A Broken Pitcher

J h:id boon home fïom Oxford for a cotiple of inoMtlis, and as tbe end of my vacatton nrasdMwingnlgb, onedaymy bi-other Arilnir imi [wera sauntering throucli a lovelv vale. Suddoniy my attentlon .-is arrested by Arthur exclaiming, "I say, Torn- -oh lookr' pointing to a fúñale figure leuning againat in okl stile In the attitude of the utmost dejection. "Whata beautlful faoethatrfr] has!"' And, obsenred thoógfi 4he was by the dire poverty which -as evidenced by her dress .slie was bsantlftil lo behold as she stood gazlng down, with ao expression of terror in lier eyes, upon soine fraginents of hroken earthenwnre it lier feet I couldnotresistthe tem pial on tospeak so going up to her side, r said, kindl y, "M r clnld, you seem in trou'jle. Can't I liel yooi' The cliild upliftcd licrcycs for B monient to my face wlth n Btrange look, In which distrust Beemed to be the uppermost feeliB. Thcii, appearlng to gain eonfidence from wnat she disceriied ü ni-r - - - i ¦ strta, ¦ i gave broken the pitcher, and aunt will beat me for it. Oh, I am afraid to go home!" "Where is your home?" I asked; "and what is your name f" "What do you want to know for?" slie a.-kod, brusquely. "I want to kñow Blmply becaase I feel a friendly interest in you. 'llere," Icontlnued, drawing from my pocket a gold coln. "is money tu buy anothcr pitcher. Your aunt need.notknowof the breaktng of this one, and you will escape yonr ilreaded punishment, Now do you believe that 1 mean only kindne8s to you?" The dark eyes dilated ; tlien tliey softenened wlth a sudden til mot' tears, as, graspingmy hand, she exclaimed, in eager, chlldish tones: "Oh, sir, thank you ! Xow I need not be afraid to go home. I am sorry J was iudr: but it is seklom that anv but rough words come to me. I will teil you mv name. It s Annie, añil I am ol.l Hestes mece.'' As I listened to her wordt niy heart Qlled with pity, for I had heard dreadfu! Btorles ofthe kind of lile tile oíd woman shc called iiunt led. Thenext day i bade rood-by for another year to my homo. Amid the dutltt and dlstraetíons Of college Ufe the above rpisode slipped from my minil, to be recalled once more on perusing a letter fi-oui inv brother. "You remember the little frirl witli the beautiful face you befriended wheii aba broke her pitcher?" he w rote. "VVell, abe and that tlreadful oíd woinan, Ilester, have left the plací; and no one knows why or where they have (jone. I f car that poor child has a sadly pftiful f ture before her." Ten yeare had piaased since the date of the alx)ve- years whlcu had wroujrht many changes. ín íh.-in my fathi-r liad died, and, later, ni y brother Arthur, grown to man's estáte, had brought to the old home a bonny bride. Then in the course of a year a little stranger had aTrived, who grew aml tlmved, and in due time learned to (tretefa out his arms in welcome to his bachelor únele. But the summer of which I am about to write, Arthur, his wife, theic three-yearold son, and myself, had (une lo a retirad nook by the geaaide, toepend thé summer months. Therc were only a few people staying n the same hotel beskles ourselves. Two of the numbei-, an elderly, myhaircd lady and her beautiful coinpanion, Who I supposed was her dnn-rhter, interestcd at ürst right Tbeir name were Mrs. and Miss Carter. I suppose I might as well make a clean hreast of it. and confesa at ome to my reader that the heart which I had deeined so impregnable had luccumbed at last. At lenth chance placed in my way an opportunity to draw nearei to the object of my fancy. It happened in tliis wise : My brother and I had slarted otl' oue moroln'g to attend to soinc necessary business matteis in the neighboriiiif town. We had reachcd home earlier than we exjiectcd, and before returnlng to the hotel we decided to wlnlcawayan hour by a stroll npon the beacU. As we approached the bathin;-houses we were surprised to seea large thronjf r people gathered together and cxcitedly. " As we carne up, the erowd partea, and all at once, with cruel suddenness, Arthur learned that while be had been loiteiing only a (hort distance mvuv, those nearcsi and dearest to hiin had been in dcadlv peril. Wbilebathing in faiided security, bearvaft her Uoghtnï boy in her arma, his wifc had beeu eaught by the treacheroUs under-carrrat and carrled in an Instant bevond her depth, and out of the nul. of her companlons, who could noneof them swim. No man had been In sight at the time, and had it not been for a younjr girl who lmd been watohing the bathers liom her seat upon the rockall bope of rescue wonld have been 1'utile. Encumbered as she hnd been by lier clothlng, regmrdless of all peril to hersulf, Miss. Carter had couraycously breasted the billows, and Buceeeded iñ rcarliin the spot where the mother and child had sunk. When thcy aroae tothe surface her brave young arms had been rcady, and witli almoet aapertramanezertlon the girl had heen able to kiep herself and them up unlilhflp arrived. If I had loved Kosa Carter before, I worahlpped her now as I clasped my little nepnew and namesaka In my arms, and heard my brother, in tones treinulous with repressed feelinr, praal las thanks loher l)iit for w)iO8e noble courage he wonld have been a wUeleaa, chil.Ilrss man. Alter tlmt the veil of reserve was lifted between Miss Carter and toyself, and betore long wc grew to be very good iriends. Bilt the summer days wliicli hnd been so t'ull ot' pleusnre tor me were fust drawtig to a close, und as yet I bid nut dared tu spenk plalnly of what was ia my hcart. One anemoon aa I walked on-the Bandi, thinking ome such thooghts, a nistle of .ir.u.p-v oaiued me to look up, There beslde me was iiie suc ra.t ,. 'n..,,, , ter. My eyes must have expressed the ferveucy of my admlratlon, tor hers dropped benaath thelr 'aze. Wc talked fora while apon casual subjeets then she told me aomethlngthai caiuedmybearttodnkwitfa ilismav. In a lew days her mother and herst'lt' wen' to leave tbr her luuiie. As she gpoke :i sudden dcterininatiou sprang into exiitenco within my mind. was my time. Then anJ there I would learn my fate. 1 bejan fklterlugly, bOI as she nelthet ilrew away trom nor r'ebuked me, galnlng courage [Vent on more boldly untll at lengtb I had told her all- tliat my life's lmppiness was In lier hands, to make or mar. "Doyou know wlio it i to whom yon are Bpeaklng thoif' she uked, al most ín a u liiper-, lier voiee trembliiig with tome restrained i lion.' "llave yon no recollection of over meeting me belbie T" .She raised one tiny wrist, abont which gleameda jeweled eirelet. Prom it depended a golden coin. 'Vears agO," she said, in a low, soft voice, " tliis was bestowed togetber with the better L'ift of kinil vnrHa nium .. ,.„- _, . . . vm -¦mil lll'IU.7, U M 'I I ; l [1(1111 chlld. Instead ofexp llng it asdirected, slic gnflfered the pajilsbment which she had ilreadqd from hei cruel auut's hunda aml Ktii me golden com. uiting 1 ,,„ eared lor ohlld, Mr. Aubrey, although i may seeua almot lncrouible and Rose Carter are ona and the sama. A kiiul lady wIki was alone in the world, Baw and pltled iny ncrlectcil COndltlon, aml upan inv aant's denth took me aml (;(liicalc(l me, and broiigbt me up as lier own. 'l'liat golden i.-ilism.-Mi lias oever lelt me, aml uill nol lili I ,,.. V,„i gay that you ,1,, do mii deern yourself worthyto usk for my love. Know, tlicn. that trasoaghi it haa been yours uil tbesè yean. Aa :i chltd 1 lored andtraasuredyour Image: as iwoman - " She paused, aml a charming color snfl'usod ber pore face. 'Oh, Hose?'1 I exclaimed, as I Chisped the aweet speaker to my heart, " how lutie I tbougbl that ga simple an act of kindnrss would bu so royally requfted in the future" As we walked back togèttkl besiile the silver-crested waves, my heart witbln me sang a peean of joy; for' I feit that in winning the love of my noble lióse I bad jrained that wblch would make my whofe futare exlstetic one I6qg roalm of brlghtesl ¦UBshtoe.