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charmingly than at present, despite the dew-stained dress to which the damp earth still clung, and the wild disorder of her loosened hair. The richly-laced handkerchief bound about her bruised brow, was not an ungraceful head-dress. And how they both laughed at the awkward attempts Mr. Brown-no, Walter, for so he begged her to call him-made to assist Ella in binding up the wealth of tresses that flowed from beneath it.

But we must not linger on their return, short and pleasant as it seemed to both. Ella leaned helplessly and confidingly on the arm that was henceforth to shield her from life's ills. Fortunately, all were too deeply engaged at the breakfast-table to notice their entrance; and Ella saw no one until her sister ran hastily into the room ten minutes after.

"Mercy, Ella," she exclaimed, "can I believe the evidence of my own senses? Here I am told, in the same breath, that you have been carried over the falls, broken your neck, and then come to life again the pledged wife of a Mr. Brown! Brown, Ella. Horrid name!' And such a mouth, too! He never will be able to kiss your little face — never!”

"Where is the future Mrs. Brown, of Arkansas?" chimed Frank, opening the door. "Oh! Ella, such an unaristocratic name!"

But even yet she could not

Poor Ella! It was useless to expostulate; useless to stamp her tiny foot. Frank would not cease until his wife, in pity for Ella's blushes, sent him out of the room, and then listened kindly while the young girl told her all. speak his name without faltering in tone; and though she was obliged to acknowledge it was foolish, she felt it a slight drawback on her present happiness. With Juliet, she was ready to exclaim, "Oh, Romeo, Romeo; wherefore art thou Romeo?"

convinced that, by "any other name," she should like him quite as well.

Mrs. Clinton said no word when the recital ended; but after sitting in deep thought while Ella completed her toilet, she started suddenly, exclaiming-"You have driven all things from my mind. I have some news for you. Mr. Huntington has at last actually arrived. He asked for you at once. His curiosity is nearly equal to your own. Come, shall we go down?"

One month before, and Ella's heart would have throbbed at this announcement; but so perverse is human nature, that she now listened to it with positive pain; and though she could not refuse her sister, her step had lost the lightness that had before distinguished it.

"I will come as soon as I have had some coffee," she whispered, as they reached the dining-room door; and then she turned to Mrs. Clinton's parlour in search of Frank to accompany her. Oh, joy! her lover was there leaning against the window, and seemingly absorbed in some deeply interesting reverie. Ella sprang forward with a glad cry, and, ere she was aware that she had done so, stood folded to his heart. As he smoothed back the soft curls from her brow, he saw that her cheek was flushed, and felt how rapidly that little heart was beating. Was it not natural to ask the cause of this unusual excitement? Ella told him her dread of meeting Mr. Huntington; how she had escaped almost from his presence; and then she hid her face on his shoulder, and fairly cried from nervous vexation; for—would you believe it? -Walter but smiled instead of attempting to console her; and he even said, "Is this Mr. Huntington so very disagreeable to you?"

"I hope I shall never see him. I am resolved I never will. I shall hate his very name, presently, if you take his part."

Walter seemed to be of Frank's opinion with regard to Ella in a pout. He half stooped to kiss her red lips ere he spoke again.

"Ella," said he, at last, as though he had quite forgotten Mr. Huntington, "is my name unpleasant to you? Tell me truly.' Ella hesitated; but she could not tell an untruth; so she said, softly, "Walter is very beautiful."

"No, Ella; your shrinking from pronouncing my unfortunate name, tells me all I wished to know. Tell me one thing more. Would it please you to find that it had been assumed, after allthat my own was quite different? How would you like it to be Huntington, for instance?"

Ella glanced upwards, half bewildered at his words; and then a suspicion of the truth flashed upon her. She was not deceived. It was Mr. Huntington himself who detained her at his side while he asked forgiveness, and explained Frank's little plot. At first, it was to be explained very soon; he had begged Frank to do so again and again, but Mr. Clinton was inexorable until Ella's fancies had been fully thwarted. She understood now why Frank had rushed so hastily to meet his friend the night of his unexpected arrival, and the long colloquies they had so often held.

Ellen was at first heartily vexed, and would have escaped from the room; but Frank Clinton barred all egress, and she was compelled to listen to his teazing, which Mr. Huntington in vain tried to prevent. Then Agnes came, and gave glad congratulations to the tearful girl, who was at last compelled to smile at her own folly, and the success of the plot against her school-girl romance.

One more scene in Ella Kirkland's life, and thou and I, dear reader, part for a season.

Just a year from the commencement of our sketch, that young lady sat reading a letter, a very full letter, crossed and recrossed, which Walter had just brought to her. The ci-devant Mr. Brown had improved vastly in that period. The sunburnt flush of prairie travel had faded from his fine face, and his eyes were radiant with the light of happiness as he stood gazing on the graceful creature so soon to be his wife. But at last he grew impatient of the long epistle which seemed to interest Ellen so deeply, and he insisted on sharing its contents with her. As Ella made no strong objections to his so doing, we may conclude that we also have the right of perusal, particularly as it is from an old acquaintance, Clara Howard.

"Willingly would I comply with your request, dear Ella, but I was just on the point of claiming your promise for myself. My own bridal is fixed for the next month. I, too, have found one who loves me devotedly. 'Is he wealthy?' will be your first question, if you remember our last conversation.

"Yes,' I can answer unhesitatingly. Not as the world receives the term; not in houses or lands; but, Ella, the wealth my Arthur offers for the acceptance of his bride, is far more imperishable than these a noble affectionate heart; a cultivated intellect; a firm purpose of right. He has taught me (not in words, for I should be pained to have him know my once boasted craving for riches), that our happiness in this life depends upon ourselves rather than our surroundings; upon intellectual culture, and a heart at peace with the world and our MAKER. In fine, that content is the only true treasure of the soul; turning, Midaslike, all that its radiance rests upon, to gold. This is our chief

portion; but this we, in truth, possess. The future is fair before us, for Arthur's talents will raise him to the station he might boldly claim among earth's noblest sons. For the present, we may need to struggle with many difficulties; but our purposes are fairly wedded, and we shall aid each other.

"May God bless you, my friend, as a wife; and may you both be as happy as we are hoping to be."

THE TREASURE SHIP.

A seal having as a device a ship under full sail. Motto "I bear the hopes of Many."

KNOW ye, oh, solemn waves that round it swell,
The precious burden which ye onward bear?
Soft winds, fair winds, ye do your bidding well,
Winged as ye come by earnest mournful prayer;
"God speed the ship"-it is a wailing cry,
Wrung out from many a heart's deep agony.

How long the night to all who hope with dawn

To see those sails rise o'er the horizon's verge;
The midnight bell which marks the day now gone,
Seems unto some to strike a boding dirge;
The faint of heart are they who tread life's sea
As the disciple trod the waves of Galilee.

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