The Old Stone House

ough the narrow country lanes, sometimes with all the cousins, sometimes with Sibyl alone. A friend had come from the interior of the State to take charge of the chapel d

day. They came to him also,-came in greater numbers and with more open affection than ever before; they showed their interest in many

essie, and Sibyl. "We do not see the rainbow until the storm comes; and so people may live on for years in prosperity, and never know, save by intuition, th

there any reason why we should all go on through life in cold silence, living in the same house with those we love the best, and taking everything 'for granted,' and leaving it 'for granted' also? Wh

efforts are but stammering, half-expressed utterances. It is a great mercy, however, that the touch of sicknes

eople with whom I had but slight acquaintance came to me with tender sympathy, and ki

eople tried to express their love more freely, witho

in the same old way for many centuries, and I am inclined to think, Hugh, that this free expressi

ven?" said H

t peace," sai

new life and ho

ove," sa

uld be too full of earnest labor to allow us to indulge in them. We should be content to leave it

er the water from Canada, and men walking through the hot streets, felt its gentle coolness on their foreheads, and took off their straw hats with a sigh of relief. In the evening it came again, rustling through the trees with a refreshing soun

country where I live is the richest agricultural land in the State; it is a valley with a broad, slow river rolling through it, the very water dark and sluggish with the fertility of the soil. As long as the grain is growing, there is some vitality in the air in spite of the heat, but when the harvest comes, and field after field is shorn, it seems as though the superfluous richn

Gay, laughing. "Is this all you can s

homesickness for the hills of New England; the endless plains were hateful to me, and I fairly pined to see a rock, or a narrow, winding road. While in this mood, I happened to be riding in a stage-coach through one of the midland counties in company with two New England farmers. They had never been West before, and they were

all a be-a-utiful country! Western farmers must have an easy life of it.' You can imagine with what feelings I liste

ith a smile. "You dwell upon the heat of August in Ohio, but

othing can surpass the climate; colored October, hazy November, and bright, open December are all perfect. Any

would yield no palm under any circumstances. I even p

judiced!" said B

arrell. It is a charact

,-on the contrary we a

ersations, the dog

k," said Bessie, after a long evening

ns are busily employed all the rest of the year, but when the thermometer gets up

e that our brains are not employed

know that I have been talking nonsense this evening, and from what

anderer!" c

lid food now; then how can we hear much solid talk! Aunt Faith's 'trifle' is

strength of her own feelings, a sudden horror of the wickedness of falsifying them, and a sudden appreciation of the hollowness of worldly ambition when brought face to face with death. There was no hesitating vacillation in Sibyl's character. She had been self-deceived, but, as soon as she felt the truth, she threw aside errors with all her might, and gave herself up boldly, wholly and heartily to her new life. Aunt Faith und

holars loved her dearly; she went about among the poor, and devoted much of her time and means to their service. She assisted in the household work; not the light graceful labors which generally fall to the daughters, but the real bu

s still, the children were in the garden, and Bessie and Hugh had gone up to the studio; Sibyl had been out visiting the

dear?" said Aunt Fa

am not sleeping

re doing too

t be so foolish as to overwork myself. It would be a poor prep

asant life, I hop

me. I shudder to think how near I came to bartering my life for what I supposed would give me the most happiness; whereas, now I know how great would have been my misery, and how surely and quickly

d for this-mer

bitter suffering! Now, I feel that my feet are upon a firm rock, and although trouble and temptation will of course come to me, I know that if I cry for help, it will not be refused." Sibyl's face glowed as she spoke, and Aunt Fa

n to-day, Sibyl?" she

h her for an hour or two, and

are well now

keep them in the count

t be allowed to

um I promised to give him," said Aunt Faith; "I supp

a low tone, "I gave him my pearls as a thank-o

true housewifely interest, was already making plans for the furniture and stores of fair linen, which her old-fashioned ideas deemed a necessary part of the household outfit, and even Bessie had set her unskilful fingers to the work of manufacturing various little ornaments to brighten the simple rooms. But her chief present was to be a picture representing the piazza of the old stone house with Aunt Faith, Hugh, To

nversation came to a close; "I am so happy in your love, and so hap

to subdue. As her niece rose to go to her room, she said with a merry glance, "By t

f the back garden," replied Sibyl, echoing Au

o treat his young relative with favor: he had seen him but once, when, during school-life, Hugh had spent a vacation at his house; but the old man had been more pleased than he would acknowledge, with the boy's overflowing spirits and bright intellect. He had no sons; his daughters were married, and the next year he had written to Aunt Faith proposing to take Hugh into his business on the completion of his education, promising, if the young man stood the test well, that he would give him a small share of the profits after a certain period, and intimating that there would be no bar

st. "To-morrow Hugh will be gone,-to-morrow Estella Camilla Wales must pine in vain for her mistress, who will be engrossed in decimal frac

" said Gem; "let's pretend it's

not such a trial after all. I should be sorry to hear you spe

la plus mauvais garc

dded Gem, laughing

"Mr. Stone was talking about the Jews and Gentiles. 'I'm not

s as the rest, children, so do not complain about your lessons, but rather try to make

ve all the fun we can to-day; let's crowd it in, and pack it down tight. W

oices came back through the open windows

k in his chair. "I am something like Tom; I feel like 'crowding' my last day w

the morning and give it to me

Hugh is going to finis

ise to me; there is some unfinished reading for

uch we are valued until it is too late to fix our price, as the Irishman said, when he lost both arms and

rst. Walk right upstairs," s

Hugh, as he followed her. "I go, Bessie, from sheer compassion

forward to vacation, and spending her spare time in writing letters to Hugh. They have, of course, been parted for months together, but this parting is different. Hugh will be back again soon, an

Hugh to-night. The young man, the kind nephew, the successful merchant may all come back at different times, but the little boy, never! Hugh is

tionately. "Dear Aunt Faith," she said, "do not be down-hearted. Hugh has the seeds in his heart pla

s you do," replied Aunt Faith, tryi

sat gazing out through the open window, much as he had done on that bright June mo

ure progress, Quee

ave tried over and over again. They are never the same two minutes at

lly boy with a glass ey

nose," sa

ear," con

k leg," ad

Hugh; "the weather is too warm

ends say the whole string over and over again with the greatest ap

ave seen explanations given of many popular terms but never of these. After I am gone, though, Bessie, you had better give up s

to any one else," said Bessie indignantly. "With

ego," s

ou dreadfully," said Bessie, throwing down her brush as the thoug

ck again in No

nly for a d

come home in th

will change,-I know you will,"

f course I shall grow older, and I hope I shall improve. Y

t it is such a

hink of all I shall do, of all the beautiful things I shall buy,-of all the unfortunate people I shall help. I shall succeed,-I kno

e where shall we be? W

ie,

ou have only one more year of school-life, and then

d more to her than the future. Hugh was silent, gazing out through the window 'over the summer landscap

her! She will miss me, but I shall miss her still more. All my life

such litt

engaged in; then I shall have a clear conscience to start with. After I am gone, Bessie, you will not be tempte

ed you, not y

Why! what are you c

are going away!" was al

e are parted, I want to think that you are happy, that you, too, are trying to improve as I am trying. I want to think that my

d Bessie, wiping

I am working hard in the great city. We have never, either of us, taken a serious view of life, but for once, to-day, I feel

ispered Bessie, affect

here at home will have the first place in my heart. I have a great many plans, and all of them are bright; I have a great many hopes, and all of them are certain; life seems very b

ne in his blue eyes. Bessie seized her brush, and, filled with a sudde

ye, little studio," he continued, rising as he spoke; "I hope one day to see you altered into a beautiful, lu

d, you would not allow my name to be connected w

that types adorn a woman's name. A woman ought not to appear '

a chance of being anybody until she

rrell, you are not sh

ie, "I'm only shri

e artist; I will buy all your pictures, and pay you so well fo

ialogue missing here, although there

ving the easel; "but I'v

ownie," and Hugh ran off down t

id Sibyl, as he came

added Aunt Fai

econd, to Sibyl and her bracket; the third, to Aunt Faith and her book; the fourth I give to the family a

practicing business habits

coming to see you o

d with the attention of the ban

g to form on both sides of the fro

d fork as though the idea had only just become a reality to her. "I shall hate to

us tremor in Gem's

ody must be cheerful or I shall not like it. And as for the chair, take it out of th

bring it down myself the day y

jects, but principally on Hugh's New York life, and his plans for the future; then gradually they spoke of November, and the approaching wedding-day. "Before I go, Sibyl, I want to tell you in so many words

you feel so, Hugh,

but you know I do not believe in such reserve, and I want you to know, dear, how thoroughly I appreciate the change in you. Leaving you, as

new life and new love, her brother had become doubly dear to her,

ot like formal leave-taking. Here is your little bracket all done, but I shall bring you a better present from New Y

step outside. "Come in!" she said; and when he entered she pointed to a chair

, Aunt Faith; I shall

r years you have been absent at school and college many months at a time. You are

t, and therefore natu

the old bird feels

ll you all my plans." Sitting there in the quiet room, the young spirit full of h

ear," said Aunt Faith, after they

. But now, aunt, to look back on the past, I want to make a co

a part. "It has been all my fault, Aunt Faith," he said, as he concluded. "I was the elder and the stronger, and I led Bessie on. Wi

sie. But do not take all the blame upon yo

her actions that would have been the last of them, whereas instead of this, I have encouraged her. Whatever the blame may be I take it all upon myself. But Bessie is changing,

easures to listen to him. She often kept volumes by her side for weeks with the pages uncut, waiting until he could find time to read them aloud. "A

r ways, in danger, sickness, temptation and perplexity, for the sake of His dear Son, our Saviour Jesus Chris

ing to try hard to be a good man,-indeed I am; and if I find that these new feelings outlast my present excitement, I will write you word. Sometimes I almost feel as though I could make my public p

re holy and true. Go, my boy; I give you up freely now, for you are virtually enrolled

embled in the sitting-room; there was an undercurrent of sadness

d success which awaits me in the mercantile world, and then I shall go. No one must accompany me to the boat; I want to see you all on the piazza as the carriage drives a

ut a tear. Another note, however, she could not play, but replaced the cover of her harp in silence. Then Tom and Gem brought in from

e come the B. B.'s, too. Here, boys, form on bo

come out on the piazza," he said. "Aunt Faith, here is your chair. Gem, you stand by A

e back of the house; "I'm getting

ook at you all when I reach the gate." So saying, Hugh bent down and kissed Bessie's pale cheek, and then passing under the arch, walked rapidly down the long garden-walk. The B. B.'s in martial array on either side, gave him three cheers as he passed, and when he

said Mr.

had dis