The Mitten

Seventeeu years ago, thoro was a fair girl, so puro, so lovely, and so r'éfibfed, that shu still rises to niy luind as almost akin to angels. She wooed, aud ultiumtely wor b_y a bandeóme young man of considerable wealth, líesportod a fine team aud delightéd u bunting. lío ncillicr played cards, di ank, wine, uor usod tobáceo. He liad no ocounaliou, do trade. Ho livod on Lis inoney, the interest dono of vvliich wuuld Iiuvü snpported a faiTiily handsotncly. I ucvtir s;iw tho fair bride till a few days ago. Seventoen years liad passed away,and witb then) her beauty ab'd youtli, her husband's foriuue uud bis lil'u, during the lal'er part of whieh tboy lived in a loa cnbiu ou the banksof the Ohio, noar Bíeunerba8setí's Island - .vbole fauiily in oue single room, siibsistiug on wutor, fat bacon, and eorn bread. He was a gentleman of eduoatioo, of' refiaemcut, of noble impulses; but wben bis moiiey was gone hö could get uo employiue'at, simply beeanse he did not kuow how to do anything. FW a wbüa be Houndered about - first tryiug ono tbing and tben tbe other; failure was writtou ou thera all. He, however, obtained a situation ; tbe lubor A'as great, the compei!6atiou smull - it was that or starvation. In bis beroic t'fforts to discharge his duties accep tably, lie overworked bimself and died, leaving bis widow and eix girls in utter desiitution. Ir. seventeeu years; the eweet and joyous and b. autifal girl bad böcome a broken-beartod, care-worn, povertv-striekefi widow, with a house fuil of cliildren. Young wouieu 1 if a rich young man asks you to marry biiu, and bas no occupatiou, or trade, or calling, by wliioh he could uiake a living if he was thrown upou his owu resouiceti, you may give hiru your respecta, but givo hiin the "