Betty's Bright Idea; Deacon Pitkin's Farm; and the First Christmas of New England

sweetness in maturity, but which when not quite ripe have a pretty decided dash of sharpnes

in the morning. Diana's laugh was as early a note as the song of birds. Such a nature is not at first sympathetic. It has in it some of the unconscious cruelty which belongs to nature itself, whose sunshine never pales at human trouble. Eyes that have

, and she, not too soon nor with too much eagerness, was at last to acknowledge to him how much he was to her. But meanwhile he was not to be too presumptuous. It was not set down in the cards that she should be too gracious or make his way too easy. When, therefore, he brushed by her hastily, on entering the hous

after supper she would go with him a walk of half a mile over to a neighbor's, where was a corn-husking. A great golden lamp of a harvest moon was

sulks, not I. These college fellows worry over books till they hurt their digestion, and then have the blues and look as if the world was coming to an end." An

he table. Diana set special value on herself as a pie artist, and she had taxed her ingenuity this year to invent new varieties, which were received with bursts of applause by the boys. These sat down to the table in democratic equality,-Biah Carter and Abner with all the sons of the family, old and young, each eager, hungry and noisy; and over all, with moonlight calmness and steadiness, Mary Pitkin ruled and presided, dispensing to each his portion in due season, while Diana, restless and mischievous as a sprite, se

d that singular likeness which often comes out between father and son in seasons of mental emotion. Diana in vain sought to draw a laugh from her cousin. In pouring his h

ble, however, he follo

h me to-night?" he said, in a vo

sking at the Jenks's. Why don't you go with us? We're going to have lot

ted to walk with you alone. I had

sed to go with Bill to-night, and I suspect another time will do just as

ed away

ter with you to-night," she added, but as sh

comment. "Well, he'll have to get

ment he had been meaning to enter. He was to know them no more. Their mute faces seemed to look at him mournfully as parting friends. He rapidly made his selection, for that night he was to be off in time to reach the

little birds, And I sa

of real suffering all nature is full of cruelty, and

e for my going. She won't break her heart for me; nobody loves me but mother

o do. He knew that she would try to persuade him to stay, and he felt faint-hearted when he thought of her. "She would sit up early and late, and work for me to

s got other ways than at college. It's hard to go, because I love home, and hard because you will miss me-though no one else will. But father may rely upon it, I will not be a burden on him another day. Sink or swim, I shall never come back till I have en

bit of ribbon with a locket on it I was going to give cousin Diana. Perhaps she won't care

and looked out at the great yellow moon that was shining so bright as to show th

a chestnut thrown up struck him on the hand, and he

d, gaily, "if you will stay moping up there! Com

sha'n't be misse

e loss is your own. Goo

bye, D

heart. It was the voice of what Diana never had f

s," she said; and then added, with a laugh, "it

natches and echoes of gay talk came back

aid, and turned to go a