The Old Stone House

, bringing a spray of roses with the dew shining on their fragrant petals. "I propose we celebrate the day, t

ing year; we have shared each other's pleasures and wept each other's tears.' But tempus fugit, oh, how fast! and b

ic!" sa

ocession and fire

-party!" s

e!" sai

s sanctum,"

ession. "Explain yourself, Hugh," said Aunt Faith; "

few friends to spend the evening, give them notice that they must bring to the 'Sanctum' an original contribution, in prose or verse as they please, and at nine o'clock we, will all assemble in th

m; "I'll go right a

anything to say!" said G

ny difficulty of that k

laug

Gem; "I don't know what I shall do un

as long as it's o

htened heart and the others dis

is always an addition. I wish he would stay he

b,'" said Hugh; "that is too much to exp

nd Graham Mar

?" said Hugh. "Graham is

l to me," repli

he Marrs," said Aunt Fait

h! Not Gideon?

ld hear you say so,"

red Bessie hotly; "he do

olled as he is in his own

e are good points in Gideon

im eat?" asked Bessie

ll eat, do we not?" sa

rbed in intellectual conversation to attend to anything so sublunary as eating, while all the time he is gloating over the nice things, and sure to outstay everybody at the table. The very way he gets a piece of cake is a study. He never takes it boldly, like any one else, but eyes it aw

"Gently, Bessie, gently. If that is all you have against Gid

while all the contributors wooed the Muses, ransacked their brains, or paced their floors in desperation, according to their various temperaments. Aunt Faith having been exempted from duty, moved about the house, arranging flowers and decorating the pretty supper-table which stood in the sitting-room. Gem had nothing to do but copy her composition, and yet she consumed th

y contribution ent

morning? I have not heard

then I have been making a new underskirt for my

are always ahead of me, Sibyl. Your contribution will be per

d Hugh; "and I would not hav

the rest of the world

im. It was seldom that the keenest observer could detect anything like wounded feelings in B

bution advanced, Hug

ow. "The muses visited me in a body, and I had hard wo

nto the studio this afternoon, and my ghost will come out at tea-time, deliver a man

y party seated themselves in the parlor, Sibyl by the side of Graham Marr, and Rose Saxon on the opposite side of the room with Mr. Leslie. When they were all in place, the door opened and Hugh appeared, carrying the basket. His entrance was greeted with applause; an arm-chair by the table, and a shaded light were ready, and, with much solemnity, the reader took his seat. P

lushing as the rosy dawn, he yet finds himself called upon to address the public,-and such a public! (applause ). Ladies and gentlemen,-his feelings are too much for him, and, withdrawing to t

NSEEN

th no old associations, old legends, or old people to cast a veil of mystery over its new houses and young history; thus, it, would seem to be the last place for anything mysterious, and yet it was there that a singular incident occurred which I have never been able to explain. One night I had been asleep perhaps two hours, when suddenly I awoke,-it was about half-past ten when Kate and I went to our room,-and soon after I awoke, I heard the clock strike one. The street lamps were not lighted, in accorda

ccountable. If the steps, too, had been soft and muffled, if we could have supposed the person was creeping about after booty of some kind, we should have been frightened, no doubt, but not so appalled as we were now at this singular, easy, and apparently aimless promenade. We did not speak, but lay trembling, and scarcely daring to breathe. Our room was long, and the distance to the open door so great that we could not hope to reach it unnoticed in the darkness, before the step would be upon us again. Besides, the lock was out of order, so that even if we could have summoned courage to shut it, it could not be fastened. The stairway, too, was at such a distance beyond our door, that we did not dare to try that way of escape, bringing us, as it would, face to face with our unseen visitor. There was nothing left but silent endurance, and thus we lay counting the footsteps through the long hours. We could not hope, either, that the other members of the family would be aroused, as their sleeping-rooms were not directly below us, but beyond, in the wings. The clock struck two, and half-past, and steadily the step kept on its regular sound, passing and repassing our door. It grew insupportable. It seemed as though I should not be able to keep from shrieking aloud each time it drew near. If we could have spoken to each other we might have regained some courage, but we were paralyzed with nervous fear; our throats were parched, and our muscles rigid with long continued tension, for we dared not move. It was like a spell, and the fact that we did not know what it was we feared, made the fear al

se, it must have been some acquaintance who bad been in the house in his waking moments. But even this solution seemed unsatisf

WARRIN

t before!" exclaimed Gem, who had listened wit

an exact description of what happened

n somnambulism, and the stories connect

, which I have taken at random from the basket, seems

ity,-in a word, Chicago! It was before the great fire; the hotels were crowded; I was in the fifth story, and, need I say it, I was miserable! In addition to my bodily sufferings, my ear was tortured by the various pronunciations given to

TO CH

loud, and

lays an

his room,

bound in C

when he i

n't make h

er than a

-bound in

, when she

nd grayish

ier than a

-bound in

an would s

t, cash,

er be a b

r in Chi

man would

m with a

njoy dome

t house in

eme and drea

man would

nclude the di

NG in Chi

AH G

e years and ten, he enjoyed the companionship of young people, and, what is more unusual, the young people sought his company; he entered into t

ket, "is a grave and scholarly essay upon that momentous subject, ambition. After the story and the p

BIT

the curse

bition, America woul

on is

are very

r to be content wi

hen we have

ght to be to

going to have Cuba

can have them

ythin

s remember that a

S MOR

authorship of this profound essay long before his name was read; "adhere to th

nthusiasm, "this seems to be a poem in earnest, breathing the real afflatus, written with the pen of Melpome

UNE

not to la

n the essence of

arefied thoughts a

r

wn depths up to m

inous, rare, opa

this i

AM M

anion, with admiring interest. He bowed a

uld say," murmured

beginning of it before, somewhere," answ

ations," said Hugh, unfastening some loose sheets of d

, strong wrist, but shapely, tapering fingers, you may know that hand betokens a duplex temperament, where opposite characteristics are constantly struggling for the mastery. The palm may denote strength and industry, but the fingers may overbalance these qualities by their love of ease or generous prodigal

f two hands, so lifelike and alive with character tha

nd proportioned in careful outlines, beautiful, but also firm; white, but also strong to the playing of a sonata, you may know the owner will be prompt, eve

it back to his seat, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Sibyl's color rose, but

, and strong, long, shapely fingers of the well-balanced, resolute man, who will fight the

inspection. Sibyl's eyes brightened as she saw the life-like picture,

eslie laughing; "this is

worst handiwork. (No pun intended.) A scraggy little paw, brown,

as two ridiculous caricatures of Bess

burden and heat of the day. Originally beautiful and shapely, it is now worn with labor for others; it has given to the p

!" cried the company, as th

Tom; "your contributio

n had subsided, Hugh took an

n is poetical," he sa

NE RH

month of Ju

test of

his somewhere

ws green

word; there's s

y muse w

genius' fl

I'd bet

SAX

t more heartily than the authoress, a bright little brunette w

e," said Hugh; "it treats of a solemn subject, and

OY

ots,-the first he ever had. One night when his father came home, he found Jimmy sitting on the stairs in the hall. The boots were outside the parlor door,-against the wall. "What are you doing here, Giant Grimm?" said his father. (His

VANS MO

child to her side, and signing to Hugh to go on in order to di

HIO CA

d H

in imagination I saw this one, and that one, friends that I knew, cold in death, or lying wounded alone in the night. I seemed to walk through crowded hospitals and to hear the 'ping' of the balls; I felt that if ever there was a place where the gospel words were needed, it was after the battle, when men were left with the awful shadow of death hanging over them. My youth and inexperience would be obstacles in the well-r

into print. Among these officers there was one young captain whom I especially liked. He was quiet and reserved, and although he never talked with me as his companions sometimes did, although he told me nothing of his life and history, I still felt that, he was a Christian at heart, probably one of those who have never been drawn out of themselves, or taug

The brigade had been marching and counter-marching in an apparently purposeless way, although, no doubt, there was a concealed motive in every movement; the ground was stony, and broken by deep ravines, the forage wretched, and rain had been falling almost continuously, so that deep mud alternated with sharp stones, making every mile s

ear to me to-night. I can see the house as plainly as though it stood here before me, and I s

other child

e all on fire; I would ride back over the quiet road, my blood fairly tingling with excitement. At last, as the story of the battles began to come, I could stand it no longer, and I told mother I must go. The regiments from m

o does your mother li

ng. I want to go home, if only for a few days; there is one there b

ting as though he was in an arm-chair. He said no more, and I strolled away for a moment, thinking that if he resumed the subject when I returned, I would gladly pursue it, but unwilling to take advan

n hear from your mot

ng more until I awoke in a border hospital two months afterwards, pale and weak, the very shadow of my former self. As memory came back, I thought of the captain. The relics had been preserved, and, as soon as I was able, I sent them to the poor mother, with a letter describing my last conversation with her boy,-his last words on earth. I supposed, of course, that she knew from other sources all the details of the attack, but I felt that I must also tell her what I knew; possibly it would be some comfort to her. In about a week I received a letter written in a careful, old-fashioned handwriting. The poor mother had known nothing all that long time save this: 'Captain A. Worthington reported missing.' Our regiment had suffered severely. The camp had b

ed from hand to hand, with gentle comments, and some tear-dimmed eyes gazed on the pictured faces,-a resolute, gr

pictures in their envelope, and returned them to Mr. Leslie; "but

of the young people. Youth is buoyant, and, as for Aunt Faith, she was never saddened by the thought of death. She had lost so many loved ones, that her home seemed more there than here. In a few moments all the company were ta

to hear that; 'Lida Powers,' 'William Mount,' 'Edith Chase,'-oh, here is something! I know the handwriting, although there is no name. Let me see,-yes; th

resume you all know Mr. Pete Trone, the distinguished terri

He is the celebrated dog of republican principles,"-"who climb

or. Indeed, it is supposed that he wrote it himself. He speaks with modesty of his achievements, alludes with

OF PETE T

poor litt

ll, blac

o is brighte

eathed,

on pirat

ngled a

of hundre

y to m

I try

er I k

t accompli

only to

I'm thus hon

my de

that you a

as his

is kept in

I feel

rt is dista

ld I get

ls the mutto

off to

IM, the sole

ME the

fond of th

sh gard

u molest with

, hones

you call it a

ke me

Remember,

DISPUT

hould remem

art in h

ll you never

e than t

e to gain t

ch I a

is poor dog-

Trone, E

ied the audience, as Rose

e the hero in per

occasion, four red pantaloons, a red coat, and little cap with a red feather. He was received with applause, and, after

ture, and the cousins assembled in the par

fun," said Gem; "but you did n

gh; "what a good thing you made of those hands, Bess

his pocket, just as though it belonged to him," said Tom; "but

id Aunt Faith; "it is singular he ne

s.' He seems to think his mental condition, a subject of public interest, and constantly sends out bulletins for the benefit of anxious friends. His manuscrip

s. "You know I am not myself poetical," she answered calmly;

well as Mr. Leslie's sto

ot be compared, neithe

" said Sibyl; "they

ink they wer

o," added Sibyl, as she finis

almost think she likes that Marr, after all," whispered Hugh to Be

Warrington, that if Sib

eturned Bessie

u discover t

ed it, but to-night I

ss

she was with Mar

bats," said Bessie sc