So th' one for wrong, the other strives for right.-Faëry Queen.

WELL, what sort of a time did you have among the quakers yesterday?' said Thornton when he saw Hulda at breakfast next morning.

'Oit was beautiful!' said Hulda with a pause of delight in the midst of buttering her roll.

'What was beautiful?'

'O everything! And they were so kind to me and I like Mr. Raynor so much! And the flowers O Thornton, did you see mine that I brought home? and the camellia? That is Rosalie's; and it was the very prettiest one they had; and I told Mr. Raynor so, and yet he would cut it.'

Perhaps he did not agree with you.'

"O yes he did. I thought he was going to cut a white one at first, and then he chose this.'

"Then he did not choose the prettiest, to my fancy,' said Thornton.

'Why you don't know anything about it!' cried Hulda. 'I never saw such a beauty, and I don't believe you ever did.' And away she ran to bring ocular proof of the camellia's perfectness. No further argument was necessary; for admirable kind and culture had produced one of those exquisite results that the eye is never satisfied with seeing. Thornton silently took it in his hand to examine.

The flower was hardly at its full opening, two or three of the inner petals being yet inclined towards each other

with a budlike effect; but the rest lay folded back in clear glossy beauty, leaf beyond leaf-each one as spotless and perfect as the last. They were of a delicious rose colournot very deep, but pure, perfect, as a tint could be; and the stem, which had been cut some inches below the flower, spread out for it an admirable foil in two or three deep green leaves.

'Isn't that beautiful?' said Hulda, who stood at her brother's side with her little hands folded and her little face in a rival glow.

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Exquisite !-I never saw such a one! Alie, I must get you a plant. I wonder what is its name, if it has any.' 'There was a little stick stuck in the flower pot,' said Hulda, but I don't know what was on it.'

'Do you know?' said Thornton looking towards his sister.

'I think, I believe it is called Lady Hume's blush.'
Thornton laughed.

This is probably a variety called Miss Clyde's blush. It might be, at all events. Methinks the quakers performed some conjuration over you, Hulda,—it seems that you have suddenly become a little conductor-a sort of electric machine, charged by one party with a shock for another.'

'Shock!' said Hulda. 'But I don't think I have shocked anybody.'

That is the very thing.'

'But what do you mean by Miss Clyde's blush?' said Hulda, who was getting excessively mystified.

'Ask her what she means by it,' said Thornton. 'Alie just ring your bell, will you? Tom-did you get my swordbelt?'

'No sir-Jansen said he thought all the Captains was a conspirating aginst him; and if they were Generals instead he couldn't do no more than he could,' he said.

UNWHOLESOME DIET.''

And what did you say to that?"

133

"I told him he was a considerable piece off from doing more than he could, yet, and I guessed he'd better send the belt home to-night and no more about it.'

'I guess so too, or there will be more. I shall dine out of town to-day, Rosalie, so you need not wait for me.'

'You will come home to tea?" she said as she rose and followed him out of the room.

Her look half inclined him to come to dinner as well, but he only laughed and said,

You had better not ask me, because if I come I may bring you your hands full.'

Bring anything in the world that will make home pleasant to you,' she said.

'O it's pleasant enough now and you are charming; but 'variety's the spice of life,' you know Alie.' 'A most unhappy quotation in this case,' she said with a slight smile. 'That life must miserably dwindle and deteriorate which is fed upon spice alone. Suppose you try brown bread for one night?'

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'You shall try red pepper for one night, to pay you for that,' said Thornton. Why shouldn't you and I be like two birds of Paradise,-sitting up in a tree and eating pimento berries ?'

'What a naturalist you would make!' said his sister smiling. You would condemn the birds of Paradise to as unwholesome diet as you give yourself."

Unwholesome according to you.-'

He stood by her, he hardly knew why; but perhaps half in curiosity to see what she would say; for the changing light on her face told of varied thoughts and feelings. But when she spoke her voice trembled a little.

"The kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a

far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey

"After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst to me five talents: behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. His Lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

"Thornton-shall we live that life together?-the life of heirs of heaven?'

'I wish you would let go of my hand,' said her brother, with a motion as if he would shake it off. • What upon earth is there in that immense quotation to call forth such a sorrowful face?'

'Because,' said his sister with a gush of tears, as she took away the offending hand; "because "there was one servant who went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money”—and to him it was said, "Depart.”

The tears were quickly wiped away, and again she looked up at him.

'Do you think it is very kind to take the edge off my day's pleasure by such a prelude?' said he.

'Yes-very kind-to say what should do it.'

'By what rule of sisterly affection?'

'The rule in my own heart,' she said with a sigh. 'What is a day's pleasure that my love should balance it against eternal life? There is time now to obey-an inch of time, -and then "the angel shall lift up his hand to heaven, and swear by Him that liveth for ever and ever, that there shall be time no longer!"'

'And how do you know that I need time for anything of the sort?' said Thornton, when his silence had taken to itself displeasure. What right have you to suppose, that because "after the most straitest sect of our religion I do not live a Pharisee," I am therefore excluded from all its benefits? You see I can quote Scripture too.'

She did not raise her eyes, though the sudden flush on her brow told that his words had struck deep. It passed away, and she said-betaking herself to Bible words as if she would not trust her own,

"I speak as unto wise men-judge ye what I say.""Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as He is pure.":

And Thornton turned, and left her.

How he despised himself for what he had said! for the implication his words had carried! And against her-upon whose sincerity he would have staked his life.

Christian, in the Slough of Despond, struggled to get out, but always on the side next the wicket gate; while Pliable, having no desire but to be at ease—even in the City of Destruction-was well pleased to set his face thitherward to be clear of the Slough.

Thornton soon got rid of his discomfort, only the remembered touch of his sister's hand was harder to shake off than the hand itself. Perhaps on the whole he was not sorry for this. In pursuit of bird's nests he was swinging himself over a precipice, with but one visible stay-and that stay the hand of a frail girl. He knew he had hold of her-or rather that her love and prayers had hold of him;

and with little thought of her life of watching and anxiety, he swung himself off and rejoiced in his freedom.

He resolved as he walked up Broadway, that he would go home to tea that night, but not alone,-anything was better than a tête-à-tête with his sister; and besides, as he