“OH DEAR, NO, I’M HOT CONCEITED!” 
[See Ielcstiiation.J 
Oh dear, no, I’m not conceited,— 
Only my way is always best, 
Susannah, now, I call continued; 
She sets herself above the rest. 
Of course 1 speak, and yon should listen, 
Because 1 always say what’s right. 
I don't consider l’ra conceited. 
Because I'm than the rest more bright! 
I don't consider I in conceited. 
You always nnd my reasons true: 
And if you don't—why, then the fault is 
Clearly not In tne, but you! 
'* Others, too, may have opinions !”— 
Yes, but they should be like, mine 
They so often choose the wrong ones. 
I’m right, in ten times out nf nine. 
<§ur 
THE WORK OF THE BABY, 
BY MARIE BECKER. 
[Concluded from page 82, last N'o.J 
They returned, one July morning, when the 
souls of roses drifted invisibly through the 
warm air;—when birds warbled melodiously 
from ten thousand jubilant throatswhen 
bright wings flitted and bright, gleams danced, 
beneath the tremulous foliage, green and ten¬ 
der; when even the pavements tried to add a 
glitter and charm from their atony surface ; — 
and love, the beautiful, life-inspiring, sat en¬ 
throned on the oarlli! To exist, In such days, 
was a delight. Just to breathe, without, moral¬ 
izing, without philosophizing, only to feci the 
perfect insouciance engendered by the season! 
You can judge, there lure, how like a deathly 
chill the greeting of Mrs. Le Grand atfeeted 
Maria, coming in from the warmth, with a 
heart open like the blossoms, waiting for the 
sweet south wind of a sound wolcomo. The 
children wire caressed, as if some beautiful, 
great joy had fallen like a blessing in her arms. 
To the little governess, a cold nod, roll of the 
stately hauteur of superior position and supe¬ 
rior merit. It blighted the fond expressions 
that lingered upon tier tongue, and drove her 
words back, pell me!!, into t he corridors of her 
brain, like guilty culprit.-. The rcpollanca 
of the superb lady was contagious. Marie _ 
felt guilty, she knew not of what; yet a >V1 
stiffness crept through her joints, a retl- -ii 
cence In her language that made her awk- fj 
ward, unnatural, in spite of all her iimll- IM 
nation. She was out, of favor, why ? why ? 
why? was her anxious thought. jOt 
Marie felt as if sentence had been pass- IwW 
ed already. She llew to the nursery to Lv| 
gather strength from the caresses of the 
darling baby. Gladly, joyously, it, lifted 
its rosy lips to hers, wound its arms lov- 
ingly around her neck, and rested its brown /Jim 
curls in perfect trust against her obcek. f m 
Marie cried for joy, for here was the 
shadow of iicr rock. Nurse was brusque g wfi 
and impudent; claimed the young child 
on some trivial (ire text, and tore It scream* $[§£ 
ing from her arms. Marie knew her au- 
thority was potential, and dared not assort c.> J 
her rtghts, but with a lingering caress loft 
the cherub and the nursery. She went to ^ 
her room to think. Why this congelation 
of manner; sho felt like a helpless branch w? 
suddenly ejected from IJ.e gulf stream of 
warm, season aide affect ion, Into the icy 
current of the North. She could see the S\ 
waters moving near her, flowing with a 
swift, musical motion, while #7ie was fixed 
in an icy cemetery, the glassy walls above, 
below, around her, the Ice reaching her 
very heart throbs. Helpless 1 —with no «| 
home to sustain her!- r.o friend to love 
her!—no heart but that of a little, irre- ljragi 
sponsible baby that she dared claim as her jp|f 
own; even the gates of Heaven seemed ,>|c3 
closed to her prayers; no sweet spirits |Mh| 
came to console her. A rap at the door, 
and a little white note fluttered into her . ff jllj 
hand ; this it was, and nothing more : Hn 
“Your services are no longer needed for 
the baby. If you do not already under- 
stand the reason, Mrs.-Lx Grand will ex- 
plain in the morning." 
Here was a complication of the knotted <■„ 
coll. Why should she understand? why flUf 
was it worded so coldly, almost contempt- i 
uously ? She was In the maelstrom of some 
cruel plot; as though, a silly fly, she had 
crept unaware into the very meshes of a 
crafty, satanlc spider’s weh. She wished ; ~^=g 
to go down Immediately and demand the (fiH 
deferred explanation, but an impossibility [ gig 
hung upon any such attempt. No flint -- 
was harder or smoother than Mrs. Le t§§l 
Grand’s decisionsshe would see her il=i 
crushed, before she would yield one Jot of ^s^-v 
her prejudices. In very helplessness, she 
laid her forlorn head upon her pillow, j==s 
waiting opon the issues of the morning —^ 
that might drive her out Into it s bright- I- -7 — 
ness, a disgraced, homeless wanderer. 
Iii the night she was roused by a stilled fi~=— 
cry—a whistled respiration, that she very | - - - 
soon determined came from the nursery. jiT - 
She knew at once the import of that dread- ‘ 
ful breathing, for her little sister had died 
from the terrible effects of membraneous 
croup. She flew to the room—not a moment 
was to lie lost. Nurse was sitting up In bed, 
half asleep, muttering at her ineffectual at¬ 
tempts to still the baby. “Oh, nurse! the 
dear child ! it lias the croup! Quick [—quick ! 
the ipecac!— no time must be lost!” Amid 
cries and choking respirations, it was poured 
down its throat until vomiting was induced. 
“Now,” said Marie, “put mustard upon its 
chest and feet!—rouse Mrs. Le Grand, and 
send for the Doctor! For the present it is safe. 
The darling will sleep. 
It was saved ! Marie watched it all through 
the night by the side of its haughty mother, 
nervously and tenderly. From her knowledge 
sho naturally assumed the responsibility, and 
Madame was too happy to wait upon her sug¬ 
gestions. The doctor sent a prescription—he 
had a sick child at home and could not. come. 
Towards morning it breathed peacefully, and 
they left Uln charge of nurse, fn the hall, Mrs. 
Le Grand took the hand of Marie ami said, 
“ You have saved my child, and your devotion 
shall serve you. I am seldom deceived iu judg¬ 
ment,—and I believe you, in spite of all I hear, 
to be a pure, honest girl! Don’t uHk me any¬ 
thing now ; lam too tired. It (lie child had 
died,! should never have known another happy 
moment. When It gets well you shall know 
all!" and bending hcrstately head she touched 
her lips to Marie’s forehead. The morning 
dawning threw an illuminated lance over the 
floor, over the bed, like a smile of welcome, as 
Marie closed her door, and with her heart lull 
of the blesseduess or thanks dropped Into a 
profound slumber. 
Sho entered the school-rooru late to her chil¬ 
dren, and In tlio midst, of anxious inquiries 
oiiiiib a summons trom the doctor. Sho moved 
languidly—weak from the effects of the mental 
conflict justpassed through. The explanation 
was not satisfactory. To lie exonerated from 
a crime, the nature of which she was in perfect 
ignorance to lie suspected, with uo clue to 
guide to the accusation-to be engulfed, per¬ 
haps, by some new pitfall, on the very thres¬ 
hold of conciliation—made her tremble and 
chill. She took hold of the knob that led to 
the drawing-room, and stood irresolute for a 
moment with pallid cheek, before she could 
summon enough courage, to turn it. Once 
within, what an illumination J Was it a dream ? 
There was the mother !-there the baby! where 
was the doctor? A moment she stood dazed — 
then the blood raced hotly through her heart 
and eagerly mounted to her expressive face. 
Heaven had opened, for there stood the hero of 
her dreams! He gave her a quick, penetrative 
glance, as if in a study, but stirred not. She 
tried to articulate, but it seemed as if her tongue 
was glued to hor mouth. “Poor child 1" said 
Mrs. Lk Grand, “your tedious watching has 
tired you completely!” Marie thought “ not 
the w tolling, but the evil communication.” 
‘t ome, tell the do.-tor about the child,” she 
udded. 
“\os, Miss Marie," lie said, in a studied 
voice arranging a chair for her, “tell us about 
t. Noticing her tremulousnosa lie engaged 
the lady m conversation, while with Unsteady 
steps Marie tottered to the chair. “My hoy's 
iife hung on a thread lust night, and I had no 
skillful friend, like Miss Marie, to lonvo It 
with," turning to her with a loving glance ns 
lie put the baby In her arms. Thou h© talked 
learnedly and at length, until she had quite 
recovered her seif possession. Ho then coolly 
interrogated her about the facts, wrote a pre¬ 
scription for the child, and addressing Marie, 
said in the most Indifferent manner, "Ymi too, 
alter the day’s duties are done, though it la as 
late a« live o'clock, take a walk. To teach well, 
you must steady your nerves with plenty of 
exercise." Bonding ids face to the level of 
Marie's, lie kissed only the baby. Maiuk rose 
to go to her children. 
The mother laughed a quiet, little laugh and 
said to the young girl, ” Huniemher all the doc¬ 
tor says, my dear; lie Is exceedingly wise!" 
Marie was annoyed. Were they fooling her 
Tor their own amusement? Perhaps he thought 
her ligli t, and frivolous for y told ing so no tuple! o- 
!y to his fusel nations on that, fatal morning ? 
I crimps lie had put Mrs. Lie Grand on her sus¬ 
picions, and by appoint ing an interview wished 
toconvinco hor that she bad an improper per¬ 
son for governess. She conjectured wildly 
until tired, then sat down and cried, in sheer 
despair of her reckonings, flying with a hot. pas¬ 
sion in the very face of her accusations, and 
arriving with certainty at but one ooneluston, 
that she would go to walk and that she would 
uol go to the Park. Though It martyred her 
whole happiness, tney should not accuse her of 
treking Mm. Her father's daughter should lie 
worthy or her father’s name; and then she 
cried again, as she remembered the affection 
and pride lavished upon her in that happy 
home, where she was above and beyond all evil 
suspicion so happy, until the dreadful panic 
came! There she sat, that lithe figure iu 
mourning, an epitome of all the black Fridays, 
“ OH L)EA l i . NO, I’M NOT CONCEITED.’ 
the commercial crashes, the crippled finance of 
monetary tribulation I ’Tis always thus—the 
blight descends upon the helpless. 
Sho walked at the appointed time, avoiding 
all approaches to tin- Park. At dinner tlmesiio 
was very minute In relating the details to the 
mistress of the mansion. The doctor came not 
again. On, the fourth day the baby was crowing 
and laughing iu perfect health. Maiuk walked, 
avoiding the Park, as Mrs. Le Giiami avoided 
all explanation, and caiuo iu late with weary 
limbs and an aching heart; her eyes blurred 
often when she read, and she was conscious at 
times of a fearful throbbing pain in the hack 
ol her head. Yotwilh it all, people were kinder 
to her, and somehow It seemed as if a little 
outside sunshine was gilding the inside hearts. 
Sho complained not, but redoubled her exer¬ 
cise; and one hot morning, coming iu fro in a 
Jortg walk before breakfast, went, to reach her 
room but could not find the stairway. It turn¬ 
ed strangely dark, a band of Ice gathered be¬ 
neath her forehead ami alarmed she cried out, 
or tried to, for help. She woke from a dream 
other mother, and was in bed under the care 
or Mrs. Le Grand and the nurse. They asked 
her how she felt. “ Well ouuugh !" sho answer¬ 
ed, und tried to raise hor head. It was too 
heavy, and every few minutes great clashing 
bells seemed striking through it, and then sho 
wont off into dreams again. When she revived 
slic thought she saw the doctor, that his hand 
was on her head. Sho tried to talk and smile, 
tmt the hoi s rung out so furiously she couldn’t 
hour the sound of her own voice, and then she 
st learned, to try and drown the noise. They 
gave her something that made her dream and 
talk about herself. She was conscious sho 
ought not to say so much, but she could not 
think whether it might be right or not, so tired 
was she all the time, She often had glimpses 
Of the doctor; sometimes, when the lamps were 
lighted, ho would sit there alone with hor hand 
iu bis, but she could say nothing, und imagined 
she was his poor, helpless babe. 
Timo wore on, and she grow out of this into 
a stronger lire -grow accustomed to the people 
around. Once she woke and surprised Mrs. Le 
Grand in tears, la alarm she asked the rea¬ 
son. “ Nothing—nothing, dear J—go to sleep !” 
she answered, putting her hand over her month. 
When the doctor came they all gave way to 
him. Once he whispered, “Get well, darling, 
as soon as you cam 1 have good news for you !” 
When she grew well enough to sit la an easy 
chair beside the doctor, the baby was brought 
ami put iu hor arms. Then came pleasant 
—. ride* in his buggy, laughter and tender 
solicitude. But. when she thought all tills 
must end and spoke of teaching, “ You are 
not strong enough yet-by-and-by ; it will 
i_ make no difference, you know.” She used 
to lie awake at night, wondering why she 
was so happy, and they so kind, and the 
doctor so careful and exclusive, as though 
Tj slic belonged, by rigid., to him. Somehow, 
old recollections had blunted in her uicm- 
' ' “T, ami now impressions wore engraved 
|||| indelibly upon its fresh whiteness. They 
J rode into the Park one day, and suddenly 
r- there rushed through her bruin, as though 
a door had opened on forbidden things, a 
i memory of the past. 
T, “ w ^y do you pale and tremble so?” he 
y asked ; " ’twas here one summer morning 
J| that I found a life-long joy! ’Twas here 
I you promised and failed to keep it. Do 
•1 not look mi anxiously. I know all about 
| It; you revealed it in your delirium, and 
I Mrs. Le Grand will carry her regret to her 
-1 k'l'five. Who accuses herself as the cause of 
E all your perilous sickness; but we won't, 
m talk about that now. You said something, 
though, I Wish you would repeat.” 
“ What was it?” 
$ “That you loved that stranger better 
I than you loved your life, and you would 
I seek him though the whole world opposed 
I you! Now repeat that promise,” he added, 
| embracing her tenderly, "and name the 
I day when you will exchange situations_ 
| become) my governess and the mother of 
| my baby boy. i have waited, darling, long 
I f “ r 1 '-are not for life away from the 
I one I love the best—remember, t.he very 
. best.” * 
I leave you to imagine her reply—saying, 
j in explanation, that after she left to go to 
the country, some months before, nurse 
encountered the doctor, who, recognizing 
; the baby, inquired after Marie ; she, sus- 
: renting evil, gave him no satisfaction, 
5 and he followed her home. The story 
I reached Mrs. Le Grand, who, not recog¬ 
nizing her physician in the hero, was amaz¬ 
ed at Marie’s imprudence, and fancied 
slic was in league with some genteel vaga¬ 
bond. 
Oh ! 1 have even forgotten to give the 
personnel of Marie. You must imagine 
. the brightest little brunette you ever came 
across, with dimples and rosy cheeks and 
wonderfully shaped little hands; and you 
"'ll! have smiling graciously upon you 
through her tears my precious Marie 1 
a , " +++ -- 
A Great Sour, is known by its enlarged, 
[ strong and tender sympathies. True ele¬ 
vation of mind does not take a being out 
of the circle of those who are below him 
but binds him faster to them, and gives 
them advantages for a closer attachment 
and conformity to him. So says the able 
and eloquent Dr. Cuannin<j. 
