bed, and stood for some minutes shading his eyes with his hand, so as to throw the full light of the candle upon the quiet face before him. At last, to her intense relief, he appeared satisfied and left the room, leaving the chamber door partly open. She then heard him unlock the strong closet at the end of the gallery (into which her own and the other principal bed-rooms opened) and begin to move the plate about, as though he were proceeding to pack it up. Believing that he would leave the key in the door, she instantly resolved, if possible, to save her uncle's plate, and to secure the thief. Throwing something around her, she stole along the gallery, and finding the key where she had expected, she suddenly closed the door and locked him in. In vain did the man alternately call, threaten, and promise what he would do if she would only let him out. With the key in her hand, she ran up stairs to rouse the women-servants, who were not a little amazed to see their young lady standing beside them with such a story to tell. Neither of them wished for any more sleep that night; and, as soon as they were dressed, they all sat up together, watching and waiting for the daylight. When morning came, the thief was soon removed to prison by the proper officers, and when tried for the offense, he admitted that had he believed it possible for any young lady to behave as his mistress had done, he should certainly have murdered her; but she had completely thrown him off his guard; and when he saw her, as he thought, so soundly asleep, he did not like to hurt her, for she had always been kind to him, and he had no personal grudge against her. The presence of mind displayed by this young lady was most exemplary. Absence of fear, on occasions of sudden and peculiar danger, is a rare quality, and is the result of moral training, as well as constitutional courage. Nervous fears are never so easily overcome as in early years, and the habit of overcoming them is of inestimable value in preparing for the vicissitudes and trials of life. At the same time, we sincerely hope that no lady, young or old, may ever have her presence of mind tested by the unwelcome apparition of a man concealed behind her easy chair. TRIALS OF A TWIN. In form and feature, face and limb, One day, to make the matter worse, And thus, you see, by fate's decree, My brother John got christened me, This fatal likeness ever dogged "What would you do, if you were me, Our close resemblance turned the tide For somehow, my intended bride Became my brother's wife. And when I died, the neighbors came THE DOORSTEP.-E. C. STEDMAN. The conference-meeting through at last, Not braver he that leaps the wall But no; she blushed, and took my arm! I can't remember what we said, "T was nothing worth a song or story; Yet that rude path by which we sped Seemed all transformed and in a glory. The snow was crisp beneath our feet, The moon was full, the fields were gleaming; By hood and tippet sheltered sweet, Her face with youth and health was beaming. The little hand outside her muff O sculptor, if you could but mould it!So lightly touched my jacket-cuff, To keep it warm I had to hold it. To have her with me there alone, 'T was love and fear and triumph blended. At last we reached the foot-worn stone Where that delicious journey ended. The old folks, too, were almost home; Yet on the doorstep still we lingered. She shook her ringlets from her hood, With what a daring wish I trembled. A cloud passed kindly overhead, The moon was slyly peeping through it, Yet hid its face, as if it said, 66 Come, now or never! do it! do it!" My lips till then had only known Sweet, rosy, darling mouth-I kissed heri To feel once more that fresh, wild thrill NOBODY THERE. I was the last new boy at school: The latter the reason, the former the plea. A stealthy walk 'neath a silver moon; Then an orchard wall looking e'er so high; Next, "Here's the plunder! climb like a coon,” From the biggest boy with the blackest eye. "What a ninny you are; and how you stare! Nobody will hurt you: nobody's there." They knew the place for scaling well, Till, trembling and weak, their victim fell On the broad ledge guarding the Bellair lands. Right there! And, on that stairway swung, & To right, to left, the ripe fruit hung On that first and fairest of autumn eves,- Just within reach of my tempting hold, What was to hinder loitering Seth? High in the heavens hung the harvest moon: Somehow in that silvery hush, Came the murmur of mother's prayer; And a little stream, 'mid banks of rush, Caught the gleam of my sister's hair. Still, crimson and gold, in a silver air, Hung apple on apple, pear on pear. Down in the dark some tiny thing, Bringing an answer out of the wood,- The twelve in waiting saw me bound "Was it Box?" said the bully, "or old Bellair?" LAND POOR.-J. W. DONOVAN. I've had another offer, wife-a twenty acres more, I thought I'd wait and see you first, as lawyer Brady said, And when this lot is paid for, and we have got the deed, some, And manage in the course of time to have a better home. WIFE. There is no use of talking, Charles-you buy that twenty more, And we'll go scrimping all our lives, and always be land poor. For thirty years we've tugged and saved, denying half our needs, While all we have to show for it is tax receipts and deeds! I'd sell the land if it were mine, and have a better home, With broad, light rooms to front the street, and take life as it come. If we could live as others live, and have what others do, We'd live enough sight pleasanter, and have a plenty too. While others have amusements and luxury and books, Just think how stingy we have lived, and how this old place looks. That other farm you bought of Wells, that took so many years Of clearing up and fencing in, has cost me many tears. |