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Laa axamplairaa originaux dont la couvanura an papiar att imprimta sont tllm4s an commancant par la pramiar plat at an tarminant soit par la darni*ra paga qui compona una amprtinta d'impraaslon ou d'llluttration. soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Tous las au ■»» axamplairas originaux sont filmAs an comn...^ C^_ My I^ad-, Seja Oull,. ""?^ tJtHE lale of Haute, floating like a crystal gem in Jfc the central waters of the Bay ' Fundy, is the ^§ home of the Sea Gull. There ray Lady Gull, in the spring, chooses her partner for the season, informing him that he w > attend striAly to business and build her a nest, stead of his cavorting with those very silly gulls, who all summer long flirt and coo up and down the empty and full Avon River, he must remain home and catch fish to feed the family with ; and while Lady Gull is sitting on gulls eggs so many weeks to hatch out little gulls, the author thought the reading of this book would help to lighten her cares and while away many lonesome days. G. W. S. the: SMIL^E^YS, A TALE OF HARDWOODLANDS. CHAPTER I. Hakdwoodlands. JT was in the spring of the year when fh. . were in flood, fed by the mSl:, '"^^""^ its banks in mad voin„« ^?, r^" '''"P* '''°"« lands and inten^air S» *'"« ^' ^'^■ country in its mad ^Tr^' t T^" °?L^ ""^^ °^ aromatic perfumes frnm ♦!, . "* 'raSTant, filling the^^The reef waT"^ ''" ""''^ -«^ numbers from the waLt ^^^"^^1^ ^'"« - pines and spruces wer/ ,7 balsams, firs, lovelyrobesof ri„ fin; r?^ 'hemselves with sweet' odors TWs wa the U"' ""' '^^'"^ ^"'^ of Hardwoodlands a few l-r. '""^"^ ^"'^-"^°' Intercolonial Railway! a parad ^ of ""°'''' 5°'" '"^^ the centre of the prS V^s l^lTh "'''" " was covered with giant trees a nd IL ""' """"'^^ and the wildcat comested the avo £ Z"' "' '"'^■ with the wild Indian. f^ed.ng-ground.s accoiSVday' T'T" "'' '''''' ^-"^ - farms' ot ihe la/d "ape Th^^'"' "^"■^'°<^^^'' lo.cabin. With the r:,i.^;:,2:,r;:;:;?^:ij The Smilbys. the bams are large and capacious, and it is a poor family, indeed, that is not in possession of a piano or organ. Many miles of zigzag fences divide the lots of the owners ; yet, with all this improvement, large se(5lions of the country are still covered with trees and brush- wood, so much so that the cattle still roam with the bell suspended from the neck, making the tinkUng of the bells in the woods one of the most rustic and pleasant of sounds to the traveller. The generation of sturdy yeomanry that did this work lie at rest from their labors over there on the hillside, in the primitive burying-ground, with head- stones marking the lots all covered with age, and on many of the slates the occupants' names indistinguish- able ; and, like the buried, the headstones have to wait the great resurrection to be classified. Their children have entered into their labors, possessing, by inherit- ance, valuable farms, well stocked with the choicest of cattle. What especially attra<5ls when passing by the farms is a long pole, high in the air, from which is suspended a bucket, a simple arrangement for drawing water from the well that was used by the forefather, bringing to mind the past, and adding beauty to the landscape. A TAtB OP Hardwoodi,ands. CHAPTER II. A MoDKL Barnyard. ^SPECIALLY interesting is the barnyard in « springtime. The pastures may be bare, but the yard is the paradise of the cattle All barn • 7"'"'' '°"» '^^V ^ave been confined to the ^l^i- 7u *^'^ "" "°J°y'°S the wann sunshine Standing there, looking at the goodly array of Jerseys and Durliams, etc., was the Squire Ruddy of fe^ squarely built, he was a pidlure of strength Ld g^ nature. Squire Smiley, the chief manTn the se^^ m«,t; whether of money or advice, he gave to S descent and inherited with his farm the bouTand rau«:le bequeathed by his ancestors. Watching the stock was the inevitable dog. all important, and Jroud It '^T""""" ^"'°"- «'^ ^"'y 't ^«« to keep the stock from straying. ^ A broad smile came over the Squire's face as in imagination he already beheld his broad acres s^ar^ T^^^t"'- "^ ^"- -»•- - -n trs Thk Smilbys. CHAPTER III. The Smileys. ;QUIRE SMILEY was of the third generation • the land and built the first homestead, an? to a hei^l'T',""^ f'*^^*' '^^^ * "°°<'^- ''itl' blue eyes - A Talb of Habdwoodi,ands. 9 The hand of destiny we may call it. Be it what it may, say m.ghty influences we.* at work deciding the S""'',,!^:^'""'^'"^ ""= ''^'^ °f »"« whole ami y the fa™ T *'' '=""'^" ^'""-•'^ '^^^^ P-rt of the farm, and m its moral and healthy atmowhere reproduce another such race of Smileys as 1^^^ a hundred years ruled and shaped the lives in the Jule! ment. It is our work to trace, step by steo the fnr^« at work, and show that the e'arth'dL ^e^S^e ^^d how the fates are all powerful. CHAPTER IV. The Stranger. " There came a stranger to the door. And it was windy weather." tHE wind always appeared to be blowing in Hard- woodlands. The trees, now well leaved out were swaying with the wind, and the air ap- sr>^l..T"^- '° ^ '"''"" ^-'"^ innumerable smaU specks as Alice emerged from the Smiley house and b asTl." °^ '""^ '° "" "■°"'''- blew blast after blast, echoing over the pastures until the echoes died ""comrt'':-""f^ "'"^'^^^- T"^^ -•" ws' Come to dinner! Come to dinner ! " Instead o he farm hands, a stranger, dropping as it w rftom the skies, was noticed by Alice to be coming towarf^ her. He was better dressed than the farmers and had strapped to his back a satchel. She noticed alsj lO Thb SmtBvs. there sahotel near here where I could get dinne;.- here, ^l'" "T"^ ^"'*' "'^'"^ « °° ho'^l near nere ! Are yon hungry, sir? l„.t T^'^^^f'^Ke^ did not at once reply, but appeared n«f fl' ^f "' ^"' " ''"" *"■* "°' « cannibal, and promise not to eat us, mother will h^ ni»»,.^ » i. promise here to dinner." ^ ^^ *° ^"^^ y°" ^'^^ .rUH^r^'''"^' ''"' '"■'""«"'■ "^'-l- "!'" only be too Alice said, "Will you please t*.ll n,» sir. so I can introduce y'ou t'o^ flSlily^ .r°" "'""•^' from B^sLT ^''''' "** ^°"^ P'^"''"-' «" '''« way When Alice came into the capacious dining-room all eyes were tu«ed on thestrangerwhowasfol^g.' Bentle;.rha^d:;^-^dir:r^.^----• father."""""'"' ""'"^ '• ?=««* ^r. Bentley alongside The table was one to appease the appetite, not N, t. A Talb of Hardwoodlands. h make one. Pyramids of potatoes, stacks of bread cut in thick slices, a large platter of fried ham and another of fried eggs, with many little extras to top oS with You must know that this was a comely dinner to satisfy the appetites of two hard-working farm hands besides the members of the family. No foolish apology was offered to the stranger for the goods set before him, as it was a customary thing for folks to drop into the Smiley house for any meal so proverbial was his hospitality ; all were welcome' A very generous and whcle-souled man was the Squire. Algernon had not got through his dinner before he felt perfe" -1c«g^Uo„eorev::^^:rL,^''«ve person. lake waters, on wS,„rf'°?''"«^ " »"« l^autifnl weird shadows. unW the ,»S ''*" "^^ '""'-'"'f him..edaywa^fastdSrt?g^ S """T" *°'<» he. in a more pensive .^ t/an wh ' T"^ •*" *"P'' "essed his horse for homT ''^ """'• J"*^- and sSi°^''\;:cLt'^'^.«''"--^Ht. vision he spoke to no ^ethlJ 'l^'" *■"' °^ tJ"= n>.-.ht have slept an^itXd'S'bTt X^"^ "^ ^ I A Taui op Hahdwoodlands. ,5 CHAPTER VI. AiGKKNON's Wooing me „uws. The popular strawberry festival. were now in full swina h.~i j, '""^"* not behind in the race for^ fLi™, '^^''' ''» the church AlioTtn^ p ^ *" '° ** ''«W '«• attendant? dresS^ in t^"""' ^'^' °» '""'d «» short, frilW Ss .nd^Sl%r''':, '""" '""' srs-rereritS^-^:^^^ good gnice, she t«n,ed toward hTm aS ask Jh^^"S he had dropped from the planet Mars and if ., -SH .iUi tta« b«oll« bmio " ^ "^ K^'Z^'^L":'^' "' •"" >"" N«. 1», I guess yon U not be lonesome with t-h;^ k. ^ . girls around yon." * ^^''^ "^ "■<* The last was said in a whisper Uter in the evening Algernon was at last able to i6 TiiK Suitun. cooverte with Alice and Mk her .fc.. ««>e./or going home. " W ml"^.'""^""«'= to stay over Sunday and it U^ ? ?*' ''•' •'**^ «« would you like traafSni in'thl ' ^*''' "'«'"• ''°'» "I would not likeft a. .n^f T"**"'" thene wooded ro^ds .t nieL ' '^"'^ ^"«- *' I" shadow." "'*'" ' « «'«'«> of my own th« ^tSen? ' '"• """ ' ' «»-» Wre a team i„ "pre., with Cecil fini^^^u*"/"" '" «'''^' i" the 'am.; what with h'oS tnd ' S' 1 ''" '""" ""^ suffer for amn^ment." ' ^ ^'* >^"'" "ot Algernon bit his lin« o.j arrangement. «ying " I^now *^'^'**** "*"> 'he for people will talk ^ve^ 5,1!*^ '" '*«"*• Alice, the material. • • *'*''*"'' ""V >»ve to manufa« dasher of the churn ntte ith t *"" "'^^ '^e fo« '.in, the piaure of nlSntlitdftl;^!" --' '^^ I \ . ^., i ■■ ->-.-_ A Talk of Habbwoodmndb. CHAPTER vn. In the Hav-fiku). '7 "ig these two hriirht eirls a^ „.j! ^""'^^^ °' ^• satisfy the appeti,^ of hJ I, "*"' *^'°« '« plates were agTnrepleii''' a"^ l"™' "" ""''^ taken for digestinrfhe m«f " f "^ "'"''* """= '''«• thehay.field Th!n ' '"'"' '""y ^«"™«1 to oozed off the faces of the men Thf f "^^ ''"''" laden with the smell nf .f. . atmosphere was were white .mto hl'^^ t"^^^^^^ -<>. ">e fields Algernon felt himself ..p^l^Ttl':7 T?" muscles, and with C«.,l ^^ .. , ' "** "^ '''« caliph n ^oi>7i^Z'si;f:^r^'' '^ -« at the barn, the big hay fork ^ame' .rplay^Tna" f l8 The Smileys. the load was soon taken from the waggon and deposited in the back end of the hay-mow. Afterward, iu the stream, he bathed again and again, until, cool and fresh, he presented himself at the tea table, and looked the veritable farmer, with his full red face and goodly complexion. Algernon declared he never enjoyed anything like those few days in the hay-field ; you are enthused by the surroundings, and if at night you feel tired, the deep sleep, and the dawn, with its accompanying songs from thousands of birds, backed up by the crowing of cocks and lowing of cattle, enabling you to walk out refreshed for another day's work in the hay-field. The Squire gave Algernon great praise for his help, and said if he could only hire men to work as he had worked, it would certainly pay to farm. So, in the evening twilight, they persuaded Mrs. Smiley to tell them a story of ye olden times, and she related the following. CHAPTER VIII. A Strange Story. rttO begin with, my father was Captain Anthony, T and at the time I speak of, was master of a ^® large clipper ship, .sailing most of the time be- "^"^ tween London and Calcutta. For a while my mother went in the ship with him, but as her family increased, and the children required .schooling, she ! ' I A Talk of Hardwoodlands. j, m oe away a year and no news from him most valuable freitrht ,„m 7 ' "^ ''^'^ => that port J£:S ; t Zetavl tf""^ ^""' cables, fast steamers or fait 7 ' ^'^ "^^"^ "° window in the Lll ^ V, ''^""■'' '""^ « ««a" 30 The Smilevs. of the floor, rocking backward end forward as if it was having a rollicking time all to itself. There was nothing near or in it. It was one of those ash-built, old-fashioned cradles, with a wood awning over the head, and capable of accommodating triplets, if Lady Moon would be so gay as to send them. Mother shook the cradle as she would a naughty child, and stopped its rocking. I, with the children, played in the front garden all morning, and on being called in to dinner, noticed how very pale mother looked. "Oh," said she, "that cradle has started rocking again; there must be witches in the attic." We hadn't much appetite, and barely ate any- thing for dinner, and, after washing the dishes, mother brought her knitting and sat with us out in the front garden until supper-time. If, during the afternoon, any of us went into the house, we heard that awful rumble in the attic, with a weird cadence, as the cradle rocked to and fro with a swish and a swing, swish and swing, until your nerves were all on a tension. We all went in at dusk. The fire was soon made, and I tell you it was a frightened looking family that sat around the tea table that night. From the attic that horrid rumbling noise appeared to echo in every part of the house. As night approached we all clung to mother's skirts, and everywhere she moved we followed her. Little as I was, I can never forget the weird feeling that possessed me. A Tais op Hardwoodlands. 21 in f^Tt" '"'u' " ^ ""'"'^ ^'''^" Storrs would happen .n, for I know, by prayer, he could dispel the witchr" Gloomy was no name for it ; with the deepening of mght we were all huddled together in a corner of t Je attt ";,'''^'°^ '^^ ^•'"^'^ *° ■»««='» 'Jo™ from the auic and gobble us all up, when the kitchen door opened, and a heavy-built man came in. dressed in a Tvmds of the oce ,, and whiskers almost to the eyes arms, and burst into tears on his shoulder. The rest of us began to bawl loud enough to be heard a mile uUer''-Sri^'"T ''' """ ""'•'^^ "'^°''K«1 '° ,17;,, o ' -^^ ; ^ "^ "" ^'^'^ >-°"'^« ^"^ne tome," and the Captain, for it was he, said, "Well, this is a fine reception got up for your old dad! For lands sake, what is the matter ? " .i. u^^l T°^^^' '"•'^ ^'"^ "'^' ''" day long the witches had rocked the cradle in the attic th. "f^^"'" ^^ '*P"^' "^ ^^ ^ K^^°<1 °°e to rout the witches at sea, and I guess I'm equal to this one. " So, going upstairs with his candle -nd axe (not ofll^' fo'j^'-d), we soon heard a g- . smashing fi J ;,,' ""'■ '""^"^ '^"'"^ *^°^° ^-ith his arm! fi led wih pieces of the cradle. He piled the old fire- place full of the wreck, as he called it, and they crackl^ and splattered like angry witches, indeed, as heflamS chased each other up the chimney Salem' ^'l'^'', It^ ""'"^ '^^'' ''""'' '^' ^''"^"'es in If h I « ir 22 The Smileys. We soon got jolly after this, and stopped up late listening to the many strange things father had to tell of the places he had visited. But to this day we never could account for the mysterious rocking of that cradle. CHAPTER IX. A Set Back. LICE and Algernon were sitting in the summer house on the lawn. The night was a fine one 'tS^S and the most beautiful fragrance was wafted ^''^ from the fields and the pine and spruce woods adjoining. "This lovely aroma," .said Alice, "brings to my memory that peculiar line in one of Prof. Roberts' short poems, 'Fragrant gusts of gum.' To under- stand it fully," replied Algernon, " I have heard that when he was Professor at King's College, he lived in a pretty little cottage on the verge of the College woods, and when he opened his window in the morning, the most beautiful aromas would greet him from the spruces that stretched away to the Clifton grove yon- der." " I admire Roberts very much as a writer," said Alice, ' ' especially his short stories of the French Canadians, giving, as they do, such an insight into the trouble that harassed them." "Yes, Alice, I often \r-ish we could get back to their primitive way of livirg. In the present hurry ■ -il' A Tale of Hardwoodlands. 2^ and unrestfulness, we discuss here to-day what took place ,„ Japan yesterday, and we all wantTo 1 vl^^ .1.B:^a^.^S;--;-;;we..h.or h.r.w"'^'"' ^^""^y-" «« Alice pronounced it, grated harshly on h,s nerves, and he awakened .0 the^^ca ance'^To 1!'"'; '^ ^ "'^ """ >'°" ■^°' ""y "^q^aint- ^v i't 1,: . t' ^'" " ^''°" °"^' ''"' I think I may sav It has not been without interest. I felt when I ZrLT 7 ""'""'■"«••' ^'"^ --• -d That a hear h, ""f ""^ '*'"'>'• «^ ""'' ■'''^ 't may, my rest n ^°°! ^™'" '">' ■^^^P'-'S, and with you ft ^n rest to respond to the great love I bear yon " A ice, with a downward glance, replied " I fuUv appreciate your remarks, Mr. Bentl y, Ldl an 10^ ored by your offer. At present there is no res^n °^" ^I^a^--- ^""-ovethemantoTC Algernon covered his face with his hands and S:"o t:e"mt"' f ?" '^—'V. he pat sick" After he had left the next day, Mrs. Smiley asked Al.ce what she had done to offend Mr. Bentley .nd hir'" "^^'^^ ^^'^^' "^ ^""^ ^^ looked sad ike an Arab'"'.?''/" '"^'''^^'' '""" ' '">'-'f f^'t I.ke an Arab w.th n bad attack of dyspepsia. Well 'irr J4 Thr Smilbys. mother, th« fadl is Algemcj proposed to me last night, and I just refused him so as to show him, if he is from the city, he cannot take a country girl's heart by storm on so short an acquaintance. " " Oh, well, Alice, probably you did right, for, as father says, we know nothing of his habits and fam- ily." "Only I hope (drawled Alice) that Robert will not bother me with his presence when he hears how our visitor was jilted. CHAPTER X. Heigho ! TO Market. Robert lively was one of the neighbours' XR boy - who had given his attention to Alice from Sw^ ch.idhood, and being considered the "swell" of the settlement was therefore very prominent on public occasions. A few mornings later the Squire told his son Cecil, that having more rheumatism than was pleas- ant, he would have to take the express waggon and go to the city with some produ<5ls of the farm, and to make it more easy for him he would give him a list of streets and the houses to visit. Cecil wanted to know if the liniment he bought from the pedlar was not a cure-all, as promised. ' ' Yes, ' ' said Mr. Smiley, so far as he promised. I have rubbed just five dozen bottles of the stuff into my A Talk of Hardwooolands. J5 "Anyway, I shall like the trip to the city verv ^Seo?rx^"-"^---^--^^s: old post road, that eventually led to the^. Hehad a fine pa,r of horses, well „ated. that answer^l well to the rems for a touch of the whip irritated them He was dnvmg through Bedford, well on in the aftemoon when a shabbily dressed individual accosted h m" hh Cecil replied that the horses had come quite a dis auce that day with a heavy load, but supj^sed he SuM have to accommodate him. They Zi sighted t hit tSttih'e';rer'°" '''-'''' " '-'^ ^ ^-' '»- said iiri'' ^"^ ^''°'°''' "^^''^ ^ ^^^-^ 'o be proud of," sa.d the stranger; <■ those horses must belong to the pair:f^o:i?ii!aSr""-^^"'"'-"^^^- is the' n//°"T' ''■.' "^ ^"""'^ S*J"''^ «""«>•• How IS the old gent, and is he still fond of his oioe ? Tf ^ many a drive I have had with him • ^"^ '' ' n.y flt?erTaL7T"''"'" "^"^ ^^"' "-^ -^'eadof The dty/ *"""^ "P ''" ''"^'°«^ °f 'wading in Then shabby genteel began to feel in his pockets, fT 26 The Smukys. 1 1 I i 1 / 1 and finding nothing as he doubtless expecSed, he ex- claimed " By Gosh !" I've left my pocket-book and money on the piano in the front room." Cecil not replying, shabby again informed him, that he was on the way to the city to attend his grandmother's funeral, that after ariiving there he intended buying a new suit of black clothes and a new hat just to look respectable. The outfit was to cost twenty dollars, and to think of his leaving his money home ! My name is Mark Johnson, of Bedford, and if you will kindly loan me the money, I'll repay you on your return. Cecil then said," my good man, even if I wanted to loan you the dosh, I am unable to do so, as I am com- ing empty handed, my load is my bank, sir." Shabby eyed Cecil suspiciously and said : ' ' You look rocky enough, but I'll bet a sockdollager you're well salted." This was Dutch lo Cecil. "What time is it ? " Cecil hauled out a handsome gold watch, which showed si.K p. m. Slapping his hips with his hand. Shabby ejaculated, "just the bob, by gum." Let ine have your watch as a guarantee, and to the fune- ral I will go dressed like a lord, for I'm chief heir of my grandmother and I'll return it with interest." "Not by a jugful, said Cecil; "this watch don't leave my pocket to go to any grandmother's funeral." Shabby eyed him roughly, but as they were Hear- ing the North End Hotel where he stopped this did not disturb him, and Cecil was glad to get in before dark and get rid of his companion. As Shabby was leaving he said, "I took you A TAI.K OF Hardwoodlanus. 27 ^Z,l ''"''Vff"'' ''"' ^''" "-bergasted if you're „ot a f„, i . . racket. Ii was a lesson to Cecil you CHAPTER XI. What The City Does For Cecil. fttHE following morning when Cecil l.aniessed his I horses to the express there was .,„i,e a number ^ of purchasers on hand after Squire Smiley's farm lefttheSet' '« "' ''' ""'' considerable l^fore he S ?ou2 . . ^"^"^^'^"couraged he started out on T T ; "'^ " "^'^^ ^'^'I '""-ard noon, when he sa d ,0 h,mself I would not like to return without calling on some of his customers, as up to this ^me he had used his own judgment. Looking at liis ,Ts he read Be sure and call on T. V. Binder, Banker Brunswick St. -Ah ! mused Cecil. I have -erj t ^ left to sell anyone ; and where does this Banker live' fL^r A^^ ^^ '"'"^ " y°""8^t^^ ^''^^ M^- Binder hved and the youth pointed to a very fine house the he s eps and rang the bell. Tra-Ia-la, he mumbled, but h" here" w^''' f".'' "'"'^■°"' ^^^^ "^"^ f°»=^ -««t 1. 7' . ^f " ''' ''^"'^ "'^ "Sl't "'PPing of feet along the hall and the door gradually swinging open as Thk Smilkvs. and \o ! to his amazement he saw before him, for the second time, the exact counterpart of the vision of loveliness that he had seen months past, rise from the Lake where he was fishing. As before beautiful tresses of dark hair felt in rolls over a neck of superb symmetry, but above all the same deep sparkling black eyes that scintillated like diamonds. He was speechless. The lady gazed at him expecting him to state his errand, and he was afraid to speak test she should as suddenly vanish. At last he managed to say: I am Squire Smiley's son from Hardwoodlands,and he wish- ed me to call not only to sell you from my stock in the waggon, but also to take orders for future deli- very." Then the noble one smiled, and he knew the vision was earthly and tangible. "Oh sir," said .she, " I will take whatever you have now left, for Ma and Pa are away to-day, and the maids are all busy and I'm housekeeper for the day, and we always buy all we can from the Smilej-s." She never asked him the price of anything, and Cecil gave her the best of wliat was left, and taking out his blank book added up the amount. "I have given you a good margin on this stuff," said he, as it ends my work for the day. I will be here again the coming week, and would like to take your order ahead so as to save you the best the farm can produce." " Oh yes," she replied, "there are no better butter and eggs to be had than we get from your farm." So she made him write out a large order. "Will you excuse me, Miss, if I ask you a question ?" "Oh certainly." " Well, I know I A Talk ok Hardwoodlands. j,^ it is rather pointed, but were you. Mis,. i„ Hardwood- land, on the last Queen's Birthday?" to the Lakelands, and such a lovely day it was and I so enjoyed the country, only after lunch. I sat o' the borders of the Lake and slept, (as I supp,^) "„ j out of the Lake to claim my hand." Now this hat,- pened at least twenty-five miles from HardlcS a„ds ^^^l ^-''- °' ''' «^'-^' --'« -'' -■ ntw'/- "'"t"'' ''°"'" "P"^ '^•*"-" Po^-'iWy .some o^he fme I may be able to explain what is „! a great mystery to me." And then with a grace that ^rpnsed this beautiful city maid, he lifted hX and backing out swung himself into the waggon with a S fo^' "' 'f l"^ "P ""^ «'-• ^-- - of der- " W.n°"' . ''■■' ",' '"-P'*-^«J f"'"' Miss Bin- ... "k., ■ '•'' "'^P"^' "I n«-er met a youne ma" before to make such an impression on me hf must have hypnotic powers, and to think of me talk! ".« to a perfect stranger as I did. Well, he^s oufv a country lad. if withal a handsome looking one Its a.ton,.shn,g how these youngsters in the woods ge the manners of a gentleman. • > It may be here staf^ ^0;^;^""=^^ ""^""^^"^ and'themostS people o be found are in the country, where we find true politeness without oppressiveness. '^ in various directions'^ d h orch d a'nd 1 "'""'' soon resoundine with <=n„n7 ° '^.''^'^'' """^ '^wns were A.icewasoppofe;;o\::;^tir^^rrtti;rr- 32 The Smilkys. black cutaway coat, a brilliant red tie, and patent lea- ther shoes. He was well worthy of being called the ' 'Chesterfield' ' of the settlement. When he discovered that Alice was too much engaged recemng and enter- taining guests to even look at him, he made himself agreeably entertaining, and surrounded by numbers of girls, he made the viking ring with his sallies of wit, and he also stated that he was destined to fill a high place in the heart of .some heiress. Unlike the city gatherings, the first on the pro- gramme was the feast of fat things. The procession to the dining table, the attention the ladies received, and the good things displayed and eaten would tax a shorthand expert to chronicle ; suffice it to say that the supper was started with a bles.sing by the Squire, and ended with a feeling of genteel sufficiency by the guests. The noted Ben Grass, was called to the front, and with violin and banjo was master of ceremonies for the evening. For a while the air resounded with old plantation melodies, but when he .started the waltz there was a rush to the floor, and many active feet kept time to the music. The old fashioned Eights, Roger de Coverly, Strip the Willow, etc., followed each other in quick succession, and the floor was well occupied until far into midnight. Ben was up to the occasion, and towards the last was in gjrand working order, for his violin fairly'juraped out of his hands, in its wild effort to respond to the touch. It was well on in the evening when Robert Lively, seeing Alice dis- engaged, asked the pi, _sure of a dance. Refusing was not on the programme, so she consented. When in A TAI.E OF HaRDWOODIANDS. 33, home" •'■ w.isprcoablyat spend all this wealth ? P With a face burning red she would have liked to drop through the floor into the potato bin, but e« quette prevented. Instead she said : " Young Lan you have already had your answer; never "o"; such a subject to me again as long as grass gr"ws and cows come home to milking ! ■• With her .sfcond pro posal as of the first Alice took the first opportunity To drop into obscurity. Ft^nunitj to At midnight the lawn was illuminated with dozens of transparent lanterns. Then on tables p W here and there was served the most delicious su^f ce cream was the favorite side dish, and home bTw L^ ^ r ^"""^y ^"'y-" thus popularly named in the settlement. i^i^uiany As the young men selected their partners and drove home that night with their spin^ed teTms ^ .s more than probable that many an engagemenTwa sealed, with the bright full moon as a wLesf w^ 34 11 'I The Smilevs. CHAPTER XIII. To THE City. (The Great Exhibition.) THE Squire had promised the girls a week in the city, during the Great Exhibition, and the girls were looking forward to it with great expecta- tions. Their wardrobe was prepared to a scale that would challenge the city. The Squire was proud of his daughters, and there- fore very liberal to them in regard to pocket money, thus enabling them to purchase the best and most fashionable materials when starting out on a journey. One fine afternoon in October, a noble looking middle aged man, with two handsome daughters, arrived in Halifax, and engaged one of the best suite of rooms in the Halifax Hotel. It was Mr. Smiley and two daughters. Cecil was at the exhibition looking after a pair of prize cattle brought from the farm. The following morning the Squire told the giris that they could have the morning for shopping, and that he would in the afternoon take them to the Ex- hibition and in the evening to the Academy of Music. "Right, Daddy, your programme is a good one, and we will carry it out to the letter," said Beatrice. That night after the day's programme had been completed the girls experienced what it was to be thoroughly tired. On the principal streets of the city the crowds were elbowing each other for space, and with the long stay on the Exhibition grounds (where everything was full of interest even to the rag mat that had taken first prize for five consecutive w.) :k in the the g^rls expecta- o a scale ad there- t money, nd most journey. g middle •rived in >f rooms and two ing after ;he girls ing, and the Ex- { Music. Kxl one, ;atrice. lad been IS to be of the r space, grounds to the secutive A Tale of Hardwoodi.asds. 35 years) until they tumSled into bed without disrobing it had indeed been a day of perpetual motion. "Well," said Beatrice, on waking up late next morning, "I'm already dressed, it is disgraceful to tumble into bed as we did." "Yes," replied Alice, "I never even said a prayer. ' ' But refreshed by such a rest they were all ready for another day's outing, and it was a day full of events. As before they spent the morning shopping, and had just emerged from that splendid dry goods store on the corner of George and Hollis St. , when a tall gentleman, breathing hard, ran almost into them and extending his hand he said, "Pleased to meet you, Miss Smiley," and Alice turning beheld Mr. Bentley looking the picture of health, and his face all smiles as he stood there greeting them. " Down to the Exhibition > " said Algernon. "Yes," said Alice, "and father is down with us." Where did you drop from this time ? ' ' continued Alice, " for really this is an unexpected pleasure to meet you." "Well, you know, I have the reputation of ap- pearing suddenly, but this time I'm direct from Boston, and stopped off here on purpose expecting to go to Hard woodlands to see you. ' ' " Well, said Beatrice, "we are saving you a nice little trip, for we intend remaining in the City for the week. Will you remain in the City ? ' ' "The fact is," said Algernon, " I'm on my way 36 The Smileys. L^r^ !T\- ^ °'^" '°''' y°» 'hat my parent, are all Enghsh, hving in Everett and doing bus ^ in Boston. So when this Boer trouble commenced^ raent I W.11 associate with until I get out there." " Oh 2^""*^' '^".'' '"'"^ P'"^ ^■''J exclaimed.- ^Oh, ,„y. you're going out to fight those hor;id " My desire is to become a scout as T rfnt,-, n the discipline of the Army; anvway i wil t^Vmv' arrival what is open for me. " ■>' ^ w'" see on my stated S,^",^'? '"'"' ^^'° he intended leaving, he stated that the steamer was due on Saturdav nnnJ^ arrangements were made to sail in her '' worth th^e Who,: s fo'^c^m^^'^/: r ^ evening the Squire said th»f Ii " '''^ = i-provtd in apU^n^but yef treriri""^"^ ^ 2^^g on his mind for h; stutt^'eirwrtaX"': -s^s^re-^r^^rs:: A TAtE OK Hardwood,ands. Panied them to the Part d k,- ^- look them on L^:f;o^Dt;lS'^"^• ^'=- -^ Hernng Cove and numerous other n,"^'. ^"'^ ^^J'. The week was fast Hr, P'^*"** "^ '"'"est. friday evening aCtlcIri/''^'^'"-- -"- on the pleasure of her Compaq ft *^r"°" "'^'^ Alice sauntered down Pleas2 , °' " '*'"'" «'«'k- They Po""t. they sat on o„e J'^ ' "'"J.^'^PP''^^ ^^ the Sazed at the teautiful HarlL! T '" ^""^hes and They had not be.n there Yon. '.""f' "' '^'" ^^et. arge ocean hners sIowTy ste!mT. " "'^ "°'-^'' '-° the ocean beyond. ^'eamnig out the harbor to "This reminds me" said ai '"orrow lalso sail, and J'm ^'f^'"°". "that to- «y bones will be bieacW \'"' "'"^ n«t year Veldt. Since I left youj"^, ^'"/'^ °» ^n African father told me at last 'o travel for .".""''PP^' ^"^ the change which I told you 1/' '"''""' ^ut I prefer "•■th excitement M°,,'Z ' "" " '^"'"'''"^^ travel positively no - or will you If 1?^ m *"" *^'" "'^ht favorably of me as a suUo; t H''' '"'""'• 'hink ^ A sob was heard i'X; 'T '"'^ '■^"''•" hand on his shoulder wh^Lt^'^f; , !"'' P'''""^ '^^^ '°ve you ; your absence dSo^ \ ''^^•^ '«a™ed to - you and then I wTcS f^r y^"^ '^^^^ '° ^one. but it may be al, flrtheb^sT " """'' "°* ''''- 2-ill2^-ra^::;^.;rS;'-<«AHce,..and a?am as :ny hero ! - ""'^' ""t'l you re<„m 38 Thk Smilkys. It was darker now, and wer the refluent wate: ot the Harbor, mystic ships with sparkling lighl shot every wither, and from the Atlantic there wa wafted mland the salt sea perfumes by the winds < the ocean. Algernon leaned towards Alice as if to whisper but instead sealed their betrothal by kissing her o, the hps with a smack that vied with the report of th, 930 gun that echoed over the harbor from the citadel With feelings far different from anything eve: experienced before, they walked back into the City mixing ,n with the crowds that were thronging th« city from different points. Fireworks were aLnding and vieing with the stars in their chrystal effulgence and along the principal streets a giant torchlight pro' cession was marching along with bands of music add- ing greatly to the general excitement. That night Alice had a whole volume of news to tell the Squire and Beatrice. Algernon was to sail on the morrow The next morning all were at the Pier, where the g^nt Ocean Liner was already spitting out steam pre- paratory to sailing. The last to arrive was the usual belated passenger. The gang-ways were hauled in and gradually the steamer backed away from he^ moorings. n. ,,^'!t"'°uw ""^ looking over the bulwarks waving fro™ tf f'""''- "^ ^'"^' ^"°^-f"' ^"^^ looked down from the steamer, and a sad, sorrowful facelooked up The monster propelled by hidden forces majestically •steamed down the harbor past McNab's Island until w^r' ?i ' """' '^''^ °" '^' ^°"^°"- Alice stood watching that .speck. A Tau5 of Hakdwoodlands. 3, The Squire said " riiri., t to the horse races " ' ^^** '^^ '"'" KO out and through with hU arrows '" "'"" ''*" "^--f" CHAPTER XIV CHCaG0.SroC0MMHKC,A.CO..KC.. t.on, and if you think wen of .t ^•""'""<^i«l educa- course i„ ,he MairB, '"""''' ''"''^ '° '^^e a h'-in,theco.i^rwrt:rirhr.'""^^^'«^'^^« ^"si„i:/:dV„TsSu™^"T: j^"''° ''^ -■'>■ °" College, and I^ gSaS'S' H '" ^"""^ ^' «''- 40 The Smilevs. !, i ! ■ i;i '4 !. "I 1 ; 1 1 i ! of introdnctiou to a leading Presbyterian Minister. This clergyman by his kindness at once drew Cecil towards him, and finding that the disposition of the young man was good, invited him to Sunday School. So on Sunday afternoon he was inducted into the School and placed in the Young Men's Bible Class. Before its closing he looked around and noticec its numbers, and great indeed was his surprise to set Irene Binder with a class of small boys in front of hei all intent on the lesson, and looking more fascinatinj than ever. He never remembered that Sunday Schoo Lesson, but neve; torgot that bright iooking girl, witl the small boys as a oackgrouud. There was no attraction in the City so drawiuj to him after this as that North End Sunday School. The Pastor got to like this steady young man, an( invited him with the other members of his Schoo Class to a social gathering at the Manse, and witl others he was introduced to Miss Binder. The Pasto thought it queer that these two strangers should laugl loudly when introduced, it seemed so comical. Ceci had known ard conversed with her before, but neve in accord with society rules. During the evening happening to sit alongside Miss Binder, a conversatioi was started on many of the philosophers of the daj and it was during a pause in the discussion of som giant subject, that Irene asked him for the key to hi inquiry about her visit to the Lakelands. " I remember it well," said Cecil. "What is the solution of it?" said Irene, " Minister. Irew Cecil ion of the ay School. 1 into the e Class. nd noticed rise to see ront of her fascinating day School { girl, with so drawing y School. ig man, and his School , and with The Pastor lould laugh cal. Cecil !, but never le evening, jnversation of the day, on of some '. key to his I Irene, ' ' I A Tale of Hardwoodlands. 41 think it mean for a gentleman to keep a lady in sus- pense." "Some day it may be possible to give you the solution, but to me also there may be a revelation of my vision. Possess your soul in patience, and I will not keep anything from you a moment longer than necessary. ' ' "I'm ill a quandery," .said Irene, and there for the prtsent the matter rested. CHAPTER XV. The Temptation. jtGERTON Lewis, a clerk in a Commission and Ji Shipping office at the head of one of the princi- ^ pal wharves, was a boarder at the same hotel with Cecil. These young men gradually became intimate with one another, and had many a pleasant chat together. One evening after supper Egerton asked Cecil if he had any pressing engagement for the evening, and find- ing that he had not, invited him out with him to see the boys as he called it. Cecil accepted and together they strolled down town. Egerton was very witty, and made his com- panion laugh at the comical remarks made on the people they met It was a splendid night for a consti- tutional, cri.sp and cold. They skirted the Provincial Bmldmg and walked throuj^:. HoUis St. The windows of the different store, were being gaily decorated for ^ii n 1 i 1. ^j ThK SM11.KV8. Xma«, the walk. *«e throngtd with all cla;e» ol ^,e .„d like our friends were --'V "j^ ^selves «ght-«eing. Pacing one ^tgehotd the came to a second, when Egerton «<=lam,^ by h wav I want to see a friend m here, come in . moment ! " Here was a small world i" >t«lf. aga stands, paper stands, telephone office, telegraph office Sr shop, hotel offices, halls, etc.. men loungn.g ?S standing, smoking in companies of two c three and single travellers going and commg all th *"°*Cecil was amused at once, and Egerton speaking t this one and that finally found his friend, and turning I Cecil said. " Come along with us." He followed the, along the capacious hall, and in a twinkling entered brilliantly lighted bar-room, o.namented with h. art pictures, beautiful pieces of statuary, and lar Kilded mirrors. Several young men. with wh, Lons. stood behind the high counter, ^jorking w. a vim to supply the parched throats lined up in fro of them, with hot toddies flavored with various liquo ■•Allow me, Mr. Smiley, to introduce you to i friend, Billy Ross, the light weight sparrer." "Hardly waiting for reply, Ross said, N^ boys, name your poison, as for me I'll take a ^"'•^Cecil was in a dilemma, never before hav: been in a bar-room, and knew not the taste 1 1 i 1 ;: 44 The Smileys. CHAPTER XVI. Cecil Calls On the Binders. T the Sunday School Bible Class Cecil becami acquainted with Shelley Binder, brother o Irene, and the intimacy increasing he invitei Shelly to his rooms, and in this way they be came fast friends and in the evenings were often to gether. The Y. M. C. A. rooms were found to b worthy of interest, and many hours were spent thet in the reading room. At the Academy they wonl oftentimes be found, for some of the plays were mot than attractive, going to shew that in the City a youn man could find plenty of legitimate amusement witl out having to frequent places of destruction. Shell had invested in a graphophone, and invited Cecil u to the Binder mansion to hear it. One evening, a tired in his best, Cecil was ushered into the sittiuj room by the lacquey, where he was introduced to tt parents of Shelly. Miss Irene soon after appeared c the scene, and Shelly came down from his room, bea ing under his arm his wonderful talking machin which is one of the surprises of the Century. It a] peared strange to this young man from the countr; as he appeared to be a plaything for the Fairies, few months back and he saw as in a vision, an ang« and to-night in her own home, he was a guest in oi of the finest houses in the city. The banker took quite a liking to this youi man, and as is often the case with business men, ci pick out character at a glance of the young men wl ! A Tale of Hardwoodlands. 45 !cil became brother of he invited \y they he- re often to- ound to be spent there they would were more ity a young ;ment with- on. Shelly ted Cecil up evening, at- the sitting- luced to the appeared on room, bear- g machine, iry. It ap- the country, Fairies. A 1, an angel, ;uest in one this young £ss men, can ag men who have the back-bone and sinew for business, and Mr. Binder made a special request to Cecil that as soon as he finished his course at the College, to interview him and possibly he could make a suggestion that would be beneficial to him. The graphophone was operated by Shelly, and the coon songs and sayings kept them all in relays of laughter. Then at the piano Irene delighted Cecil with music the most touching combined with several Scotch melodies, closing with the old favorite Annie Laurie, and completing an evening in which the Prince was thoroughly enchanted, for that sweet voiced singer was the guiding star of his destiny. It was late when in a reverie he walked down the street, musing of bright eyes and olive complexions when his pathway was stopped by " Massa, fo de good Lord's sake give dis chile a quarter to get something to eat, fo I'se dyin ob hungah." Cecil beheld a large and powerful negro with black shiny face grinning at him, so handing him the money, he thought it would be probably a liquid re- past that would save the negro from starvation. The moon had come out full and clear and there was another street stoppage. This time two police- men were trying to rescue a drunken man from a lot of toughs who were abusing him. The man was in such a state of intoxication that he had to be carted to the police station, and Cecil walked home comparing the quiet country life to the terrible realities that en- vironed one's life in the city. I i > 1 I I h^ I u 46 The Smilevs. CHAPTER XVII. Christmas at Hardwoodlands. t|tHE shortening days indicated that Christmas « ¥ approaching. Cecil called on the Binders ^ get their consent to allow Shelly to go hoi deli.ht^'nf .J" ^°' "•" "•""'•"y"' ""'^ ^" ^"^ t t^^^J ^ """""^ '"""' ^^^^ " ''='' satisfactori arranged, and a note sent to the Squire, that Ce< would be accompanied by a friend from the Cit The news ci-eated quite a commotion in the SmiU family, and elaborate preparations were made for the reception. Arriving at Milford station the Squire wi there with his sleigh to receive them, aud a Lv mi^ drive over the crisp hard snow, through th woods now free of all foliage was a drive full c pleasure for Shelley, and his .surprise was even g«at when he was ushered into the well furnished fa™ house, and was mttoduced to two such lovely girls a Alice and Beatrice, for he never even knew fhf^ Ce^i had any sisters. (Cecil was one of those rj;^ he Hm'"'! ?.1^ f '^' "^^""■^ ^^ '**''«• ''"'' "ight that darklt hUH " '"■■ "'"' '" """P '•''° - - th dark about his having two such handsome sisters at home, for had he known he might have purchased some Chnstmas presents for them in the CiUa^d wound up by savin? — " A« •» .-. fii / you." ^ ="y'°K- As It is I'll get even with The life at Squire Smiley's was one which capti- DS. hristmas was e Binders to to go home ^at was the satisfactorily , that Cecil a the City. the Smiley ade for their Squire was lud a seven hrough the I ive full of ven greater ished farm sly girls as ■ that Cecil 5e resen'ed s family to A Taib of Hardwoowands. ^^ at their ea^ ??e Sis lv"^° T ^'^'' ^^'^'^'body presses rouek X 2i„7b«t7 a'nVthT "' ''''' lashamed of their well rotfnH^^ , ^ '^*'* n°t ing the kitchen. WeTs ,1 v"^'' " >'°"^™t'»-- ware, but solid gold al it 1 '^'" "' "" P'^'^'^ ,.ood manner and fri^LTf """''^- '^''^ ^""^ kitchen as parlor la^r/".'"*""^^ "° 'he 'accepted J^, T^ly'o^tL : ""T ^''^">- ^^^ farm, and had work^himLlT '' """ '"^» "^ '^e ^-XtZs/LXtirss''-^-- ■orduroy roads, and the bjstr^'h o'f" """'"' °' n-Ies-not a house to be LT nth ""r'"^' ^°' ^ooded stretches and th^ a le'arin! "t '"' ^^^^' to have monopolized Beatrix. T"«- . He appeared n the front w^h C^^wE w'as'd W "c^^"^ ^ they would arrive at ^n,« *""^«'^- Occasionally -d stopping wLd^aT^na"- t :^ ShT 'T' 'isitor. Shelly wa« «t^^uZ, . "°°"«^e Shelly, the r >e was thus intr^duc^Slo the f ' T""^ °' ^^'^ *eir quota, no run^Sg'^p iirf ^ '^^ ^" '^'^ angs when thev call«1 .uu If ^^^^ °"t ">eir -re an exp^L^ttm ''S't^'r' " "' "'^^■ ,-' was on Chriftmar„igh' wh ;'th""r\' °' '^'^ free was the chief object cf interJt v ^^"'""^' baidensfrom thenefl«..Vi ^oungmenand :-nt to be tXTm the™L":nd"'"^ '" ^ ^-w.hanimpromtuspe:^h:ni:«lttKS„^ 48 Thk Smilevs. I Shelly got a doll. -^\^^Z^^^J:^.n and many Jo^es ^ere cracked at h.sex^n^^ Beatrice was given the f ^ ^a.d s cap h g y .^ was as follows : The Ghost Story. d»«. tat to ""^ « ~.M X»> -to •»»'"' A Tale of Hardwoodlands. 4, nicely settled, and with onr ^^ T^ '°" ""'' ^°' old mansion U v^ ^1^ rtr ' "''I ""^ row of bedrooms in the tml^r storv I ''!'" '""«" of French windows, and K S'.hTr ''" ^""^ -d kitchen. There was Z.^^U'l^Z'ZT'"^ we never could fathom ; one of the iL "'^ ;-t door was «, mu^r.Zl^\^7ZTi:':r "rttt^^l.tTno'^i; '^T^" talk^e^trtht had been disturbing hrstXl^'^^Jf"''' ">«* '°»^ verypictuXr '°'"^' '" '''"'' '»''•'« ■' iJk came'^^'th/sSrifol'^r "" ""' ""' « <=''-«« the upper hall to mleforlf'''T- "^'"^ '''""«'' -sic.'The finest^7riit"'a;^t'c'^^,.r,fr '/^^'^ pear to come from outside bm ZT ' °°* ^P" o«r feet. Then thror^^' . =PParently under afternight thUknd oft . ""*'"'""'"*''' ^'"^ ""ght 5° Thb Smilkys. •ii ghosts that can give us such music as that shouM be encouraged.- ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^.^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^.^ equinoctial gale, when from the noises made and music Tfrom a thousand harps, was more than mortal could endure, so we sat up all night shivering until dayhght. ^me nights it would cease entirely, but as sure as Sere w^ a high wind, then such a rattlmg and stn^ ng in the upper hall, that would make your blood curfle with Zr. The rattling was Uke the no:^ youngsters make with clappers between their fingers^ Father says "we cannot stand this racket, and it is stranee that the ghost performs stormy nights to up- it everything." He examined the hall and room off it thoroughly bul could discover nothing. We were about giving up and getting ready to move when cousin Arthur came to visit us, and he was one of those mischievous, prying youngsters that are always on the move. Anyway, one night sleeping in the house appeared to be enough for his nerves when during the Xy he got upon the ladder that leaned against the house and crawled out on the French roof, and came back and reported that »°der the rotten shingles on the roof, he had found what he thought was an old window with the glass all broken, and father got a carpenter to go up and inspect it and he returned with the same story, and said he could locate the room in the upper hall by hammering the plaster and lo ! he found something unusual, by breaking the plaster he found not only laths but an opening, where at one time a door had been. We were all on hand A Tai^ op Hardwoodlands. 51 wild with excitement until a hole was made large enough to effect an entrance, and then the carpenter and father entered the room. The floor was covered with dust fully an inch thick, and opposite the door was a window with sashes and glass broken out, and the shingles outside very rotten, and the wind blowing on the shingles, and through the broken and rotten shingles you could see daylight. Between the door and window was a very old-fashioned table, and on it was a mandolin, one of those old musical instruments in use two hundred years ago, and it was the wind playwg on the strings that made the noise we had heard, and the rattling noise was caused by the decayed shingles slapping on the window. In the room was an old trunk, covered with dust, ^t had in It a French officer's uniform, even to his boots and helmet; also, in a small wahint box. a medallion of a beautiful woman, dressed as they did a century ago. and several empty mahogany boxes with brass mountings, that, by their broken appear- ance, clearly proved that the contents had been n^ed and with other marks showing that this officer had been robbed and probably murdered, and his body was no doubt, buried about the grounds somewhere ; and then, to hide the tragedy, lest these articles would betray them, they were placed in a trunk in this room, and «ie room sealed up. fh t' T ^?^^^^ """^ '■"""^"^ y^'^ afterward that ih» ft /IT! *"'* * ^^'^ =""°^''y brought to ^^V^ "" ^^- '^''' ""^ «"°"= P^^" words scrawled upon the walls of the room, but no name or date to locate anything. S' The Smileys. We moved out the next day, and before spring the haunted house was pulled down and cut up for firewood. The story ending, the close of the evening was devoted to dancing- Now, here was one of the strifSest men in the settlement, never allowing the least departure from a certain principle of procedure in the bringing up of his children ; but yet he encouraged the pastime of dancing, arguing that at the home it added to the healthy moral atmosphere of the fireside. The young must have amusement, and dancing brought grace without roughness, with the accompanying fun and the love for good music. So passed away the Xmas, with nothing more eventful occurring than the death of several turkeys, and sorry enough were these youngsters to return to the city. CHAPTER XVIII. Town Life vs. City Life. M.HELLY never ceased to talk about his visit to JY Hardwoodlands, and one evening when Cecil ^3 was at the banker's, Mrs. Binder asked him ?R^ ^hat was so attraAive to him up at the farm, as her son was forever referring to something or some- body up there decidedly handsome, and also comparing the stiff, set ways of living in the city to the more easy ways of living in the country. " Oh, I suppose," replied Cecil, "it is this : the A Talk of Hahdwoodlands. 33 yottng ladies on the farm are not so afraid of receiving you at any hour in a country farm-honrwhXr i^ ri? ''°f^ "^ "'"^'^ ^"^-^ - their SundaX" preend';^' """* '""^ '^'« ^''""- theTadies do no otSi^nT "r!:,"^ ""'"■ '""'^ "°"'' ' ''°P-'ch«. """" "« "■'■«". and wereTurpri^To il ""' ""• °' "•«<" c«np with their children We t^^r. k," °'">' "o"" '" nwt /or one whole day, then thl ^.m "" ' '° «« "'" °' our open for u,. The new ^1„" '» .';'f " "^"jd "•« route was "o™ circuitou, curve for thfT„ri„^ "«'"'"''*• ""''e a -to . Boer camp. They were at^.; "r? "* "'""^ "''"o.t .ple.,didly. Being ahead, They fim^ The Kaffi„ behaved "awling toward, u,, .ho^ed bv thl """ "" """^^ •"d •h"d. Not a word ^ .^'Vuun /rTl"" "■"« """8" •-other trail, when throng .hebulf!^ *'"'" '"d '""owed "■ the early n.orning, whfch wa. " ""^ "' »* « «« kindled "ho very ««,„ h«/;, J^ *" « 8""d guide to the blacks, boat thi, time, bu, the Kaffi,^ cfrrilS a f ' '""' '"''" *"' "^ the.r heads, and we waded ,r!^ " ""'' °«' dO- on "ached a f.rn,.hou» ~d X ' '"f t" '"' ""^ """'"S '!■■= first good n,eal we Kdfnt^ f '•"'^"' T"" ''a! don't burden ourselve, wUh mul ' ^^'' '°' ^O" '"'o" we "« day we reached canm InH ""^ '^'"P*8«' "<» during the General. "'^ "'' P™«"'«'1 our chart, and view" tf >.^ea.hTde":ugh™;^1.,t^.a^°' '"^ '"'"■''^ '-'• -d -ave ^".-g to ref.ve t^irngXr^:^:--- --ebe,: I Vour affedlionate AtCERNON. 58 The Smilkys. After this General Buller met with reverse at Colenso, and for weeks was preparing a new advance for the relief of Ladysmith. The scouts, however, were kept busy. This letter from Algernon, after the second advance of the army with Buller, will explain the position, and how tenaciously the Boers kept the army from advancing. My Dear Alice : Your loving letter came to hand, and its contents revived all of my drooping spirits. What an interest you must take in this war, for we hear so much alwut Canadian troops and their bravery. Buller has tried the western branch of the Tugela River. It was a sight to see the procession, three miles of troops, provision and ambulance waggons, and the artillery with their guns to t>e mounted. General Warren's Brigade arrived at Trichard's Drift and succeeded in crossing. Lyttleton's Brigade had a harder passage, with a higher bank, but accomplished the arduous work of crossing over Potgieter Drift without loss. This is on a direA roadway to Ladysmith, establishing himself on some rising ground overlooking the Boer trenches. Warren, with his cavalry and mounted infantry, kept clearing the coun- try of Boers, and had established outposts as far as Adlon Homes. Now, between these two brigades were two formidable hills, called Spion Kop and Sproen Kop, and these kops were the key of the situation. Facing Lyttleton were Boer trenches in every conceivable shape, and tiehind the kops were the Boer laagers. Our work was to estimate the number and position of the enemy, so on two Boer horses which we commandered, we worked our way through the enemy's countrj-, even as far as the Dewdrop road, when we could see the good old English flag fiung to the breeze from Waggon Hill over Ladysmith. We reported that there was a continual network of trenches and masked tuitteries for the whole seven miles from Spion Kop to C:csar's Camp, and with the mobile forces of the Boers, it would A Tau, of Hardwoodi^nds. 5, «« captured and lo.t again w thTf^CSff ^'f "'• ^pion Kop '" killed and wounded "«■"'"' '°» '<> our m,y treme„dou.lo«of life^ However .h T *'"""'"' '^"■""t « "fly reply, I am, "Joyng the Mme, and awaiting an Your affe land m Caesar's Camp whereSelfb^«^ ™%'°° "PP^-"'- I overed with shell, and pieces oT!h.^ ™' '""S^""' " ''^ I he Boers, who had so pe^istenUy kep fi "" "".^ """^"^ »' l ►he inhabitants. They Z[ZJ^' "f«*' <""«« « --".ber of K've by horse soup, as man^ oT^^l "">! """^ ""-^ ^^" kept ^»e into the interio . B^er and Wh'^'' ""^"^ '"'''«'' "^^ f-I the best news that Bunerhf, ?'* ""^ '*°°k hands, Irovisions were arriving ""^ "" '^'" ™SSon loads o 6o Thb Shilbys. I have a lot of mementos of the siege, and will ship them from Durban. Rod is still with me, and as lively as a cricket. He thinks the Boers are not good shots, for the nmnber of escapes we have had show how wildly they fire. Be that as it may I hope for your sake to go through without getting dis- abled. Believe me to be Your affoStionate Al«GERKOX. 1 '■:4\\ CHAPTER XX. Algernon's Opikion of the Boers. My Dear Aucb : We are still working ahead of the enemy, and the country is new to us and more difficult to scout. The army i:^ a fine one. Such bravery as the> displayed in the numerous I engagements shows marvelous courage. You have no idea of the country — it is a succession of table hills from Colenso to Newcastle, and we are fighting the Boers above us, entrenche - Of a., .^erei..deepsetrdh'at^r„rifC.: ''''' '--' ^'^ I hope we are reaching the end of thi. penence has been a severe one Manv ' h ^'" " "^ "" has given up his life for his countrv^ »?/ * ^"""^ ''"'"' life, and will carry the« mTrk! f^f^^ "' "'«™«' for mementos of the w«. """ ""*■" «o ">« Krave as n^stic'sT o'^tV^'T^d'r: ^'''•'- .' °''^" '»-■' of the •wo happy people diru'ss"^ tt ir'f"^"'.;^^"'^' """' bnmce to all the family, i af,, as ever ^'"'' '*'"™- Vour affecto of^'h ' *" "'"' our wound, and ordered ua toXLrif ^'*^""" '•™^ Vnow our acoutiug i/ende^^-hen'Ateron"'"'*^''''' '" vale«ent, wewillgo to theCaoe and t^t, . ' "°" """ Algernon wiahe, ^e to teU .^n tha^^h??^" *" ^''«''"''- regain the use of hisa™ h k i, ,. ^^""' "^^ "^ »^" paLu.ope„^1ardri;t%'ta'^,tror"'' '""''' e^TJ^:^:-' •"----" "-^^^^^^^^ f^ the Doctor has ti«n t fT '•" '"'"='' '"P^'ved, that to-mor^w Then'Sghofor En^™;' .^ ^ '° ^"P* T°™ English steame th« ^u'7j/«^°f- 'h™ "ome by the fir^t Will find comfort in thistn^ epi»t«tt:i J^'^-^ -" Yours rery truly, Th,s last letter unnerved Alice so that she could hardly go on reading it, and the tears coursed Town terrible' %"'"' ''°"^'"' ^ •'""^^ -°«»d «e I Br:he«:it:.'':rf^orR':ierrhr'^'T ?r le^i^r r ^^-^^ -^ srwi^r^r ^ us me letter and on their journey home nt. i,« Boer bullets at last, and was coming home to stay 64 Tbb Smilevs. Well, he was her own brave hero, and had nobly offered himself in Britain's emergency. m^ ^m m i\ CHAPTER XXII. Irene Visits Hardwoodlands. (kAPON invitation, one fine morning in September, ¥ ¥ Irene hied herself away from the city, and by Sj^ rail was soon at Milford Station, where Squire ^'^ Smiley met her with his handsome turnout. For several miles Irene had the pleasure of seeing for herself the beautiful settlement, when the spruces, firs, beeches and birches looked their best and meadow and upland were dotted with hundreds of cattle. "How delightful!" she exclaimed, as dozens of squirrels ran hither and thither as they approached, and the sweet smelling pines threw out their fragrance. " Who would want," said Irene, " to live in the City at this time of the year, when the country is so beautiful." "Yes, said Mr. Smiley, "give me the Country for health and the City for wealth." Arriving, Alice and Beatrice almost smothered the City girl with kisses, and took complete possession of her, and not having a sister, .she appreciated the reception all the more so complete was it with real, outright affection. Irene was installed and made to feel that while there she was not to be considered a visitor, but one of the Smiley family, and as such she was quite A Tai,E op HARDWOODtANDS. ?ornU"^1^", IT^^ -^^''e ^m search.^ hour, they diL at "h^^'^T^''" "' '"'^ '"''"-- '■'e veranda, and J^su^LtZ' Z''' "t^ "" young men who coagrelattd ZT I """^^ "^ They told Irene she w^!!!l ^'°'^ '^' '^'"dow- "" S-ing at her; and a^^th ""'^'°"- ^"^ '"ey were .heir moustaches. ha4r^^J^°""f "*" ''^'^'^ hold of the first growth of r ,'""^ '" «^"i°? they saw them, but the J«i '^^ °^"' '" on -ch style and noble caSr "° '"""^ '^'* *"«» The girls, in telling MrsS^r. 7J' ** '"*^'''«'"«- full caricature of fhe make uS T "'^^*- ^"^'^ ^ Mlers. One young man h d Ja^ f^"' "^ '^^ ^^<^y dnvmg a stylishly dressed youZT^ ^°"* "f"^"- with spirited hoii, !^ ^ ^ '"''y '" a nobby team •he S?„ire? ho^'f f r:^'^'' '' '"^^^ '°-^ Irene asked for his historr "' '" """'' "^^ ">" v.sit to her folks in th^Set^t^'"' "'"' ■'^ •"■ "^ I ^f— yed in a, arge hat trimmed With 66 The Smiuevs. red and white roses, and, as usual, Robert wore his flashing " red tie," that, combined with MolUe's hat, quite competed with the rays of the red sunset. I expeA MoUie had asked him about the Squire's folks, for he was heard telling her that the Smiley girls would be terribly cut up if they seen him dri\-ing her through the settlement. " That Alice Smiley is com- pletely gone on me ; but, as for myself, I don't care a crab-apple for the whole Smiley family," said Robert. MoUie, who was upstairs girl in a Boston family, was heard to reply, "Good Lord, I should think you would be a fit subje<5l for a lunartick asylum, if you ever hitched on to that stuck up thing. Why, in Bosting a hayseed girl is just ridiculed ; they have too much rhubarb and skim-milk in their complexion." Later on Shelly Binder also put in an appearance, with the excuse that he was pining away for a whiff cf good countrj' air. But the way he escorted Beatrice to the excursions, picnics, etc., showed that he was pining for something more substantial than thin air. It was the day after Shelly's arrival that the much-talked-of Surprise Party at Parson Creed's was to 'orae off. It was called a Surprise I'arty, but the Parson was well aware of the movement on foot, and so he wisely prepared for the coming attack on his larder. Irene took a great interest in the affair, as it was to her a novel v ^y to give the minister his salary. So the afternoon came, and the Squire drove his girls and the visitors early to the Parson's, and were wel- comed with a broad smile, as to say, "I expected you." Soon after farmer Broadacres drove up with A Tale of Hardwoooi.ands. g^ his family, and from the back nf fh- out two large yellow pumpk^," TheT^"" '""'"^'^ them in and detxwited on! , ^"^" «"ied tba. led from 'rf^St g'eTo T "'%"' "'^ '^'^"^ hardly dropped the lasflh!" . "'""'''• «« ^ad family drovV^ to the «^! /",""!■■ ^"""«'''«='' ""d out from the bacLof hif " "'^'''"''' ""'' "^""ded Tl,» D '^ ^^"^ ^"h admiration «oietL":d:Strth-t;Ti'rr--^ «X^:::?^h:''i?""'^^ - th^r;ti°TS one of them h^H T' "'^^ "^ '^^''*^»' that every produa of The far^ °r '"^ ^'"'"'^^' ^"1 ^l^eaj^s^ the minfs er tZ '" °'^?°^ *° ""^ ^^^ ""d to nister. Then a consultation was held with 68 The Smutvs. Squire Smiley, for it was his duty to make up the purse for the minister. In plain words he told them that in order to retrieve their reputation, they would have to shell out the ducats pretty freely. Hands then went deep into trousers pockets, and dollar bills began to accumulate until one hundred and fifty dol- lars was coUeaed and handed to the Parson, with these remarks from the Squire : "A pumpkin is supposed to make twenty-five pies and out in the garden plot we have brought seventy-five pumpkins, which will average eighteen hundred and seventy-five pies, and which we think will help tide you over the winter. So, Parson , havmg freely received, we as freely give, and may your shadow long continue in the Settlement." Then the Parson arising, his face beaming with gladness, replied : " Never before have I received so heavy a donation. God bless you, my flock ; and I make the request that hereafter let your farm offenng be the rich yellow pumpkin, and your pocket offering he the fine pile of bank notes on the table. The next day a trader took the lot of pumpkins off the Parson's hands, for which he allowed him ten dollars, thus adding greatly to his finances. After all the meanness of men was thus turned into a rich hai- vest for the Gospel. Irene never forgot that Surprise Party and the seventy-five pumpkins set in array like an army going to battle. A Talh of Hardwoodlands. CHAPTER XXIII. Squire Smii.ev's Storv. 69 y ™ '""' f ""^ ''^'""'' "'« •>»"« '^■i'h every Ji !^ ""^ °^ " '"°""'' '"^ht, so Alice made a ^ ^P«;?' «q"cst to the Squire to tell them a story helkirk, Scotland, it was in the year lygo that he deeded to emigrate to the New Scotland, Tno'J a fZl^T "f "''' "'"'• °f ^he land a Sg very Z « !^ '^"'"'' "^ ^""^ «°d« '-«- a large oTe from all that part of the country. So he went up "o Glasgow and engaged passage on a clipper ship As ou w,„ by looking at that pidtur^TanS o.t n.> head, he was a fine looking man, six feet Tn height ge ^rally dressed in blue cutaway coat, with buff knee breeches and long stockings with buckle at the knees also ou his low shoes. Straight as an arrow j rather mchned to sternnes.s. He had for a whole v^r KtieButeTB''^ "-"'^'■'^ '^°'"' oldest daught" fn Selkirk wr""' T' °' '"" ^^andsomest damsel f nd'r tha?r.f; t^neSnTrfattorr I 70 Thk Smilkvs. % at all hazard!!. Before the embarking Lady Douglas Cathcart gave a candy-pulling party at the castle, in- viting all the young folks of her acquaintance, and, according to accounts, it was a rollicking time they had at the party. Bettie kept aloof from Milburn until she was all stuck up with molasses candy, and leaving the rest, she made an excuse to breathe some fresh air, walked into one of the large dormer win- dows and stumbled nearly over my grandfather, who was gazing ab.stra(!ledly at the rising moon, and who looked forlorn enough to jump out of the window into the moat beneath. " 'Oh, Bettie, is it you?' and putting his arms around her, he, in his impetuosity, covered her face with kisses, and his own mouth was covered with the candy. They must have been, indeed, sweet kisses, and, as he whispered to her, ' the taste of them is quite lasting. ' They then and there arranged an elopement. Grandfather had sent all his goods to Glasgow for shipment in the ship ' Dreadnought,' while he was to follow post-haste with his bride, to arrive just in time for the sailing. " Pun(!lually at nine the uext night Bettie was on hand with her trunk she had hidden in the bushes, and driving to the Squire of the village just outside of Selkirk, they were united by marriage. Then, as fast as horses could carry them, they flew on their way, putting miles of distance behind them, and by early morning had reached the town of Lanark, where they rested their horses and called for an early breakfast. The Laird, in the meantime, had found out that Bettie A T\i.M OP Hasdwoodunds. l>orses iu ihe .table. t„ ?i , ,? ' '"'**' P""" "' .He .t^n.,c:,r:::::r;r;r "'■''-"'' ^°''-^ when who should wis imo..r ">"' °" "''■ "«"'• ta.d, cunuin^itrB^:: „X"":;n':''^ '";■ «aiigout: 'Well R«t.;. .L- . '"s »»n ra},(.-, and with a youth who is all fh^:bSkTef:;d '""""'' '" Come with your father Wl- . "° "°''»>- this poor rover /o Tn/ u '° ^°'"' •""»*• ""<• '« 'e.i.i.afe^i orMilE S,?'^'- 7 ""■ "°'^- "'^ >* bereft of mv m,..t ^°"''' ="> ^ '<> daughter?' ^ ' Pronnsing and affeAionate "^eep'iJtr^t:!:" r" "' '"'"'^' """ "->--^"-''' ... V ° 8e«'"« lonesome,' said Bettie -•1 the Laird"" "'"'' ""'' "^'"'^ '° '"y fi^-'"-?' reply^aad^^ ""T completely vanquished by Bettie's '•ere to shoofS' '°"r'' ""'' '"''"• ' ^ "-e wi" give vtul^v h^' '■°'"" ''"""'"''• *""' '"-.-"d, "mg,ns a purse heavy with roW on the table 72 The Shilbvs. before them ; ' write me when you reach those canni- bal islands, and if you ever need help, do not fail to inform me, for you are still my own beloved daughter, Bettie, and I will do all I can for you,' and embracing the runaway pair, he gave them his blessing. " The pidlnre to the right of grandfather is grand- mother Bettie's, sent out from Scotland by the Laird after her arrival. She was young and pretty then, as you see ; but, as I remember her, she was old, and nearing the border-land of the New Kingdom. Deter- mined, as a maid, she was the most loving of mothers, and her family and friends actually worshipped her. Beatrice mostly resembles our first noble ancestor," and they all gazed at the handsome girl, dressed in robes of ye olden time, as she looked out of the oil- painting hanging on the wall before them s... ''fe-like. Tlie handkerchief around the neck and shoulders, pinned in front by a jewel, the long pointed waist, and the corsage ornamented with frills, and hair combed back, and two beautiful eyes that appeared to roll round in the pi(!lure. The Squire finished his story by saying. " I hope that Alice and Beatrice will be as true to their hus- bands, and be as well thought of in their homes, as grandmother Bettie was." Irene's visiting was drawing to a close, when a trip to the lakes was proposed. Shelly accompanied them, and that beautiful sheet of water called Grand Lake was well worthy of the trip. A boat was secured, and they sailed over to the other side of the A Tai.r of Hardwooblands. 73 lake ; and if Irene had been possessed of the faAs, she was near the spot where Cecil had seen the vision of that lovely maiden that so much resembled herself Returning, they were all anxious to gather some large ferns that grew in awampy ground. So another stop was made, and they carefully trod on the soft earth and were securing some fine specimens of the fern growth when Irene, who was not well versed in wood- land culture, ventured too far out on what she thought was a mound of moss, to obtain a specimen of fern to complete her coUeiftion, and was imbedded up to her waist in a mixture of slime and water. Alice was nearest to her, and called loudly for help, and Shelly and Beatrice soon appeared on the scene. Shelly rolled out a fallen tree to the vicinity of Irene, and then, with a pole, he got Alice and Beatrice to hold on to one end, while he walked out on the tree hold- mg on to the end of the pole so as to steady himself until he was able to reach Irene. He got hold of his sister with one hand around her waist, and then told the girls to pull on the pole with their whole strength and with their assistance, he lifted his sister bodilv w.th his right arm from the Slough of Despond, and brought her safely to terra firma. It would not be wise to describe her appearance, as you all know the color of bog mud ; but she was put in the waggon and driven w.th all haste to the farm-house, where she was happy to be divested of .so much unvaluable real estate. The Smiley girls always teased Irene by call- ing this the first resurredlioii. :( 74 The Smilhvs. CHAPTER XXIV. Beatrice Visits the City. ^HEN Irene relumed to the city Beatrice accom- panied her, to the great delight of Shelly But Beatrice wa.s beyond the comprehension of a mind as shallow as Shelly's. It was like !!ft',?^ !l,""'ll "" ■°'P'-«sion on iron by pounding it with wood. There was no responsive feeling in Bea- tnce to any of the attentions that Shelly so assiduously paid her. She was fond of the poet Tci^nyson, and was enraptured with his tales of King Arthur, of Queen Guinevere, and the great knight Launcelot, and Elaine the beautiful, whose fate was so tragic. Shelly was blank on all these subjeAs, and as for Beatrice the only redeeming feature she could see in a male mke-up was where it leaned toward the poetical «orld As we are well aware, she had had her experi- ence of the more substantial and commonplace things of life pretty well worked out on the farm, and was Mghmg for an ideal existence-that Bohemian Para- di.se which only exists on paper. I dont think I can give a better description of the events connected with her visit to her friend Irene home ''""""^ "''' ''""' ''"* '" ^'' '''^" Alice at DSAH SisTl-R : A TaLB of HARmVOODLANDS. 75 cow. or it would ^v^^ '"«. irrf'"' T" "■'""« • refined young „,„, I fee7'"„,, "\*" '^"*'°I«1 '"to such a thegener.1 ^ake-up of thef?™ "?. Cow-hide boots, with h™ now. and ^loL JhedoT'. T '' "*" °'" "' P'"" °" of the young „.eu her'.l'^trbe . ? ri'f '!?' ""^r"' ""-' in confidence that th^v JJ »" "Rht. Irene haa told me, said about the Latter untnaftf?,' '" '"" ■'°'*""« '= '° >* -hichialiWytoUkepU ceil" ".s p^uotion i„ the bank, approve of the match, and aM^v L V P'""'' thoroughly -ough, and a good husLnV /^^fe^ed Xr'" '."' *"""^ beon^toc-deHghtedtohavesucr/tllttrw™''" ' """ visited wbat"s^:rw''!rn"r °" """• '^•"'"•"•y - Beyond it ia\"rks.l„t\T*''''°" ""= -^orth-VVest Irm. protefl, the ha;L^"'-:f;„' ^ft™"'^'"^'~'^'"S battery .hich •he Dingle, „e had five o'clU eVwitron. 'fT" '■""' "' at Chocolate Lake ^. . inV, h ' '■"^"^ ' '""''» ■^f the Arm flow up .0 he mL 'iT' "■"*• '"''= -"'"^ look-out on the Uingle vlu c ," t' ™"''' ""'' f™" ">e of Bedford Ba.in, and a'l .,r ,^17;'" ^^ f'^' '° "" «■""- Arm are the resideuceso, ^ ."mTh^U "' "'^ '""^ "' ""= f«ny laid out and orn.n,e„te "roun"a tw" .e"' ""' *"'""- «a.er', edge. We just have hos.t of beaU r 7"'""" ," '""^ tary and mercantile men are o„r r„„ . . '"'*■''""'«'. ""'!- "ost comical, to me is Gerald". f «""''»"-«, and the >fe arrived at thri^ke Xr^edTLV" '"' '''•'■"'"'««• " Oh ! " he exclaimed •■ r . . . ' * """*' ""ted state, on my blo^^ng b te' on t hT, ' "'" " "'""""'^ -""-•■ ' ranintoawench wl.'haboo, "i;"'? '""^""'^ •*">• '<""'• Hnd as I was spur.rng_-aw " ! ,"<5u''*!' ^' ^^«' ' " """""■ ■larkey monster and Wm7 ^^ ""^ ''«■" °"'° ""^ was broken." "^ " ""''• "" "andle-fcar of n.y bike m 76 The Smilbys. ..I K ii^"!'"?'"""'' "'*'''''<""'•'« «g8»."«W Gerald, I broke the whole blooming lot, and the way the darkey jumped around and .wore wa. terrible I waa brave, and stood Wrt Tt « ^' '• ' '^''"'' """ '^"""«' ' ' ""'1 ""e put it at a won., h .i^"."' ^ ' «"" "" »'"" »" """er on dad, and won t he be raving when he gets it " the on?t Jt ^ "• "■" "■°"«'" "'^' '-^ --^ ""•'^X was O'Orady, one of our most en.ertaining visitors is always so careful of the crease, in his trousers, ^^hat a t^ble the; are to him ! And when playing tennis he just wobbles around to save them. Another wears tan boots with hi, tt»u«r urned up at the bottom, l«,ki„g as pa does when he ^s ou to feed the p,gs on a rainy day in the autumn. I thiTk his nan.e ,s Bes«,net. It is not hard to entertain these youngster for the want of good farm diet has affefled their b^insTfo ' and ™ -^ t^" '""' ""''""'• ''"'" """ <=<»■»-'» of shrimp; and per.wmkles wa,hed down with brandy and soda For plexion hke a Northern Spy Apple, waa asked what his opinion was of Darwms Evolution of the Species. •• A„. !■• he repTild ,h V^"^ ^"^ ^'°*"' '" •'" "-"'"ti"- "^ « jockey he thought Todd was ahead of any others " ' To conclude, Alice, I have had such a lot of proposal, IZt fifed n • ^'"t """'"'"^ """'"°°<'. «"" «"«ries of 1,^ 1 I " * T""' "-' ' """■'" 'f '"ey thought I could hve on shnmps and periwinkles. And one was fron, a lively wdower w.th three children, who aflually said I l«,ke>^ motherly, and thought I would be kind to his^^child whoTad harehp. But the most harassing was from Shelly. I told ht cflette, i • T"""'' ^''"^ ^-"""^ '°° """^of thosThorrid m!v likeVlur T" "' «"""« ""T^ "-y '"^ '■«''it. Souk. tTofft '"" '""" '"* •""' »"'■ ""^ »'-en it comes to offers of mamage, n .s really destrudlive to my peace of mmd. a ,s far better for the youngsters to be like iL one we A Talk of Hahuwoodlands. o.eo,the,.riy.pri„g,^,,„'^P;"«°«^ ■'• 'ha. remind, "ill b. with „, ; and aircu »^S a. !"">, ^I "'" ^'«'"'°" are looking fo^ard ,o a gZTtin!!^. ^' ""*' """ """«, we Willi love to all, Vour loving sister, Ekatrick. CHAPTER XXV. Arrivai, of the Scouts. THE Squire and Alice arrived in the city, and were of the Scouts, and what Ala.rl T^"^'"» ^^^ amva] be Hue, for in' a.. thMltferrreliv^XiT'.' ..ever given any description of Rod J wh ch hfeoS ^^^^mmM -8 The Smilbvs. Squire and his girls drove to the steamboat pier. Cecil and Irene had previously taken a car up north, and although a late hour, there was a great crowd on the pier, and cabs, barouches, etc. , were in abundance. They stood watching the monster, with its many lights, looming up into the night, until the immense hull stood up as a mountain in front of them. There was halloing and crashing until the steamer was safely docked. The gangway was run ont, and the passengers filed out in rapid succession, some into the embrace of friends and relatives, others were com- pletely surrounded by cabbies. As the passenger.^ were landing, the girls noticed two stalwart, robust- looking men descend, with arms linked, and one with his arm in a sling. The pier lights cast weird shadows over the men, but Alice's heart responded, and sud- denly, without expecting it, she was being embraced by Algernon's surviving arm, with the remark, " My dear Alice, it was really good in you to come to meet me. ' ' Then followed Rod's introdU(5tion to the Squire and daughters, after which the company were driven to the hotel. As it was so late, not much was said that night, but the real reception was relegated over till the morning. Both Algernon and Rod were the pidture of health. The wounded arm was healing, and he would soon be able to use it ; and as for Rod's ear, it would disfigure him for life, and that is all there was to it. They still wore the khaki uniform, and were only going to remain in the city for a few days, as they were anxious to see the old folks at home, as A Taie of Hardwoodlands. 79 they called them. Alice looked down when she heard this ; but Algernon soon put her in good spirits, when 1-^^t u" k".""'' '''"™ '" " ^•^^' f-^"- "-^ks to claim her as his bride. They had considerable to tell them of their experience as scouts, and how often they were m jeopardy scouting over the countrj-. Rod said that Algernon should never have gone to the front as he was too reckless for that kind of work. But 'for him he would have been captured many a time, and as a target for Boer bullets, it was not his fault he was not nddled with them, but the fault of the poor shoot- mg of the Boers. So, under the circumstances, he thought It was h.s duty to land him safely back home before he rushed into some other perilous extremes ' Yes," said Algernon, " Rod i.s a thorough born scout, and If bravery is recklessness, I rather think he is entitled to a Viaoria Cross. " Rod monopolized Beatrice, and for once in her life ^e was controlled by a stronger temi,erament, and felt that within herself there was that which, though mcomprehensible. was absorbing her being. At first .t was admiration for that brave, robust man, whose face was always serene, like a placid lake, and when aroused with emotion, glowed with the brightness as of a speaker who holds his audience in abeyance He showed great intellectual power, coupled with the most musical of voices, and a way of demanding your thorough attention when talking to you. Beatrice at firs wondered w-Iia. it was in this good-natured man that .so a traaed her to him. He did not, like many of her followers, say anything flattering to her, and at 8o Trb SNIUtVS. times appeared to be abient in thought, as if on some far-away matter ; but at laat it dawned upon her gradually that there was an affinity of feeling, com- bined with the large praAical appreciation of her favorite authors, and the hi^b Meal of man's capacity to become noble, good, and "rmerous. All this, aad more, Beatrice learned of K(-<.° :> disposition in the three days stay in the city, as hi i constant companion and escort. Alice and Algernon were full of various schemes for the future, and were drawing out the map of the wedding arrangements. Rod was to be groomsman, and Beatrice bridesmaid. They were to be married at her home in Hardwoodlands, and it was to be as pri- vate or as public as Alice wished. The Scouts left by rail for Boston one morning, and the girls, with their father, remained in the city to do their extensive shopping. As the Squire re- marked, he came to the city as an escort, with a limited amount of money, with which he could not buy Alice's wedding trousseau, so he had to call on his banker for funds to meet the emergency, and it is well to state that the funds were not stinted for the occasion, and a trousseau was ordered well worthy of the girls in the city. A T.u,K OK HA,Bwoon,M.vns. CHAPTER XXVI in *!.— « ■■ 8| ^ was in the fall of th. r<^-side, and .he hemltk, '7' 'r'* ''>' '•>«-■ 'aced by the ^ide spreadh^t V'"' ^'•"*°"' '"'"• {■"dscape beautiful with ««2"?,^"^"^''. '"■•• -•i and thespruce^tCs '::rr' ••'^ '"^'■'^ -^^^^ ■nade the landscape almostTn;."^''"'^ '''^ ""'«- •he v,„es intertwined in ,rL'^ "'' °' ""o^-^. aud "ces created excesses of ^ru,'. 7 ™""'"» "'""^ ■nterval. '^auty from woodland to Algernon, who with Rn,i ';'l«'re's, passed througlthUr;' °" '"' '^"y •» 'he ;hat a beautiful cSnZZ''^''''''''''^- den w th sweetness. n;uM ''7 '""■"'Phere i "dd.t.on of other pleasures/ """^ '^"hout the Remember, Rorf " -j . ^'■vays autumn here^' Z t'^""°"' "'t ■« not -"; Will blast the wh'o :^„".:;- -"<• '^■ngof tTe' •'^yy. you will see eiant?" ^' "'"^ ""stead of this r.-e'.h^Tsrt.r:i''^="'-. hut there »*^-n and put on her St"ful X"?? ^'" -'e Amvngat the Squire" .h^T"'"- fi ^ ''"•""^^'"nilywereonthe Miaocopy RESOIUTION TiSI CHART (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2| ^ APPLIED IM^GE In ^^ '^53 Eost Moin street ^■^ 7°':""ter, New York Ufim i i^i ::= (716) *82 - 0300 - Phorlr ^^ (716) 288-598^ - Fo. 82 The Smilbys. lawn to receive them. This day, the prettiest girl in Hardwoodlands was to be captured by Algernon Bentley, whom you might say was i total stranger to the rest of the Settlement, and the Unitev. .states, as so often has been the case in the past, would rob us of another of Nova Scotia's fair daughters. The homestead was a picture of beauty, nestling in -utumn foliage, sup plemented by flags and bunting, with the United States and British Flags in conjunction. The capacious parlor was already filling up with the in- vited from the adjoining farms. Irene and Cecil were also there to grace the occasion. The Squire, dressed in his best, full bodied and straight, looked Uke a Colonel in a regiment, and his wife, rather fleshy for comfort, had a face which was beaming with health and good-nature. Beatrice and Irene were in ex- quisite costumes, the pink predominating in their make up, whilst the bride, ushered in on the arm of her father, was dressed in a lovely white satin costume, with bodice almost all lace, and a long bridal veil, that like a cloud, fell in folds from her head, encircling her to the floor, an angel of beauty. Rod as best man, was like an officer on duty, and as dignified as a judge, as he performed his part of the ceremony. Algernon, with the use of both arms, was a noble and happy looking man, and with a deep set love, had at last won the girl he so long longed for. The ceremony was a short one. The ring was placed on the bride's finger, with the words, "with this ring I thee wed and with my worldly goods I thee endow," and two loving hearts were united. Then the happy couple accompanied by the guests A Talk of Hardwoodla.vds. 83 table— an ac-ed l,H '""^f *^' " ^as while at the TealcettlLS? ft: :SfJr' T'' ''°''^ the bride with ; "J"7'"»fi^^n"les, topresent stockinet ^r ^f °^ homemade red woolen Sst'f the o^U : dThe" •"""^' '° ^'-^ ^^•'■^ -^ Mru '""= ™»'s ana the wine was her portion I-k. fmid the l^nT-tu^h -Ttf"' '" ^"^ Algernon and bride left MHf °^ i''^ >-°"»?sters. Intercolonial Express «rr- '"'' ^'^"°" °" "^^ bridal couple boibJ""!, '' "''^ ^"""="°" '''^ palatial express of the n-^'"^ ^'"*°°^' 'h^t Thev pvpH *»,<> u , '"S tne hot summer months thecT:^h a utd oTT: '^°"^'^°" '"^'^ ^"*-"- to to sav " W.n ^ expression on their faces as 84 The Sm'j-eys. soon got ill a thoroughly merry mood, enjoying them- selves watching the passing show. Arri\'ing at Windsor, they were surprised to see that the town, which only a year or two before was reduced to ashes, now contained handsome brick and stone buildings, worthy of a large city, and they wondered if all the citizens were in so jolly a mood, as expressman Mac. looked, as they gazed on his ruddy face from the car window. The next point of interest was a view of old Blomidon, looming up like a .sentinel, watching the welfare of the Basin of Minas, then as a panorama of beautiful landscape, the Grand Pre marshes, bound by a chain work of dykes spread out before them for miles. Pas.sing through Grand Pre they espied a couple in a field, apparently talking seriously, and they could almost imagine that it was the beautiful Evangeline and Gabriel discus.sing the prospects of peace, so romantic did it look. Onward the great engine travelled at its highest speed, occasionally her syren would whoop, making the hills reverberate with the sound of her approach. A stop at Kentville for lunch and off again they speed, as town after town and hamlets nestling in the foliage, were passed and before they could realize the distance travelled the voice of the brakeman announced, ' ' next station Yarmouth," and soon they arrived on the wharf, where all was excitement and bustle in loading the steamer. On the Boston boat, Alice stood along- .side of Algernon and gazed on the receding Nova Scotia shore, and .she felt that .she was leaving the land of her birth, and the happy environments of A Tale of Hardwoodlands. 85 Many years of her life to mingle with peoole whnll strangers to her, and she felt'sad fl^ tKrst time read H°\"P "' '"^ """'^ ^^^ °f »>- husband The ead ,n the honest look of that face, comfort, and sh -f^t^sh^e was safe, in placin, her happiness i' hi.: CHAPTER XXVII. A Storv of ye Oi.de.\- Time. tHE Squire had taken such a fancy to Rod, that «nd°r .^"°'° ^^">-'°vv-iththem for awhile and pay them an extended visit. Rod was trunt f ''•^, P^^^^^'ded, and at once ordered up his nTestilTtf ."'l- '"' "'^''^ "P '"« """'I '- --"'d investigate the high art of farming then,?? "'""'"^ '' '*°'* ^"'^ '^^ f^™i"y "-^^e enjo g hemselves around the fireside, Beatrice ask«i"hef father to tell them .something about his Gra'dmmher and consenting told them the following story - manJ'2'°" ^""^^^ ^"* '""'"" ^^^ *° ^°™bat with the woo, ,nly to be surpassed in their savage nature Ind an' ""V"'''^-' »>"' ^^ «tory does not^^elatlt: Indian or Beast, but rather to the rough characters that visited the Settlement. cnaracter.s "Grandfather had cleared away quite a laree lot of land and had got together considerable stS and was considered the foremost farmer in this part of the Province. It was in the fall of the year and he had contracted to deliver so much pork' and beef ,0 the i It . 1 86 The Smilbvs. Commissariat al Halifax, and was to be gone five days to deliver the same in the City. He took with him his best help, leaving at home a small boy to look after the bam in his absence. " The days were very bright and the woods were robed in their beautiful texture, and grandmother never once thought of her isolated position, a mile from the nearest neighbor, alone in a house that con- tained a goodly amount of wealth in money and valuables. Three days had passed, since her hus- band's departure, when the silence was disturbed by the barking of a dog, and soon after Capt. Anstruther, of H. M. Regiment, arrived at the house. He asked for refreshments, and upon enquiry, grandmother was informed that he had tramped all day with his dog, partridge shooting, and in his game bag was a fine display of his sportmanship, twenty brace of them all told. His servant, with his horses, was to follow and meet him at Douglas. He did not know bis location when he arrived at the farm house. Thtn grand- mother persuaded him to stop over night, .so that in the morning he would have but a short tramp to the inn near the river. Exhausted as he was, he decided to accept her hospitality, and putting the game in the bam he fastened the dog alongside to protect it. The Captain was very entertaining, and as his regiment had for a long time been stationed at Glasgow, a pleasant evening was spent in reviewing the places and people in the Old Country. " His bedroom was the spare one off the parlor, while grandmother slept in what is now known as the family room off the dining room. She had with her a A Talk of Hasdwoodu*nds. 87 little boy, my father, two years old, sleeping in a little cnb alongside her Ki. The beds in theif days hid h.gh posts T«th curtains on drawing strings, enclosing the occupants entirely. No noise that she could make would disturb the Captain in his bedroom. She had hardly retired when she heard a grating noise at her window, and gradually it lifted, and pu mg aside the curtain of her bed. ,he could see the outlines of a man getting in through the window, and hen another closely following, holding in his hand a antern. She quietly pulled the curtain string and trembling, yet considering, she pretended to sleep The curtain was roughly pulled from the top, and a masked man, holding a lantern up to her face, stood looking ,\ \. u'^""' *''°"^''' ^''^ *° y'"' *>« on second thought, she kept her presence of nind, hoping that possibly the Captain had spotted them, and would come to her rescue. She pretended to open her eyes as if from sleep, but all the time she had heard them and saw the,_:e rough locking men as I have stated' One had a pistol in his hand holding it toward her and the other held the lantern over her. Now thev supposed that she was alone in the house, and that they could take their own time robbing it, if that was tneir object. "The one with the pistol said, 'now, my good woman, don't you make any f„ss. We know you are alone, so get the bag of gold we know is in the house, without any kicking. You make any ado, we'll not answer for consequences.' " -The money is not in this room,' said grand- 88 The Smilevs. mother, ' but let me go out and I'll bring it to you if you promise not to molest me.' They consulted a moment, and one of them said, 'By woman we will trust you, but play us any tricks and we'll murder w«,ni,' ?u^f **"" !"" ^°' °"' °^ "'= ^'"■^"'^ «> as to watch he house, but grandmother knew it was parti, iarkneS "°' "'P ""' °^ "'^ ''°"^ '° ^''^ with'l"^" '.'"'' ''T '!!' "''" "'"'' '"^^P'"K '" his crib, with a smile on his face, as if angels were guarding h|s slumbers. ' I will bring you the gold.' Lid 1/ hldZ T '""''^ ^°y "°'^ '° ^«t=" the dear to get it"'' ^'^ ""' '' ^■"' "°* '"'^^ -"^ » «'""'- Slipping out of bed in her nightrobe and bare a sn,!n'.^n '"'° the dining-room, and then through a sniall hall, into the parlor, and tapping lightly on the Captain's door, heard the welcome s^unf "come whu""^!"'".." '"""'"^ '"'° "'^ '°°'"' «he spoke in a whisper to him. ' Burglars are in the houseVnd have demanded my money, or they'll murder me.' Then °" ' ' Before th^m . i °" "P J"""" """Ids ! • rs;Lsvrr "^^- -■- lone woman again - "^ '''''' "°"" "^^'^ -°1-' a " • I am neglecting my duty by not shooting you ml 90 The Smilkvs. now,' said the Captain. ' I'll not promise anything, but if you are ever found w..hin 6fty miles of this settlement, I will do my duty.' "So confiscating their pistols and lantern, and opening the door, he booted each of them out into the darkness. " Returning, he said, ' Of course it was my duty to arrest them, but I have to report absence to- morrow to the General, and as the shirttown is forty miles distant to take them, it is best as it is, for I guess the rascals will travel." ' ' The only laughable part of the intrusion was when grandmother looked at her costume. Yon know the night robes only reached to the knees, as wo.n by the genteel folks of those days, but the front was one mass of frills and lace, and like all of her race her limbs were round and plump, as of a pevfect Madonna. She looked down at her bare feet and tVimj got behind the clothes horse that was hanging full tf newly ironed clothes in the kitchen. She was blush- ing scarlet when she asked the Captain to light a few candles, to fasten her window down with nails, and also to receive her thanks for his kindness and prompt- ness. " ' Ah ! ' said the officer, ' l will carry out all your requests, for only une A'oman in a thousand could have acted as you did, .nd have carried it out with such bravery. You are a jewel set in gold in this forest. ' The next morning the Captain 'vas joined by his servant with two horses, and he presented grand- A Talk of ' \rdwoodlands. 91 mother with two brace of partridge and t^ o pistols to protect her from further danger. There on the mantlepiece are the pistols presented by the Captain, and the other is the one the burglar leit when he made such a hurried exit. A man was engaged to stay on the fami until grandfather returned, and as for the burglars they never after were seen or heard tell of in the .settlement. CHAPTER XXVIII. Rod's Story of the Bobr War. t|tKE attraction for Rod at Hardwoodlands was 1 becoming oppre.ssive. The Squire was happy ^ in having such company, and Beatrice was be- ginning to feel an inward drawing toward this whole-souled visitor, that was certainly new to her. One evening he told the Squire that he was greatly impressed with the business of farming, and had almost made up his mind to become a farmer, but that it depended on circumstances, whether the de- cision would be final or not. Now we can well foretell that it was a favorable answer to a very significant question, that was the pivotal point of his ever becom- ing a fanner. It was on the same evening he gave the following history of a Boer family, , .th whom he and Algernon became acquainted, and which will prove that some of them at least are very favorable to the English. "Algernon and I had quite a lot of scouting to Ifi 9» Thk Smiurvs. t^^rTl^i^TZ' °" "■; ^--'"^ -'^ Man. the dis ric He had " "'*'""■ ""^ ^"''^ «" '" uisirici. He had given up four sons for th, de ence of the Transvaal, and of these one sl„ wa.s tHen^;"rerrC?:;%pJ^r^^^^^ .he.tnt red ther::r;L°' '"^^'^- «^«<'- bright eves and th/t fl / " "P'^''"^'"*'-- «'i"> Boer women She """^ ^'"P'^ion peculiar to Judge your mSes and IrarmT '"T""'' thoughts. She was to h. mar Id t" - ^°"' with Botha. ^ *° ^ Commando B»r«her Gutzman of his own free will ^ and had one a' horn: woLS "T' "-^^^-'^^field -geons visited the bI^^^^s U^^lZl^Z boy s wounds. The quartermaster-sergeantT^Sat of provisions also made arrangementsTo take eve,? A Talk ok Hardwoodlands. 93 hm, ; at any rate neither of «s tried to cm the i^ Commando out, a, regard, her affec,iol?s '^'' We had been away over the VVW» i ...g decided to give the Gnt.n ans a ca ? T 1' T"" m the afternoon when ,ve arrived the "' .n.T " and eating meaHec^lr'- '""^■/''•■"'^"•"S hot coffee '-iohnnj=r:::;hr:z^:-::^tr''^ I'er ear to the flL !„! •^^'u'"' '^•''"' ^'^«°'^^« PUt wereiu thevLnhv WeT h''' " '^°°P "' ""^^^ on the look Z for , '"■'' "°''''"^' •>"' a'^ays Knglish hLCntenTrr "'1/'^'" '^ '"'>' -HrhSrr-::t::rr^--r- ^":^:j:ts^^^:-r--Sso:s: 94 The Smilkvs. ;| " Frances told me to place my ear to the sill of the door (this was before I lost it) and I heard dis- tinctly the tap, tap, of many feet. We then held a council of war, and in the end took Frances' sug- gestion, which was for us to be locked in the bedroom and if English aU would be well, and if Boers, as far as she knew all would be well. "When we were nicely hidden, and our ponies secreted in the bam Algernon says to me, " We are fools to allow that girl to entrap us as she has." By this time the house was surrounded by about two hundred Boers. The old Burgher went out to receive them and the Commando demanded food for his men and fodder for his horses. The Boers caught and killed sheep, and Frances went to wort, with a will fires were kindled both in and out of doors, and for four long hours, they were killing, cooking and gore- ing. "Some of them, strolling around the farm spotted our ponies and wanted to know if the owners were in the house. Frances soon convinced them that they belonged to their brothers, and that accord- ing to General Botha's orders, no English need hang around there. Of course we could not understand their Imgo. but Frances gave us the full benefit of the convers:.tion next day. They then told the Burghers that they would have to take their ponies as two of their own had gone lame. Frances in an angry strain said she would like to see them touch even a strap on the ponies, and mentioning her intended husband's name, who was with Botha, said she would have revenge on A Tais op Hardwooolands. 95 the lot of them if they touched the ponies. Toward midnight we heard our door unlock and Francis ap- peared, telling us to go to bed and sleep, and that she would see nothing harmed us, to make no noise for she had told them she was to be up all night to nurse her brother. They were anxious, after prying all over the house, to look into cur room, but France? told them that it was her bedroom, and she would aUow no man to pry around it. They appealed to the Burgher, but he said they must allow his daughter to have her own way. They slept on the floors in every possible position until near daylight, when we agaai heard a great clatter of feet, and looking out of our window in the dim morning light, saw the whole troop gallop away. I tell you we were just dying to have them carry some of our bullets along with them Afterward we were invited to a splendid breakfast and Frances with her face all laughter, told us how she had outwitted the robbers, for robbers they were having killed twenty sheep, cooked a lot and took away the rest and had never paid a Kruger for them When Von Gutzman heard this he spoke two words which sounded very much like ' Mein Got.' Rod ended his story by saying that if he could get the Burgher's address he would express Frances Von Gutzman a handsome present after the war, for her loyalty to us. 96 The Smilhys. I . CHAPTER XXIX. Alice Writes Home. Dkar Beatricb : Algernon and I have at last settled down to house- keeping in Everett. We have a fine suburban cottage, almost hidden from view with climbing vines and ornamental trees. We have a lawn tennis court, shrubbery, orchard and grove, where, in the hammocks with our books, we spend most of our time. Algernon is the kindest of husbands, and surprised me when he told me the amount of money he had spent on the place, until he exclaimed that he was in receipt of a large inherited income ; and to think that T supposed I was married to a poor scout, just from South Africa. So I have, with him, entered into details for further adding to the beauty of this already beautiful place. Rod's parents live but a short distance from us, and I was also introduced to a handsome old couple, re- ported very wealthy. They just dote on Rod, whose desire for seeing the world has been the worry of their lives, as they say it he would only get anchored, they would cease to worry ; but they never will know what excitement will entice him to next. I expeAed this change of life would have been greater to me, living, as we did, so quietly at Hardwoodlands ; but it seems to be so natural to have every luxury to enjoy, that I must have been bom to it. The house has been besieged with callers, and my work is cut out for me to keep up to the social position Algernon's money entitles us to hold, and although he is a Methodist, he will not objented to marry him. just to save him !rom goi^outl^ a m^^iona^, to the heathen, which he threatened todo if^l ,^ u^ him What could I do but accept him, as I told him afw lX^."'°^.'^'°™' "^'"'- W«"' """ I had consent^ he had the audaaty to say, " Well, now, eveorthing is arran«d '• atound father and mother, and has them almost wild to^.^ nght up for a vmt to the Gulf. Father is just gone on C "Id, Just let us put some family we can trust on the fa^, for ^e winter, and let us have a rest, so that in the spri„rwe^? wft^ hi. h -r" "■'™''' *o '«'=We work of any kind.ionly with his head and money,_and he says it is so much more pl«uant to h« help to do the work on the farm, a"d faTher comcides with him in everything. " tality for four generations in the settlement, uid to close it u« fuK 'iT '" ?.' T°' "'"^-S ""' y"" «'« "tTtai^ing Z ^Z' J "^' 'i"' ^' "" "" "» «"« of his landini on these shores, and after he had heard so much about h! b«veo-of the Canadian soldiers, he was determined to «e for 98 The Smilbys. bimself what the Canadian girls looked like ; and now he saya to tell the old folks in Everett he has found his ideal girl and hia pilgrimage is ended. We will sUy a week with you on our way to Florida, so hope you have room enough for so large a party. Cecil has received promotion, and Irene is getting ready for the great celebration. 00/ Rod, looking over my shoulder, says to tell you that he intends to build a high tower on the farm, so that he can sit there and smoke and watch the work done all over the farm Trusting you are still enjoying yourself, I am, Your loving sister, Bbatricb. From the period when Cecil first saw tht visiou of the lovfily girl on the lake, and the strange influences that led him to seek the higher education, and the more strange associations that appeared to draw Irene and himself together in society, with the offer of the banker, and his complete success, all went to show that he was being controlled by some great spiritual influence that was tracing out the current of two lives eventually to unite them together. ' The birches and pines, with the balsams, still throw out their aromatic perfumes in Hardwoodlands —hundreds of cattle still feed on the meadow, and in the spring of the year you can still recognize Squire Smiley, standing in the barnyard, pipe in his mouth and by his side his faithful dog, watching the water- ing of his stock, while Rod is easily recognized lazily leaning over the fence looking at that beautiful wife of his, who, sitting on the veranda with a book in her hands, with the sweetest of smiles is gazing in return on the manly face of her husband. A TAI.S OF HARDWOODtANDS. „ to wend th;i7co„trawiv wl'" "'"' °' " ''''°^' to the settlements remofermt.T'P"''"'^ '"*'«'' f ROGER DE COVERLEVS HARD ROAD TO HONOR AND FAME •* jt jt fOGER DE COVERLEVS parents were so ob- through smoked glass on a fine day. There «h h T Z"''' "^" ''^^ P"^ i" investigate r.r„nrof r yr r 't '° ^" ^ ""'' Wy for hi. to sieSt c^es J s^wTr ^ heads, empty of everything but the straw Uter he bear '- ..0^ ..^°«an hugged to death by a near, Crazy man," etc red complexions, wuh a tendency to squall. Roger If I02 Roger De Coveriky's course was bounced. After attending Evangelist Wade'smeetings, Roger becameconverted and thoS he received a call to the ministry in a dream, in which ^Z "'^ °°^ °'«''* '"•"> *''« mghtmare. A darkey ear, De good Urd hab called you to go forth and procla,™ the glad news to de headen beyond de p^le ' From this Ume forth Roger gave all his time to the study of Biblical Theology, and after sitting „p liZ after night at his studies, and thinking himself f.r enough advanced to oiler for the minist J began po cla.mmg Talmage's Sermons to an imaginary audience n one end of his bedroom. So one finl morni.g. b^ fore a large aud.ence, composed mostly of ministers and youn, people, who like him were exhorter he preached a tnal sermon to them and took for his ext this passage, "And there were giants in those days^* As he remarked to bring his subject down to the thTde n hT"""' "^--'hanthen commanded the deep and Samson was slaying his thousands with he jaw bone of an ass, and Goliath of Gath was de- yiugthe hosts of Israel, when David stood up and slung him with a sling that hit him above the eye openers, and in falling he crushed thousands of the the IT'h , '° ^^"' '""' °' ^'°^"*"-' ''--rib ng the hil y bulwarks around Jerusalem, he gave out either from want of wind or words, and for five minutes was speechless when he managed to utter. The balance of this sermon was unavoidably lef on my table d'hote in the bedroom." The Clergymen, including two D. D.'s, then Hakd Road to Honor and Fame. .03 dTreHeVl—r,; ''-•''^'' ">- -'• «o.e. chosen, and they advS;„ to?"/ ""'" '"' ''^ of cobbling boot soles !^t.^' f '"f" "'^ "''^ ^""'■n^'^'' souls. "• '""'^^^ ''^ "7ing to save human con:e?Srarlr£flf t^°^^^ "-'^'"^ '° »-- As he wasTvervl . '""'"'■'^ Eddystone. took hi. inro his office ' ' ™'" " ""'^'" '->- Hunkf oXTn^oVtir ^^ T -"""■•"^■■- being out one of his CjnT °°' "^'^ '•"' ^°«^ Brimstone. -Sorrvh^ ens omers called to see Mr. just state yourtsTto^r; ■r:nd''°'"- ''"' ^^ >-■" a few pointers. • ■ ° '"'^ ^ " •' endeavor to give you farmer)''''!;" :f f,l,'';^,''- ^^ ''^ -s a belligerent swapped horses J"h .he T'' ^ "'^'^"^ ^"'^ ^ .ive me t.en:;.^ d;?i ^ H- ''"f aft ^'' T bought his new milch cow fn, V.,- . i afterwards then me and my boy helld v ' ''"'^'' ''°""^' ^"'' three acre lot, then he bo.' ^ °"' "'^^"^ '^"^«^ => ran it into a c;ra,^her andT ""^ '■^>-"'^gff°n and n^e twelve doCs for ren '^"^ '' *» ""^t 't cost fuses to pay dama«s T,"P T' "•' '"^^" "^"ss re- hustle rdU:;rm:;w?';' t'^ «°«- •■ vou Hayseed, and kelpTfoHf^ ^''"""" ^^""^ f"™^^ get through what 'iXr 'Vrt ''"'.'"^°" ^•°" and witness fees von'll hY f' "^' ■'"'^«^^' J""es to its f„„ r.iniizi^;::j:r^^^^^ --- f-- 104 ROOBR D« CovXKtXV'S The farmer met Mr. Brimstone u he came in and said, "Smart boy you've got in thete. advised me to settle the case mighty quick before the lawyers took my whole farm, for the price of twelve dollars " and then walked off. Brimstone, red with rage, fired Roger out of the office with the remark, ' ' Nice lawyer you would make, with such fooU as you in gowns, the profession would have to hunt rabbits on the mouatains for a Uving." Roger was beginning to think that this was a cold, cruel world, and that genius must wallow in the mud of indifference, when the cry of an inebriate went up and burst a volcano, and the pent up lava of Vesuvius overflowed his virtuous soul, and he deter- mined to go out as a temperance lecturer. He was making his name known as Coldwate*- Coverley, when he wa- inwted to Mapleton to address the male population who had red noses. On the train he partook too freely of prize package candy and arrived at the Magpie Hotel, almost doubled up with numerous cramps under his vest. The landlady sympathised with him and sent him to hU room, say- ing she had cured Hubby Rehoboam's cramps many a time with a hot drink she mixed for him. As the case was an urgent one, with a big lecture before him Roger entreated lier to soothe his agony that was tyine him into a knot. The good woman soon returned with a glass smoking with microbe destroyers saying, "if you don't feel better after taking this I will leave this square bottle and some sugar and hot water for you to continue the dose until the palpitation ceases. Ha«d Road to Honor akd Fam. ,05 Lod«'T^^''*.'''u**'' '*" <»«•««•««» from Blnenose Udge arrived .t the Hotel to e«»rt Roger to S^ to room No. 13. Thev did «>, and knocking at th* door, voice in«de s .gout. "Scum in/' TSkit .n one «ud, "Mr. Coverley. «>rry to hear you .i eyes "r 1^: ' ••Ilia' JeT^ ' "^ "^^r ''' cated.«o iu.. ^„„ ^^^ ^'^TeafS- chake a shwig, bottle iahoti table " '^' and Im '*"^*'°° "»^" th' contents of the bottle and prouounced .t "Old Tom Gin." One waTnot convmced until he tasted it. remarking at thTsale time "vile ! vile ! " " Horrible," said one " audi^n- paralyzed. They left Roger in disgust, with the ^v,ce, for him to build a tomb and bu.^ Waslff fS f ^ ■!"* r' """""^ *»««' wassI,„,E„ four feet stndes for the next town, where he t«^k m ° wl'tlir"' ""r'"' " «'"« °^ ""adulterated water. With his reputation soiled by drcnmstances to become a politician, knowing that character didn't amount to much in this role, so he attended the mi h« """^^ ""'' '""^ ^'•^ P«« °f ^"''f 'pouter H IS heavy nasal voice could be heard away ab^ the rolhng „ob at his feet, advising them to supTT the candidate with the longest nose and deepest J^Jet" io6 RooKR De Covkslbvs Roger w'an «nt by the committee to addrew . constituency >n the rear end of the Counts . He had sat up an night writing out hi, speech' and h.S^ wi'^r •''""u'"'"'"^"""" P'^""- There w« a big >rathenng that night of both pa tie,, and Roger's tur. vas after the opposition man had spoken He wL Z™'-'!."^''" '° he" this man give his speech When Roger arose to reply, he looked in his not find h.s manuscnpt. He began to wobble about the knees when he noticed a large smile on a go^ many face., and the man who had just spoken S he d,d not thmk Mr. Coverley need trouWe himS ook ng for „,s speech, as he had borrowed it himsel wl,f rr.'",? '""' ^' P^''^""'' »he roll) and he himself had d.hvered it to the best of his ability Then such a roar went up, as fairly shook the b...ldmg, an. Roger de Coverley sneaked out, and on Shin^Lnr" ''"'''' """ -^ P- ---• ">"" ■■What a wicked world," mused Roger "I want to be an angel and with the angels stand." I Zh ", ^° "''' °' ""^ »" heiress. So he wandered away to a country where he was not known and as S.r Roger de Coverley, mixed in with the ^i ami^^s and was able to borrow money. Rog,f J Miss Alberta Overman, with her millionaire pa, Ha«d Road to Hovo, akb Fa«k. ,07 •nade hi« shrewd .„T to r"'"".'' °"''» "'' ".d from her father, and k~„in!^ v ''' '^''°'»«' ^««"y proposed, and was accep7e'd f„f ''•!,"1'' '^"^ °P*" glitter of firerocketsTnd ,h/™ , "'"«'''« «»*» was sent off on Wswe^dll f '^°' " ^""» ^and, dowry cheque for Tn^tin" " '"'"' •"' '^f'' ""d « -a^„r/r-o"f!"i?lXtr--- ^ather-in.law to^t' over oTr/ T^"' '° ''■'' Alberta and read • '■ rll: '*^"^'' '^"^ ^ow by tenants." °"*^« ^«^«Pt'on to De Coverley ••"iioTd^rwr C'":"'"" ^^'"^ '^''■^'' -0. shortly. "'"• '"^ amount," will visit yoii -ki^^c^aTofU''^ Tnt'^L""^-"^ '■"- -<» papers and .a.are: wa^^rS;-'^'''^ '-''^». l^eiress'S. o^the TSII;.!^'^'"-^^ ^'"^■^- a grand ball on the De cIIh ^''"■''^' ^'" «^^^ after Easter. Royal Fa^n'' ^f*"'" '^' ^^^' ^^^^ to the demise of Sa!: Q^r^"' '° ""^"'^ -'"^ So at last genius risin, out of a molasses log ROGBR De CovBKLEY. puncheon, soars away beyond the ken of mortab to blo^L""* "V^l ^"^ ''"''^P^«°^ glasses ^th the bloated moguls of the Beautiful Isles At this point a paper was placed in De Coverlev's ma°deh m'*^ f"' *'"''' ''^ '''^ *«> '"'--to adL made by M.ss Smilax Snodgrass for breach of prom^s^ of mamage or one hundred thousand dollars'^ The latter was only a trivial matter and did not worry Sir Roger as U only added to his notoriety. knTwing that U was one of the failings of the Dauphin of France and Counts of the middle ages. ** " °' THE HERO, BEN JACKSON. »ot a personality in ehheri^' *'"''■' " through so many exdCt ' ^^^ ""^n. Ben Jackson. vS L f '' "'' ""°"^^'' ''hen, as a strapping vo»^ u ^"^ ^'^ ^^^^gs, he sailed on diS L? ^ '^"^ °^ °^^^ «* feet tries, distingniir;;.^^^;/"^ ^-'"^ ""any conn! many occasions. ThlToul ^"^ '"""^^ '«"°w on of what material B^ Jfrd?"'" "^^ '° "'-^rate Of the' Stf oVr t^X •^'">^- '^''^ the hulk vessels, when Ben s£,r™ J '""^^^ '° ^"iling -thCaptainJohnE.^" =V» """^ -«an '« Windsor, with Kir'alL. 'J'''"''«''"^^«J ^ndmate. (These iter f' "^''''ood as f"' captains.) Ano^erimaTh 'r^^''' ''"«=^- DanielDillman,ofThZMT.rp. '^ °° "^"^ was was soon promoted »„1L^ ^''""''' W'^-^^""- Ben tion w.th ^.St IX^'^:"'^ ^"ed his posi" h'«self. At the time I me„ttn T ^"''.^""O" to ™. the captain had taLr„'-;^^-;-e i no Thb Hero, Ben Jackson. Scotland, for the Island of Corfu in the Mediter- ranean Sea. The crew consisted mostly of coloured men, supplemented by two Greeks. As usual, they had stormy weather in the Bay of Biscay, but after rounding Gibraltar they enjoyed the most beautiful weather sailing up the Mediterranean, and the noble ship, with every kind of sail that could be tacked on to her, was a thing of beauty as she sailed in the balmy sea. The Greek sailors very soon after saiUng showed their colours, shirking their work, and refusing to answer the bells when called to their watch on deck • but the first mate, after some rough handling, brought them into line. Ben and the Greeks were in King's watch, and as Ben afterwards told me, from the very first he was afraid of those foreign devils-as, by their looks and gesticulations when talking in their foreign gibberish, they appeared to be chock full of mischief As Ben worshipped the very shadow of the mate it was no wonder he was always on the lookout for trouble. The day was truly delightful, with the beautiful sea and warm air, and just enough wind to drive the ship through the water. King had the morning watch, and as there was very little for the men to do he ordered the Greeks to holystone the deck amid- ships. One of the Greeks, in a high voice, answered back at the mate that " the decks were clean enough " The mate ther walked forward, and looking the Greek fair in the eyes, said : " Go to work as I told The Hero, Be^ j^ckson. Ill «fusinl£ mate LS Sand' •?' ^^^^ ^«" kn.fe and made a spriL ^1 '7^'.' '°"« '"'<^'«th- would have driven the wf^D^ni'f t ^"^ '"'^^^ he did so the mate tlTt^ '° ^""^'^ heart. As Ws boot and landS h^on^iS "be"'" ^'^ '"^^ "" ^'^ npped the sleeve of th" mat^s^" "u'^' ^^« ^"'^ ■nju'y. "^'^ * «'^'. but did no other «"er''P' "^^^ '"« -te, watchin, the whole- "Now," said the mate "T o-. ''ork, or I will give you 1..^ ^T" ^'°" '^'U »<> to the same time to^k thekni e 1 ' J^""^" «« -' The Greeks then nff ^- '''"' ''"°^- deck, and the mate feewf?' *° '^o'^-'o-e the turned round and ; JSt-^'^^f 'hat all was weH Greek pmied out a^oth^r r '"^ f ' ''''^° '»■« "th*; hidden about his perL? anff ^rH' ''*'^'> "« had «fter the mate, and^";'^"" ''^« « Panther. ran with knife high up i^the a,>°^'''' '^^'"^ «?"■"« w.n ^««ember^as'^over sL L^v ".^'"' "''°' >'<>" ^"a^tic as a trapeze jSorlr ^^''- " ""» ^^d higher in the air"^ andCw J ",^^ ^•'='* ^ ^''-de h>s right bower and leveief hL k' '''''''• ^^"^ °"' figurehead, both sprawwInS? V '"°"' °" his where, seizing the GrS^s haS T^ °" '^' ^eck, possession of the terWM , " ""'^^ '"^ °wn, he got -ved ; and sJul^^^t^Zk r"" .'"^ "^'^ '- to make your hair stand onld ""'^ ^"^ ^°°"»h 113 Ths Hero, Bkn Jackson. Captain and crew appeared from different Darts of indt"*k?°'*''^"*'*' ""- «>«iderabe Si Great praise was given to Ben, for it is hard to conjeanre what wounds would have 'been infliSon ^e mate by such desj^rate characters armed as th^J were. But Ben was the hero. ^ splendidly. ^°""5 "« acquitted themX' . Warm in the cause m i. ^on. n.a„ufa «- A good programme of speaker, '"''■''°"^'-3' fflee.ing world wen mapped out to LcT T P"Wished. and th^e -tti:;t^-^--idt^^^^ min Good J w^''«^ ^^'"- J°h„ F. Chad p^"' arr.t"^°'-n:;.^^^^^^^^ -- s- s: and Dick Windmill A .,^^7 ' ^"*« Windmil .a'JryonthenightonhfrX^t^''^'"''^^ '^"d « Icy Mountains. ■' m, "f /° ^'"^ ' ' On Green- Mr. Starrat gave a racy ,,4 Hkv. D. L. Starrat's speech on the senerosity of the church and the num- ber of heathens that were slipping off the face of the globe into darkness forever, for want of ""ssionar.es and money. The few missionaries already gobbled up by the heathen was only an appetizer to what was '^''"Shen called on one young and eloquent speaker George Bam, to move the first resolution- What steps should be taken to save the heathen world. George Bam, on rising, coughed so much that the audience were afraid of incipient consumption ; bu after drinking a glass of water. George stood out all the glory of young manhood, and said : I am now d'iussing the first step towards converting the heathen, whether Malay or African. As I never savN a real heathen. I will have to compare him to one ot our big sinners in our own Christian land. George, at this stage. tooK to coughing again, and had to resort to the water. " I have lost the thread of my remarks." said he; "but. anyway, my ^^^i^^'^J heathen with a soul. Shall we. for the sake of hoard- ine UP vile coin, allow that soul to pensh ? I think 1 see him now, looking toward the sea and wondering if there is a God. and in desperation he marnes one- half do7.en more wives, and makes his own Paradi.se. Ah well, (another coughing spell and anot.ier glass of water). I take great pleasure. Mr. Prtsident. in moving the first resolution." and George sat down The President then called upon John F. Chad to second the resolution. John, on arising, said the audience must excuse him. as he had a very bad cold. Missionary Meeting. "5 but would do the best he could with his husky voice, and at once started out to teir them of three yellow dogs he had seen in his dream, reminding him of the Chinamen, who, without— without— without— (at this stage he pulled a manuscript out of his pocket)— rice would starve. " I have," said he, " taken the wings of the morning and have flown to the uppermost parts of the earth— earth— earth— (here he looked at the manuscript)— and have seen the aurora borealis in yonder heavens, one ma.ss of glory— glory— (another look at the manu.script)— and underneath the heathen raged, and no man regarded him. I take great plea- sure, Mr. President, in .seconding the resolution so ably moved by Mr. Bam." The .second resolution read, "Is the heathen worth saving?" Benjamin Good moved the second resolution, and felt that the heathen had souls of the .same nature of our own, and were worthy of all the time and money we might spend in lifting them to heights even higher than the Andes. J. W. Makeup, who was to second the resolution, took sick and went outside to vomit up his speech. The President then read the third resolution —" Are the heathen con- tented in their present melancholy surroundings? " William Plaster moved the resolution, and rising, said : "I cannot sleep at night thinking of the heathen , with his scanty clothing, threading the mazes of the jungle, walking on cobras, and meeting the king of the forest with only a club to prote<5l himself with. If he had a bible in one hand and a rifle in the other, how nobly he couid die ! " Ii6 Rev. D. L. Starrat's " Is he contented ? " asked the President. " Is a hen contented when she can't scratch gravel? I think I hear to-night the heathen sa>, ' Give me liberty or give me death ! ' I take much pleasure, Mr. President, in moving the resolution." Isaac Dander arose to second the resolution, and said : " Mr. President, anything I may say would fall flat compared with the eloquent outbursts of rhetoric used by the speaker who has just sat down. What can I add to it, any more than the heathen, as far as we know, are surrounded by dense darkness that may be felt ? If I could say anything that would stir up the audience to boiling heat, I would gladly do it ; but will conclude by seconding the resolution." Up to this period the large audience felt that had the heathen only known what was going on in this part of the world, they would save themselves by kicking the pail. The next resolution was moved by Albert Wind- mill, and was as follows: "Shall we save India?" "This reminds me," said Albert, "of the Hindoo's prayer, ' May the god Vishnu weep and make our rice crop grow ! May Vishnu smile and make our corn crop ripen ! ' Oh, dear friends, just think of the numbers of little children thrown into the Ganges by the Hindoos every year, to be eaten by crocodiles." (Tears were seen to flow.) The speaker, on account of his emotion, could not proceed, so Richard Windmill rose to second the resolution, with the remark that " India was white unto the harvest, but there was one drawback, caste, — one caste would not associate with MissioNAKv Meeting. ,,7 another, and the missionary did not know whether to east his lot with the upper, middle, or lower caste and was cast down on account of the cast of the countenances the various castes cast at him." Just here the speaker got so rattled over the different castes that he sat down without seconding the resolu- tion to save benighted India. The next resolution was, " What will we do with the m.lhons of China?" Wesley Generous rose to move this resolution. "Oh," said he, " I am wrapped with emotion when I think of broken China -seeth ing millions of cracked China ! How can we cement them to the missionaries ? And the women with their crushed feet-toes all tied together in a knot ; it is awful I awful ! ! " Emotion was so great the speaker could not proceed, so the seconder of the resolution was called. John Bass seconded this resolution with the following remarks:-"! have seen the Chinese with their pig-tails, their oval eyes, putty complexions, and they look so child-like and bland that even a dea- con would like to adopt them ; but to get them to renounce the devil and all his works is another ques- tion. Wah Lee is smooth and wily, and when you convert a Chinaman, you have only washed off the fumes of opium and his desire to gamble. So, in con- clusion I would, in seconding this resolution, also move that volunteers be asked to go forth into China pay their own expenses, and be willing to live on rice' with the sure prospea of an early lift heavenward by the hands of the Boxers." Il8 Rev. D. L. ^tarbat's This was considered the speech of the evening, and received immense applause. The last resolution was moved by Baniford Salt, and read : " What steps can be best taken to Chris- tianize the Cannibals on the Pacific Islands? " " On considering the subjedl, my first thought was, how many missionaries have gone into the interior of these i.slands, never to return ? Still I would niy.self offer to go, but special engagement!^ just now recjuire all my attention at home. There is a grand opening for young men of the right stamp out there — opec- mouthed savages, ready to receive the go.spel, siid the gospel fire is already kindled and the hcathei is on fire. I would say ' Here I am, send me ! ' but for the last week I have been suffering with a Ixjil on the back of my ntjk." (This brought the house do%vu.) "Yes, every cannibal snatched from the burning is another customer for the white man's faAories. So let us clothe the cannibal, file his teeth, and reform his tastes by introducing chewing ginn and Scotch mixture." This speech surpassed the last, and was followed by the seconder, Johnnie Duckcloth, who, on rising, said : " As the time is nigh spent, it leaves very little for me to say. I have listened with pleasure to the able addresses that have preceded nie, and my only hope is not to spoil the effetfl of these orations on this assembly. I have seen the Negro and Indian when loaded with fire-water, and have heard their .savage yells, but having never visited the Cannibal Islands, Missionary Meeting. Itg cannot truthfully portray them. I would like to have ;.^.nny an^a'^a.:".:.'.;;- h"cj;e^r Th^ wMe world hes a. our feet, and the doors are all open b, ' we want money first, and .hen men who areTflH;. "^ sacnfice their comforts, and even their lives Si e to look beyond the deep fog that encirxrles our pent, ttltr"' T r'""^' '-!-»'-- Atlant'Cn the battlements that rear their crests on the high hills "f 1 nrope, l,eyo:ul e,en the wastes of Asia to e V "o to! 1''°"" "•" "°"*"''" ~>-« °" 'he races a d i ne T^"^n "'^"' P""'"^ °" «""'"'>' -"o"- am going reverently to church, for the purpose of "^rsh,p; but, instead, like the monkeys, ^hj^l" e jungles of .be Occident, and in a kind ^f a gib^" and af.er .he re.sohU.ons had been pu. and passed n ro«s,ng colleaion was taken, and for on^ .h^^,: -.rpassed ..self in subscribing „,o„ey for the ta.he" wiNDson. NOV* SCOTIA. TowItU dll Find m Up-to-Dito Bllllinl Htll Is pm m) tMr JdhHetn. ■Af The Regal Cigar Store, \s } ^ V — HBADflUARTERS For— FINE IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC CIGARS, TOBACCOS, CIGARETTES, AND A GOOD ASSORTMENT OF PIPES. opposite PMt Offke, ■ • fierrish St, WinlMr, N. S. ?JS3? Head to Feet ^ We cad clothe Ladies and Children STYLISH AND . . COMPLETiil, All but Boots. A. 0*CONNOR. MllliMrmdMiMfNtiiilngOatfltlir, - 47 1 49 Bitriii|toa SL, HtNtai. - ^1 COAL S^ Wood and Building Materials. 81 a a H a AGENT COMMERCIAI, UNION FIRE INSURANCE CO OF LONDON, CAPITAL l.^.j^coo ^ ''°- a a H H B OFFICE . Cm., King .„d W.t.r St„,«.. Wlndwr. N. S. Jeweler and Optician, ■W-^TER STI4BET. ^^EfcTUsOR. Watches in Gold and Silver-Wallham and other makes. «IKIT ilO SILfimil, New Designs and Best Makes OPTICAL GOODS,^ GLASSES TO SUIT ALL KINDS OF EYES. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED. ' Not How Cheap, but How Qood I ' .S^ OSOR, ^ ^ 0BB0H, PHOTOGRAPHER, —All Sorts of— Amateur Supplies, Plates, Cameras, fete. children's Fhctos a Specialty. Copying and Enlarging. Monday and Tuesday each week at Wolfville. QO TO D. DAVIS & SON, Witor Stmt, Windsor, For Ladies', Gents', and Children's Boots, Shoes, Slippers, in all the latest styles, and at The Lowest Prices, Also Rubbers, Gaiters, Overehoes, Larrtgans, and Snowshoe Moccasins. Sole agents for Hartt's Specials — ladies' and gentlemen's. A Popular 8tor« to buy Goods, whoro Satisfaction Is Guarantood. r Fred. W. Dimock, WATER STREET, WINDSOR. ■"^^p^ COAL, WOOD, SHINGLES. n •Hi* LUMBER, ICE and HAY. * Hard and Soft Coal, Hardwood and Slabs, Lumber and Cedar Shingles ; Ice deliv- ery wagon every day, Sunday excepted. . * Office 00 Wiarf. Teleplioiie 46. illllll= Il CHINA HALL, Headquarters in Windsor for CiockeTj, OlasBware, Lamps, Sterliiig Silver and Plated Ware, Cut Oii&aa, Cntlery, Bird Cages, &o. Also A fine line of Vmvf China always in stock. C. p. Shaw, Windsor, N.S.j » Hi mkt I SpMiillr of DImwr S«ti and Rodgon' lUiM, Furin, and Spooni. t 4 » s ^ EVANQELINE. *** "Ah! she was fair, exceeding fair to behold, as she stood with Naked, snow-white feet on the gleaming floor of her chamber \ Little she dreamed that be- low, among the trees of the orchard. Waited her lover and watch- ed for the gleam of her lamp and her shadow." I i AT THE STORE OF A. E. ROBlHSOl, QERRISH STREET, WINDSOR, Ladies can always procure Ladles' Skirts, Whltawear and Wrappara. Art Goods, Taney Goods, Art Muslins, Dress Goods and Trimmings. ^»*s. mmi OFFERIN, WINDSOR. N. S. This popular Hotel has long been the stopping place for travellers, and in the year i860 the present Kiilfarflm.fitli Ms Royal Suite, Occupied rooms in this Hotel. The house has verandas, fitted with swinging chairs and hammocks, for the contfort of the guests. , , . CHMto and Baggaga carried to and from tha Dapot Frao. All modem conveniences, including Hot and Cold Water, Hot Water Heating, Electric Light, Electric Return Bells, etc. . • Bidnoffli ill fiatilitid tad liq, CUISINE THE BEST! I JOHN COX, - Proprietor. BeKiiOT Allantte RailwaY "Uad of Ermg^a* Route" IhtiutSiA iMtoi ui tke tffHiflie Proyinces. Thb i*tlw etily raateopcnUog hs own Mrrioe to andfraaiBairtali, Halifax and St. John, N. B. ItMBMlitif ia OoamJMtott; flMi BHVIi nMi nipX St. Joli^aiHl OiiirSinitt; Tune, JriT, Aug., Sept., leaTiiu^Nmr Her, Sunt Iolia,Xa> m. For aaU- logi owM months ace thneiatNa: Bosk and Yarmoutli Daily Sanies: July.imatt, September, leavlis Cong Whaif , foot State St., Boaton, 4 p. ■. For aaiUnai other montla aeetimettlilea. The nagnlficent Steamabipt and the famoos "FMBf Blooiaae " tnbis make op a thor- a«gh ainiaa, Out la aekaowedscd to be "* I vtufl fl* a f i l e to an tta »taaa. . ■ ... Mr FarattMoriMtio«,11iM«^lfa, nnaefatate- roona^ taamaaaaOaa. XkM» Boek^cta, ap^y to aU i^ OflteM t* DMniMMi JMIaaMt nyi': iiSWaaUttgtonSCrML ia6 BolUa Strcd, Bofltoa, IKaaa. fu^ita^ ^ g 114 Aince WUllem ik«e*(> Oen. PaM. Aaenf a MB^e, ' St. Jobs, J![. «. Katim»,V.S^ •Biat Cook'i, Sumamttf WWteomb'a, and Osai^ Ag enetalalhjt afcfaa and Canaan.