crescent, gleaming lrom tbchtt/y limdscajte like 
a Hummer moon from out ti wliuerttevs uf roll¬ 
ing clouds, ii puu the loftiest ot all the piue- 
lringed hill tops on its western shore stood, aud 
still stands. 1 hope, the old fjtAt.KMt farm 
house, facing lhoriver.nl) its little square eyes 
wide open, one morning, with Ihe surprise utxi 
delight of our at rival, and so Mushed with ex¬ 
citement or red oebro that the most radiant 
o.invise could scarcely have deepened its tint a | 
single tone. , , * , , • 
•• n’s a good-natured, wholesome-looking 
house, a t ritle vulgar, perhaps, and a little too 
much Inclined to indulge in old-fogv notions 
about ‘ spare-rooms,' ‘best double-warp rag.' 
gaudy cluntz covers, and crystalized straw 
bouquets; too much back kitchen for elegance, 
and too little front, ball for airiness; an immod- 
1 crate overplus oT verandah, useful, however. 
• to lounge on al sunset or muonriso, and no limit 
of ‘out rageous shade' to loll under a I noonday ; 
' u confirmed sentmmolulist, not to say transcen- 
1 dentalist. just the place to indulge in t in graiiih 
t i jaseioii (almost sorry we tabooed petticoats: 
- perhaps the widow will prove •plummy’ after 
all and give ns a llfctlo sensation)! I imagine! lie 
the old shell is pigeon holed from garret to cd- 
9 lar,and stuffed with fetider, melting memories, 
- souvenirs of ninlty a dead triendship and equal¬ 
ly It ft-1 085 enmity. It. looks altogether like a 
hospitable and enjoyable old den, and lacks but 
1 one thing to make it perfectly satlafaetory. 
0 soliloquized SAW nr, throwing hi in self down uu- 
' der the elms, and rolling in the fragrant clot er 
a with all the abandon ot boy hood. 
•• Whitt s that! ” I asked, a little maliciously; 
e “we tmtv be able to supply it at a moment’s 
o notice!” 
“pretty woman to welcome us! It s a 
graceless world after all, Chauler, without the 
5 dear creature* Taking them at their worst 
0 they prevent our relapsing barbarism, and if 
h vvh could only have them at Ihalr ‘ shiny best ’ 
t 1 fancy the next generation would usher in ihe 
millet tl um ! What, could be more angelic, now, 
s tlianalrcsh young creature coming out from 
5- that \ Lne-clad poroh to meet us. her face nsfair 
v and innocent its the daisies under Iter feet, her 
soul as pure mid chaste as Hie simple white rohe 
I she wear* her heart hs light aa air and warm as 
o sunshine, a child in imagination and experience, 
i- u woman in Intelligener, who knows nothing of 
the vain pleasures aqd vile passions of the 
world, and would scorn them if she did. Ach 
(iott! It makes tny heart beat faster to think of 
Id such an apparition! Produce sit eh a petticoat 
and |’J» fall on mv knees and swear allegiance 
,, to It on Ihe spot! Its wearer shall t)Q my Wal- 
II ter and 1 her patient Griselde all the days of our 
ir lives!” 
is The words were scarcely uttered when, as if 
conjured out of sunshine by hi? fervent Speech, 
a dreaming little creature appeared among its 
vines who seemed the impersonation of his 
ideal “petticoat." Nothing could have been 
more irresistible than that petite figure framed 
by wild Grape and Columbine, its plain white 
dress Moating about It In statuesque folds, the 
tectancy* 
tho blue rjv( s — turned toward the flupty read 
Blinded by’one dimpled hand, while the other 
tested caressingly on the curly pate of the or¬ 
phan Cif acker; and to me no sight could have 
neon more unwelcome at that moment. I was 
more astonished by the unexpected vision than 
8 ABDAjfApAi.tr? himself, who sprang to ms 
feet, smoothed ids rumpled plumage- and stood 
hat In band look mg ns If he was quite ready to 
perform bis rash vow without lurtber ado. 
Here was li pretty slate of tilings to begin with. 
Tbe portly la.*? discovered us at lust, and 
bounded across the lawn to meet us, young 
Chat.ker tumbling after and raising n great 
shout al sight of “ I 'nele DON." taking unlimit¬ 
ed possession ol" me nod leaving Harpy all un- 
iiriiteclod at the mere) of his fair loo. He 
rather seemed to enjoy it, however, and when 
the girl modestly, yet fearlessly, presented her 
hand, welcoming him In tho name of Sister 
Josui’tttNK." who. she said, “had met with an 
accident ihis morning' arid might bo unable to 
appear for several days," be 8 -ortied suddenly 
transformed Into the old, susceptible, innocent 
“Sardine." 
The girl bad greeted me warmly enough to 
have satisfied tbe conceit of any ordinary ego¬ 
tist • but the way she become self-conscious and 
lavished blushes and timid half-glaneesonSAR- 
bANAeAT.ua, making vain efforts to be dignified 
and "grown up" in return for Ids overpower¬ 
ing bow, and altogether reprehensible manner, 
was quite too much for me, 
“Do bchtiNe yourself, Simpkins! stud T, se¬ 
ven ly : “don't vou see you are frightening iho 
poor child (she ir but a child) clean out ol her 
wits with \our Bt vu IIrcmmeu Mira! There, 
there, never mind! Ho don't mean anything, 
rnv dear-." I added, in mv most paternal mnn- 
ne’r. "'Dike the babv and go to the house and 
well follow presently, Dy the way. presoiitour 
compliments lu Mrs* Chalkkk, min Kiy w<3 
niOEt sincerely deplore theovcul which deprives 
os. even for ii short time. Of her presence. And 
tell her I most s< e beroreuttintutilcate with her 
immediately on business of tbe utmost import¬ 
ance to us all.” . , . , 
“Please to add," put in my Inend, for no 
other reason than in detain her as lung as pos¬ 
sible and least bis ejes on her fresh, young 
loveliness " please to add Hint Harpanapaeus 
HimpkinsoN, M. 1)., will bo most happy to de¬ 
vote to h'-r service his medicine case mid Ins 
ftiiire collection of surgical Instruments, to¬ 
gether with whatever influence he may possess 
over the many ‘ ills that Ih sit Is heir to.' ” 
" I will deliver your message verbatim, she 
replied- with an arch smile; “and I nut sure my 
sister will bo grateful for your kind offer, 
although I Tear the nature of her ailments will 
preclude the possibility of ii* acceptance.” 
•-Of course I shall not press my services, but 
1 assure y ou 1 have treated successfully some 
verv severe eases," he replied, with ijltnity. 
“O. 1 do not doubt that, and I'tn sure Sister 
Jobkiuunr would bo only too happy ; but—" 
“Tail you mate hair drow in a mtnnit, dot- 
tor?" demanded the urchltt CHATJSF.r ; " tuwso 
mamma burned here all off’sloomin' torlin’ it 
on e ton's! ’.IPs reuson she toulanT turn 
down I" . , _. . , 
Tlie young rogue was curried off immcdintely 
anod iho Irrepressible laughter of the party, 
who confer Bed himself unequal to such an 
emergency. . , , , 
“ Who is she? ” he demanded, the instant we 
were alone. “ What u delicious voice she has! 
Aud how well she talks I What eiieVinnUng eyes! 
And whoever saw such an avalanche of golden 
hair tumbling over such graceful shoulders! 
And it’s such an unsophisticated party! Did 
you see her blush when I kissed her band? 
There's no coquetry hidden under that trank, 
earnest manner; It's perfectly evident that 
she has kept herself' unspotted from Hie world; 
so far her days have been spent in 
•••Malden medStatton, fancy free.” 
“I should hope so! Why, man, the chit can’t 
be ever sixteen years old—a mere baby! I 
didn’t know who site was al first, but I remem¬ 
ber now that M»s.C hAEKE itasked pi emission to 
firing on her llltio sister to tukoeareo! baby. I 
can't imagine how &h<- happens to tie here alter 
the positive order. I have given that tro petti¬ 
coats arc t<> bo tolerated on the promises dot ing 
our reign! But don’t fret over it Himpkin.-on, 
she shan't trouble > on long- l’ 11 pack her oil in 
the next train without fall." . 
“ Jto it at your peril! Why, you malicious old 
idiot, don’t ’vou Mtpp« 'St? I know why ou are so 
anxious to get her out of my way ? But you H 
nut sueoced in >'our littlv* I luit cnit. is 
old enough to prefer all the ‘ cardinal virtues 
as embodied In Harpanapaeus Himpkjnson, 
Esq., rather than such stale attract Ions as you 
have to offer. Hie you to your widow with the 
singed fore top, and leave to in© the‘little sin¬ 
ter.’whoso w»v v locks have never known the 
embrace of tongs. By t he way,” raid he, after 
a pause, and growing grave enough to atone 
Hr his past extravio-.uioe, “do .vou know, 
(’hAEK.BK when I had been abroad about live 
vs ars l hemd that u<ni had married a certain 
jadv well known to the 50's? II you hud-" 
“Well?” 
“1 should have pitied you. Hint’s all. And l 
should have been likely lo give you a wide berth 
on mv ret urn. I wonder v hat it was reminded 
me of Leo ? tVrtalnly, nothing could be more 
unlike her full-blown Hummer beauty Hum this 
IP i lo Spring bud, without a lent uncurled ! The 
two resemble each oilier about as much as a 
• m- [lutiiiovver’ resembles the delicate pink 
blossom of tho trailing Arbutus! And yet, 
liivi.K (stop hi u a hi ng at me. you big brute), 1 
confess 1 hat when I looked down into herinno- 
ecui blue eyes, i felt the same interne pleasure 
which thrilled the from head to loot when fused 
to look into Josephine's languishing black 
orbs, and which l never felt before or since, 
it's nrange, but (he child really affect 3 me as 
JoasptuMt used to. 1 almost fancied 1 smelled 
the saute perfume which that arch coquette al¬ 
ways Hunted atmuI in. And now 1 remember 
she said‘Pistet JosEprtT.NE' with the same ac¬ 
cent which .s h<‘ used in fircmounciog her own 
name. It would be strange tf-who married 
Josephine, Cpalker ? ” 
The question remained unanswered, for the 
• widow's little sister appearing once more, we 
■ advanced in meet her. and received the ines- 
eates she bore, one ol which ttiauked Hardy 
' and declined to accept Jo- services, while tho 
• other granted me an immediate interview. 
“ Show the Dr. to h s room, and roe unit no is 
[ provided with all things necessary 10 bts eom- 
t lorr." said J in departing- ,, , 
t “ I will, with Pleasure." sbe replied. 
> But when I looked back. Sarpy had seated 
1 himself beside her in the vine-clad porch, and 
i- looked as if, without further trouble, every¬ 
thing necessary to his supreme ieJicity had ai- 
f ready been provided.— [To be continued. 
