My Nephew Fred

" Tf ef=j aunt, you must excuse me.' " But Fred.' " Xhere are no buts aboüt it, my dcar, ur.t. I eaiiiiot and wil] not bc carried own to the drawing room to-night." " Then I shall eevtainly be compelled o excuse you," I replied "striving to keep jack tlie ttnrs which someway would fill yps cvery time I attenipted to reasi n with the fellow lying b'j helplew before mei Months before the opening of this st.rv, Kred Travers, in attompting to ascend a scaffoldinji v.iis-i'i upon a building of which he was tlio architect, was precipitated to the pavement striking upon lus feet. The effect was partial paralysL of the lower limbs. Everything that medical skill could BUggest Waa promptly ntl nded to, but with vei-y little suocess ; and the poor fellow had about decided that he must remain a helpluss cripple the rest of his lift. I shall never fOrget the day he resigned himslf to his fate. Every member of the family was requestcd to keep out of the room until he signi,fied his desire to be viated. Aboüt 8 o'cloCk in tbe evening I was guipmoned to Frod's apaitment Well'said I. taking his outstretched hand, " what is it i " " Oh, nothing aunt; onlyl have had a funeral ; and the strangest part of it all is I waschief moumer. I have buried all niy youthfu) hopes and aspirations ; and iu ncciorth thcre is to be no more sniveling over the inevitable." Kince my nephew's accident I had not held my usual evening reueptions ; but he was now so far recovered that I thought it best to begin agnin. All my atteiiipts to havo him one of the party were useltss. He saw that 1 was grieved, and said, while a bitter smile played round his hanasonie mouth : " It would be a ]r. tty ñght n w, would it not, tosee me, a gfeat, strapping fellow, BÚE feet in niv atoakines. cunied by a footuian into the parlorí" " But Fred, Ben can take you down bofore any one comos. And all my friends know that I never entertain company after eloven ; so you will not becoiue tired of sitting." "Mydear, precious littlo aunt, don't you seo that I am not yet. able to conquer the mortiiioation tLis helplessnes? cntails upon me ''. I shall lie on the 8OÍK, ia the libiary, and you can leave the doors open, po that the niusic will float up to me ; and I shall onjoy myselt' quite as much as if one of the crowd." I don't kiiuw why I was unable to keep my tbongbts with the company ossembled ; bal they would stray olf up staire, and Beveral times 1 caught myself whispering, Poor Fred, .oor Fred.' Moro than oiie inquiry was made of him, f-r he was a favonte with us all - but to no oue did I say, ' Go tip stairs.' I know he did not wish it. ïhe belle of the cvening was a Miss Griffin, an intímate friend of one of my boaiding school cousins, bvxt a stranger to me. She sang exquisitcly, played with a skill truly proi'ossional, convurstd int illigibly - and these latter accouiplishments were so rare among young ladies gent rally, tliat, i louna ïoyseu quire uitached to her. tëome one volunteered to play a waltz, and as the young folk flew around the room to the facinating strains of Strauss I ran up fctairs to teo h'. w Fred was enjoying bimself. The gas was turned quite low, but the grate sent out a cheerful Hght which ilTuminated the center of the room, leaving the sides and corners in deep stiadow. What a ñgW metrayeyes' Miss Griffin, sujiposing hersolf the sole occupant of the room, had taken a Beat upon the oarpst in front of the fire, and there, her quaint little hoad bent on one side, canary fashion, she Bat, muttering to herself. I stopped and listcned ; I could'nt help ifc to save my life. "Why isn't this jolly ' This seerr.s homelikc I don't believe I like parti( 8. Oh ■ I forgot, my boot hurts rac. That's my excuse for running uway from that h orid waltz. I wonder what dreadful creature lirst conceived the idea of waltzing ? If I had my way he should hop through all ages, and on ono foot to ! Heigh-ho ! A nice fire - how chrerful ! üur library used to bc souiething like this before papa died. Oh, dear ! ïhere isn't a bit of happiness in this world unloss one has somcbody to love ono ! And then I know that the littlc oieature was crying. Now, that was too bad. What oonld I do 'i Nothing, evidently. What would Fred doV Keep quict and allow her to depnrt in total ignorance of lus prcsencc. But that this little epuode would Loave 'i deep and lasting impression, I, whoknew Fred so wel), perfectly undentoocL " How much pleasantcr to spond an evening than with all those stupid folks down itaixa ' " And tho little one aroso from her seat and bcgan to turvcy the apartment. I know it was all np then. In a Bucond moro, a smothered shriek, a quick " I beg pardon, eir ; I thought I was alone " was waftcd to my ears. " Picase do not ful distressed about it. I sh-: uld have spoken when yoü first cntered, but foolishly imagined you'd bo able to leavo without obsorving me. If it does not make you feel annoyed, I shall be very glal it hapjjcned, as it afforded me a glimpse of sotn9thiñg uatural and spontaneous." " I knew it was wrong to stop there listening, but I was actuiilly rivited to the lot. Vi'omen alicuys have gonie excuslor ji yiiig, aiid ' rivited ' is as good as any forme. " Are you ill, sir P " she inquircd drawing a littlc nearer. " Not very," he replied, " although probably an invalid for life." The end of this littlc episode is not yet, thought Ij and I was right. "My name is M ss Griffin - Margaret Oriffin. Most everybody calis me Maggic,' she vent on by a way of introduction, " And iny namo is Travors - Frederick Travers. Most everybody calis meFred," replied her companion but I know by the tons of my nephew's roicd that, for the moment he had ceascid to think of himarOt' iirul }iiü ijifirmit v. " I aiu Mrs. drew's nephew at your senrice." " Let üs be frieads)'' Ihe 6nid seetly ; and I kliuw then. just as well as . J Itnow now, that Maggie Griffin's hand lay irt that of the invalid. " I don't want to say I ain sorry for you." she coutinucd, ' because I think there are few who like be pitied. It don't seera to me I should care about walking ; that isj if I had lots of money nd somebody to care for me, and lots of böoks. IJut the tremtilaht in the giïls voice betrayed her, and the hext moment she was sobbing convulsively. Quick steps ascended the stairs, and I movod away trom the thrcshold vcry much like a person cáught in tho act of stealing What occurred subscqunntly I óid nut -know anti] sonietiine after. I triod to cohceal niy abstraction and appear as usual, and was rulieved when, a fow minutes after, Miss Oriffin took her seat at the piano, and with a brillifint sweep of her littlt; fingere commnnocd thu " Laugliing Song:" How she did linigh and how she dia sing ! For a weeE after the echo of those bewitching strains secmed to meet me in the far corners of the house, and only ten minutes ago she was sobbing as though her heart would break. " I ni'-ver board Maggie sing so well," observed a. lady frlend. ' She really exeells lierself." ' Didn't I kuow she was singing for Fred 'i Didn't I know that her voice was laden Trith lovci and heavily laden too ? The poor child had not yet begun to feel its weight. "Heaven help her, said I softly to myself. '■ Hu did you like tho singing Fred ? I asked the next invrning at break" fast" "Itwas delightful. üi 11 the contraltos I ovor heard that was tlie rih.-M. But who was the fair Vocalist ? - for of course, she is fuir." " A stranger, Fred, I answpred, care lessly, glancing at his handsome face. "A Miss Giiiiin - Maggio Griffin I ' lieve they culi her." Ilis iace was like that of an angel for a moment inexpressiblo satisfaction w.is dopicted on eveiy lineament ; but it gradually faded, andtheold patiënt, sombre look resnmed its placo; Not another word wh "ilCen. For the next two month= Fred received many puifumed notes, and I noticed that Ben (the lootman) made trips to the post otnee more frequent ly than foruierly. In the meantime, i had met the yoang lady on Beren] OccasiofiB, and we became very goud friends ; but I kept ïny own counsel. 1 noticed that for everal d.tys Yna looked exceedingly sad and careworh. Jly lirst thouglit was not to remark upon il ; it when J sa the quiver of the joor felloV lip, I could keep silence no longer. Well, dear, what is it?" I askcd again. " Oh aunt, I haVe been trj-ing to have atiother t'un :r tl, but the body rdt'uses to bo buried. I dug the grare but the rest is beyond me." " It seenis to me, Fred, if I Ifrere in your place, I should not b desirous of taking upon myself tho duues of protessioual undortiiker. Whether yon can ■ walk ot not, you have piobably a long lite bofore you ; and my advice is to allow all the plants which l'rovidciico in its goodness sends to your garden - iov gome unknown reason, once laid so desolate - to blossom and bear fruit. Throw nothing away which is holy, and calculated to lessen your burden." " Aunt, what do you mean ! " he exclaimed. Just then Ben stuck his head in the door. " Miss Griffin wishes to sce Mrs. Andrews imniediately. "Good Gr.icious ! " exclaimed Fred. "But, aunt, nothere. Yuudon't - that is - 1 nevar, yon seo " But the Budden c-ntrance of the young lady put an end to all decisión. " 1 am so gWl to find you both together ! " she exelaimed, walking straight to the side of Fred's öhair. " This letter will explain why I am here. Allow me to ruad it." l'lease dou't," implorcd Fred, recognizing his own ohirography. " Very well, then,' sho said, foMing tho note. But Mrs. Andrews, your nephew ajid I have corresponded for two inonths. I lovc him and he loves me. IIu lias irrevocably doterminod, lie says, not to allow.this love to go 011 unotbcr day - that he will not doom me to the lite such a, love will entail. Who ever heard of such cruel nonsense Y As if he had it in his Iiowvr to putastop to my lovc, or his own cithcr!" and hcr oyes filled with tears. " Oh, Maggie ' " whispcrs Frcd looking steadftistly out of the wiadow yon don t know what you are tmlking about." " Yes I do, dear," she r(;plied swectly. If we wore botli p or, it would malte a differeno, I suppoie; a id yet I scarcely think it would. And, Pr d Travers, you will walk one of I bolieve lieaven ïtselt luis wnisj iraa mai m y ear. If you doii't lovc u.e say so, and I will go away and never t.oublo you again." " Heaven bless you, darling, I lovo you more tlian mysclf a thousand times over. You shftU stay." That was what Frod said. What did I do ? Lookiríg a moment at the little figure kneeltng by ray nephew's cliair, while lie laid liis hiind gently on the curly heiid, thanking Henvcn, ] know, for the blossings of his life, I walked out to in y own room, and had a good (iry, wuiiian fushion. Two ycars have passcd since tlien, anc Fred walks now as well as any one. A Paris letter says : "It was rumored that an American coinpany has offorod to rebuild the Tuüeries, J'nlais Boyal, and the Hotel de Villo. ïho eondition uuder which the company has proposed to set matton right is, it shall bc repaid in fivo years all the money expended - in French rentes, at present price, say 53 francs. During the quarter ending Juno 30th the postoffice depaitment has issued 12"(il. oio adtesiTe postnge stamps and 2, 810,250 stiimped envelopes, and 1,771,60 newspaper wrappers. Prof. M. II. Buekham, now Profcsw of Greek and rhetoric in the Uniwiüity of Vermont, has been olccted President of that uiiivorgity in place of Dr. Angelí.