occasional brilliancy; revealing The shadow that was hovering also, one or two white figures that around me, and threatening to flitted among the trees in the park, away from the music stealing over to me on the summer air, and the lights dancing in the windows opposite mine. poison my happiness, passed away as I knelt at my sill and prayed our Lord to make me a good child to my father and mother, to enable me to keep from wishing I looked till I became very un- that I was beautiful and lofty as happy and discontented. I wish- Adéle,-but to be thankful for ed so much to be with them. I what He had given me, and above thought of my own home; of my all to forgive me that wicked feelfather and mother, sleeping the ing of-I did not know how to deep sleep that follows and re- word it-wishing that all good wards active industry; of the would not come to Adéle, that she noisy little brothers whose never- was not as beautiful, or as happy, ending rents with the equally or as charming as she was; that endless making, and baking filled Alfred might see she had some the sum of every day's monoto- disagreeable fault and take a disnous employments-I was going like to her. I did to say, enjoyments-but here I Then I slept the sleep of youth paused midway in my discontent- and innocence, the head-ache ed murmurings. God made you, passed away; in the morning I I said to myself, He placed you was up with the lark and about where He thought fit, and gave my wonted occupations. you the work He intended for you. not feel inclined to read, as I Therefore it is wrong to murmur. usually did after making the prepAnd as for enjoyment-with an arations for breakfast, and the eye ever ready to seize upon the morning, though beautiful as the beautiful, He afforded you ample preceding one, had not the same means for its gratification. You charms for me. I even neglected have the flowers, the beautiful, to look out a sentence in Thompsloping meadows, the gorgeous son's "Summer" that would exsun-sets and sun-rises, the nights press what I could not say myself as lovely as this. Has His crea- and give me food for thought durture's enjoyment been uncared for? ing the day. Though with the Then, if a thought of poor moth- elasticity of youth, much of the er's harsh voice, when she scolded uneasy and undefined discontent the maids for negligence in their has passed away, enough yet rework, so different from Mrs. mained to make me pensive and Chauncey's low, silvery tones, averse to my usual employments. just flitted across my brain, I I saw Adéle once more-at tried to banish it and to dwell church, with the other aristocrat upon the tenderness and care that had brought her to my room at that hour to relieve me from suffering. Could the most delicate refinement have done more? ic company, grandly filling two or three of the front pews. She had on a jaunty hat of some straw lacework, turned up with bouquets of little rose-buds and with long floating streamers, while her ure of handing them into their reslender waist and white drapery spective carriages. not see me. were tied with a sash of the same Adéle also passed directly by me, color. She excited quite a sensa- but did not notice my presence at tion in the congregation; her ex- all, being too much engrossed treme beauty making her the with Alfred who was talking anitheme of admiration for weeks matedly to her and of course did after. The gnawing pain came back at the sight of her, and of Mother was quite disappointed Alfred's devotion. For the mo- that they did not notice me more. ment I almost hated her for being so beautiful, then frightened at my wickedness, I joined in the prayers earnestly and became myself again. Esop's time. "It was just like such people giving themselves airs to those as good as themselves." Thus will the advocates of democracy ever rail at the aristocratic party, while I was near Mrs. Chauncey as they burn for admission into their she swept down the aisle, looking midst; the fox that declared the like some bird of rare plumage grapes to be sour is not yet dead, with the white feathers waving on long as it has been since old her bonnet, and the trail of her gossamer dress ruttling with the The days rolled by. We heard breeze she excited in the draught of parties, charades and picnics at from the chancel window. In- the Grove. Once they told us of stinctively, I stepped aside and tableaux and that Adéle was Cinstood out of her way, for with in- derella and Alfred her prince. I tuitive discernment I did not had read of tableaux and longed wish to court her recognition.- with all the earnestness of poor Had I presumed upon our slight Cinderella herself to see them.acquaintaince, I am sure she All the children of their aristocratwould have passed me without ic acquaintance had been sought the slightest acknowledgment of for and picked out to personate my presence, or, if compelled to some character on the occasion. speak, would have done it so But I, alas! was not aristocratic, slightly as to have left it prefer- and was therefore not deemed able not to be noticed at all, but worthy of an invitation. as I showed myself unpresuming, and perhaps as she thought, humble, to reward my modesty she turned her head a little and said affably, Oh! if I were only great, I sighed to myself as I saw the long train of carriages sweeping up the Grove lane, while my fingers traveled busily over the rents and darns "Why, little Miss Mary, is that the children's climbing propensiyou? How are you to-day?" She ties gave me constant employment did not wait to hear my murmur- about, then I would search out ed reply, but passed on with a those who had not much pleasure brilliant galaxy in her train, a at home, and give them the endozen attendant esquires spring- joyment that the proud seem to ing forward for the honorable pleas- design for one another only. How "Pretty late to ask you," remarked father, "but better late than never, I suppose. Are you going?" much more pleasure it would give character and want me to fill it me to see a poor child's face light out." up with joy than to keep it for those only, who have so many opportunities they do not care for one such enjoyment. Adéle, Cinderella! how exquisite she must "Go! to be sure she will," relook in the fairy costume. And plied mother, without giving me Alfred, the prince. Nothing time to answer, and bustling could make him more royal look- about with her usual alacrity.ing. How he will adore her, so "It is'nt often you have such an bewitching in her faultless beauty. opportunity, Mary, and you must A keen pang it gave me, and take advantage of it." my numbed fingers almost ceased I steadily refused to go, howfrom their-at present-irksome ever, in spite of their urgent enemployment; I hadn't the heart treaties, for intuitive pride preto pursue my daily work when vented my accepting an invitaothers were enjoying so much tion tended at so late a date, and pleasure and so near me. given solely that I might be used Later in the evening as we were as a convenience. How I longed sitting before the door enjoying to go too! When the servant had the soft evening breeze, father gone with my refusal, I could alwith his pipe and arm-chair and most have called him back and mother near, at rest for a wonder, told him that I would go; but I one of the Grove servants excited never ceased to be thankful afterour surprise at his approach and wards that my judgment had demany surmises as to his object in cided in favor of my own selfcoming. respect, and that I had proved myself no foot-ball for the great. It was singular too, that I had firmness enough to act as I did, "Mrs. Chauncey's compliments," he commenced, making a low bow, "and says won't you please let Miss Mary come and be-and young as I was, and with my be-" "What?" asked father, knocking the ashes from his pipe. great admiration for Alfred Chauncey; besides I was naturally very pliable. I wondered very much what they would say, if it would be "I can't think of the name, sir," replied the boy, confused, "but they're got ever so many that I was very unobliging, or people standin' up thar for peo- cross, or what. The simple truth ple to look at 'em as if they was however, that they did not was picturs, I dunno what ye call think of me at all, and immedi'em." ately sent for another neighbor's "I know what he means, fa- daughter, who proved more acther," I said, my heart beating commodating and filled the rewith excitement, "he's talking quired part, I believe, to their about the tableaux. I suppose satisfaction. they haven't enough for some The summer passed away. The Grove guests left the next week; But it soon died away, that unat least some of them did, and pleasant topic, and was but selamong them were Adéle and her dom alluded to; time, that antifriends. dote to all trouble, great and small, healed the wound over with a cicatrice, though the scar remained. I could not bear to hear their names mentioned together, and breathed a sigh of intense relief when one was named without the other. The beautiful young coquette had ruthlessly broken in upon my dreams, had melted my castle in the air, introduced herself like a cruel enchantress in the My mother's gossips made themselves quite busy over Alfred and his affairs. He was dead in love, they said, and it would certainly be a match. The parents seemed to think so, and to agree to it perfectly. My poor little heart stood still, then gave some terrific beats against my bosom, as if it would rend it in twain, and I suffered agonies of quiet jealousy while they were speaking. midst of its happy little valleys of Still I listened eagerly with a pleasure, monopolizing the prince, painful curiosity in the subject, and dissipating the fairy web that that would be gratified even while my fancy had woven. I dreaded its introduction. SONG AND CHORUS. Sing, Boys! sing! While the starry wing A song we raise to the buried days That were beaming with brightness only; Let the hair grow white! Let the failing sight We keep the faith that we pledged to Death, There are flowers that bloom by the narrow tomb And they are all that our prayers recall Are there forms as fair as we buried there? It may be so! but they bring no glow By the shadow that lies on the shrouded eyes, Bid Death remove from the brows we love Their light alone on our pathway thrown, STRAWBERRY CULTURE. STRAWBERRIES possess the great el from a square rod, or about two advantage of being our earliest quarts a day for half a month."fruit in the spring, and of never This is a great advantage to perbeing destroyed by frost, as the sons who are settling new places, tree fruits, peaches, apples, &c., and desire fruit immediately.so frequently are. Fragrant and Any good cultivation will produce delicious also they are even be- fine strawberries, if you have a yond the rich produce of the tropics, and yielding a quick return for the labor bestowed on proper admixture of staminate and pistillate plants. The staminate plants will, if not prevented, crowd out the pistillate plants, and them, often bearing, if properly transplanted, a fair crop the first thus render a bed once productive season. "We have repeatedly almost barren. The remedy for obtained ripe berries seven weeks this is to place the staminates in from the day the plants were set a bed to themselves alongside of out," says J. J. Thomas, whose the pistillates, and as the stamiAmerican Fruit Culturist is one of nates also bear well, when the the best books on the subject ex- proportions are duly preserved, tant. "The second year, if the we have in this way no barren bed is kept clean, the product will plants. The proportion of stamibe abundant. Wilson's Albany nates to pistillates should be about will safely yield any year a bush- one to eight, and they should not |