The Bohemian Wine-set

BY EMMA GAHUISOX JOXES. " I wou.du't seud Mr. Muutruse thiit Viert ie " G.-rtiude. lookert up fniui the glittering loy beioie.jlic i witli wondrriül i'lue fyes. You wiuUln't 'i Why uot. Aiicel' 'fis the lov liibt tbing of the kinu 1 ever behcalU, Hiid 8O oostly. It wül jusi t,uit Altred ; 'ie adores ueautitul tlmigs. l un si rnsed that yuu du nut like it, Aiw 't" " Oh, as to that, I like the set well euough," said Aiice, liftiug the pretty, traii uriutments in her íiugKis. luis pi--rtect; Lut. a wiue set is riot i saitm.le gitt tu a. gentleiunu, espec.ialiy suoh n gent Ie umn :ls A'trod MintrusH. If yon vvill pmlin int' lor siiyiiiir it, Goitie, I tlmik ,on ullgtil o disoi ur.i yoar' bellvtue.i liusbimd s liVo 1 'me, Hot tinter it t'j' uch ii gilt uu iliüi exquisile B itiuuiinn , l. ' ü.iiiudo Ijioke into ;i itvouklng luugli, nlid tuMied her siiiiill heitd Uil .iil lier yel,uv i'Lifi tn weiv ui i sliiHiiiii r. "On, tbnt'syour drift, is it 't Furpi1y"s ?nlv, A.ict! Yfu are [ime to Ue stupid at vuur best ! dou't turn pious e tui r, ui you will be simjily unbeaialil.;. Ml. Montruse inay luve wine quite 3 well as ne likes, and 1 shau't object. I wculdn't have liim a "horrid toniperance man lor all the world, Bun ! the idta. Wby 'tis as inuch out of btyle as brass heels and licuped petticoats. Just f.tncy uuu diumg at Belvidere Place, Ahce, anti relus mg wine' No, ehihl, don't preacli tenipurance - 'tis vulaar! I shall send my pietty B-hi'iniau bet to Altred ; 'twiiljust uit bis luxuriuus bstcheiur apartmeiite ud j).irkliiitf Cliquot ! I would-j't miss ei:ilmg the world." Veiy well," sighed Alioc, "of courstou lunst have y'Ui own way about it ; mt 1 in sorry you caniiot regurd the nitter as I yuu may repjnt wüeu 'tis oo late,1' '■ Oh, Au hus.h !' crii A the beduty petu antly. " I shan't rep-nt, and 1 wi 1 senU the wine sent to Alfred ! Wlmt elsecouid I seiid himr and to-iuonow is his birth day. 111 do it up now, and ring fot Myers at once." Accordingly, she went to work with deft white fingers, folding the costly rame and exquisite glasses in a uiass ot I ilver tissue, with a little, einbcssed card i uspended therefroin, upon whioh was written : " A birthday gift froin Ger.rude." The footman cauie in answer to the bell, and was dispatched to the handsouie laehelor apartments in Regent street with Gertrude's beautiful present. Alice ighed again as he passed down the stairs "I hope you'll never repent it, Gertie," t.he said. " Oh, Alice, yon're such a silly,' retorted pretty Gertnide, spitefully. AltrecJ Montrose was Ritting in his luxuiious drawuig rotnu wben his hetrüthed uide's birthduy gilt rrived. Hu was a handsome, scholarly young i man, the last son ot a ñne old faruily with aliundalit uieuns at his couiiuatiI, ,md eudowed witb superior iutellect, a tavorite VhiTtver h went, kind, genial, generous felluw wbo had l)Ut oue f.inlt. He was t trifle too fond of his wine - a tnfle too fond of bis club diuuers and his convivial suppers. Sittiug in the Sunmer twilight, he ras a tiifle too fond ot his conviviil sappers. " Kight and-twenty years to night ! Alt, niy l)oy, you're getting pretty well ilown the hi.l of time, and uext Tbursday is your wedding day! No time tor wild nats now ! How umcb have 1 squandi red i ii my lite time, I wonder, on wine suppt-rs and c:uodinnei, andfast horsi'Siind i he ike 't Í don t iike to think of it ! 1 might h;ivo been a nch man, and- well, anotoer year or so hke this last will mike me n bankrupt." He paused. watchi"g the bluu sraoke oui lirig trun bis H.ivan., a seiiou-t ligbt in his handsome eyes. " Diirling little Gertie," lie continued, a tender siuile on his lipa, " I uugbt to do a good part by her, and I will ! The little thiiig trusts me so entirely. I must give over the wild oats for her sake. ïomorrow's my birtb-dny, aiid I"ll begin at oneo. lf ye u ve a aiind to do a tiiiiifí, do it at once, u,y good old otutber usímí to ay. I wonder if I in ioan euoujrh to ui ikc ti resol ve anl stick to it? 111 begin my nimried lif as a températe man - teetotiiler- thiit'n the only wiy - uo half uieesures will do tor me. Littie Ger tie will belp me, too I should never have been the worthles dog that I hiu it' mother had livcd ! But Gert ie will help me, and 111 give it all up for her Sfike ! Suplióse I have al' tbiï trah taKen out at once. My room looks like a groggery, cumbered with bottles and glasses. 111 have Vin all out while the notiou's on uie ' He buundod to his feet n4 rang tba bel. A servant enUred alniost on the in tant ftith a picket iu hi.s hand. 'J lie yiHing uian tore away the wrapper, iud liis ohi'tk flushed and his eye i rifihu'n-ií us h saw the rleaming silver ti sue and the diintily directed oard - " A liiithdiy ({it't fVom Gertie !" lio ture ít upen with eager fitigers. " By Jovu !" he oried, a look of blank disappointiuunt on bid tace, " tis a wine net ! ' He set it out upon the marble table where the atteinoon sunlifiht atreamed in, tiriiigmg uut all ita rich tints, till it blazed hke it in-os of gold and rubies. Ho lit a seeund Havana and smoked fiercely hile be luofced at it, his handsomn face sober with contticlini; thoughts. At last be rose with a deep dravvn breiith. " Wt'll, 'tis no use to send out the wine hut 1 ■ iiow," he suid. " I must not slight G riii-s present - such a costly uff'air too - ti t toi a iiiug to drink trom. Ho here goes 'r" Hu caught up a bottle, and, filling every glass iu tho dainty set, he proceeded to rtrink thi'ir contenta in rapid succes sion ; anci the fallinur twilight closcd upon hiin, tliished, excited, aud with a feverish file in bis eyes, and a reukless abandon iu his u muer. His last state bode to be vvorse than his first. ♦ They had been man and wife for nearly three years, pietty Gertio and Alfred Mcntrose. ïhere were two babies frail little tbings, clinging to the young mother's skirts, as she gat in in her cheerless lodgrngs The handsonie house in Regent street had been sold the very first year aier their marriage. Mr. Montrose was doing quito badly, he hud squaudered his fortune, and tallen to the low degree of a bar-room sot. Geitrude's .wild rose bloom was nvpidly taihng, nnd tbere were wrinkleR &n her white forehead. She fretted and scolded at the little wan-taced babies thal clung to her dress ; and the unmotherly ill-tem! per spoiled all her beauty, aud i gave her face a sour, ugly look. By and by, as the wintry afternoon olosed, her husimnd came slonching in, - i a shabl y, ill dressed man, with the look ! ot an i.ile VMgal.ond. The babies shrank ;tv;ty at ,-ight of bim. '■ No Slipper yet 't" he said gruffly, tum; bling hiniM'lt into a seat. " What the ! iteuce are yon all the time, that you can't have a niuutlilul for a luán when he comes iu '" ■ There's nothing in the house to cook," ! replied Gcitie, beginnipg to i ry iu a peei vish, childish niHnner," and not a cent to buy wny, and I and the childreii are halt 'siai ved : I am going back to father, Alfred, I won't stand this treatmnt any [onger, It I hal kuown what Iknownow, I n ver woulct h;ive niarried you- never ! Tlie trian 's beotted tac sottened with a moment;! i y glétun of hunütn feeling. He le -ulicil ut liis wiui, faded young wite, with the wau littlu bfioies clmgiiig to bir skiits. "Poor G rtie !" ha bulf sighed, " how iiiiíht .mi ni'tiy she used to be ! I have ti-. ;itt-d shabby ; but reform's uut ot qiieïtiun how - 'tis too Inte! Ï w;is mi tlie niíht, load uuue. ai'd I heheve I .-iiimld llave kept in it, if that Boh- uii;iu set lindii't turried u). ïvvas your own t'ult, Gfl'tie - your birtlidny gift made me wUttt I itm so don't find fault with me."