A Beautiful Possibility

y. Brilliant birds flitted among the foliage, gold and silver fishes darted to and fro in a large stone basin of a fountain which threw its glitt

Books were everywhere, rare bits of china, curios and exquisitely tinted shells lay in picturesque confusion upon tables and wall brackets of native woods; soft silken draperies fell from the windows and partially screened from view a large alcove where microscopes of different sizes stood upon cabinets whose she

isited the land of his birth. From the first, fortune had smiled upon him, and when, some time after his marriage with the daughter of a wealthy planter, she had come into possession of all her father's estates, he h

d both in a large envelope which he sealed and addressed to Judge Hildreth, Marlborough, Mass. Then he leaned back in his ch

r preparation for the heavy respectability of a New England existence. Lawrence is a good fellow, but that wife of his always put me in mind of iced champagne,

olly of yielding to unnecessary alarm. Danvers is getting childish. All physicians get to be old fogies, I fancy

ed accordingly. His morning's occupation had been one of the rare instances in which he had run counter to his inclinations. Sky blue cotton trousers showed two brown ankles before his feet hid themselves in a pair of clumsy shoes; a scarlet shirt, ornamented with large brass buttons and fastened at the throat with a cotton

ow?" and Lenox Hildreth leaned against a

permission, sah?" and the negro rolled his e

easy indulgence which made h

er late in the day to ask for permission when you

f the palm-leaf hat, "but yer see I knowed yer wouldn't dis

slender fingers and watched the tiny wreat

carelessly. "How much more good will it do you

d up until only the

acher's 'n uncommon relijus man, an' de 'sperien

hat you'll forget to come down again. I suppose

made another gyration through the air.

to deprive the assembly of such an e

sanktimonyus. I'se

ting-place upon the snowy wool, and the negro shambled away. When he

h, I say,

the servant re

an't go to camp-meeting with that on your conscience. Come, now

e palm-leaf was flourished grandiloquently, whi

spose I'se goin' ter neglec'

augh. "Of a piece with the whole of them!"

r say a single word that you do not mean nor express a sensation that you have not fel

ipped her hand through his arm with a low, sweet

yonder call me an unbeliever, but they've got themselves to thank for it. I m

ch horrid things! And you don't need to preach anything. I

earnestly at the pure brow, about which the brown hair clustered in natural curls, the clea

" he asked wistfully. "Are

stion before! Don't you know there isn't a girl in Barbadoes who has been so thoroughly spoiled, and has found the spoiling so sweet? D

bird!" he said tenderly; "but when this dimple captivates the heart of som

eck and laid her face against his breast. "You know better!" she exclaimed pass

lose. "Poor little lass

earest, what is the matter? I am sure you are not well!

lues. I think the man who invented the art should have been put in a pillory for the rest of his nat

dearest!" she said, "if there were no writing there would be no books, and what would become of our beautiful evenings the

e besetting sin of your sex, or, like the mother of the

u were not three times as curious as I! And when it co

ew on his own, and hand-in-hand like two children they ran down t