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[For The Sunny South.] ITALIA —A FRAGMENT. Italia—oh, Italia! Land of sun— Of song and music, love and gentle art! Thou cradle and the grave alike in one Of all caust dwell in rapture in the heart! Thou soul of which we seem to grow a part, In fancy, musing on thy muse!—still dwells With thee the fame succeeding age hath wrought; Still at thy name each feeling bosom swells. And bounteous love returns from whence it wells! You saw where Virgil tuued his epic lyre, Whose strain still lingers thro' each fleeting age; With him communed whose heaven-enkindled lire Made heaven the story of his lasting page; With Ariosto dreampt Orlando’s rage; And Tasso's prison-song of love didst note, While still thine ear did Laura's praise engage, To note how the sweet passion-song would float Unmarked by her, whilst every bosom else it smote. With him whose hand was on the hearts of men, Whose heart was in his hand—Boccaccio— You sought the ± re6ence of the charmed Ten From forth whose lips both fame and love did flow; Didst Bigh with gentle Metastasio; With bright Goldoni, did in mirth engage To banish with his laughter every woe; With Allieri, trod the tragic stage. Or passion-roused, entranced, hung breathless o'er his page. But not alone thy haunts ibe haunts of these. Beneath thy clime have bloom'd exotic flowers— Rich in their perfume as thy laden breeze. Fair as the blossoms bred upon thy bowers. And two who loved thee dearly in past hours Now on thy bosom rest in life's requite: One whose sad pyre was built upon thy shores; And one who, like a violet, bloomed to light To bless, and then—too soon—be nipt by frost and night! [Written for The Sunnv South.] FIGHTING AGAINST FATE; OR, Alone in the World. would not pass on any account, so slie found late visitor with interest unusual to him. out as they walked up the street, for the Crescent turned off, he muttered: and the paper of which he was carrier and street vendor were at dagger’s points in politics and all the subs and small attaches of the two offices as bad as you think. She is not fallen—only j and feeling that she relied upon him. He was dancing on the precipice, I am afraid; and she terribly troubled on account of his voluntary ‘ihall never fall by me, if I keep my senses. But change, when the proprietor of the Adviser de life's so infernally dismal and slow, and this 1 cided that he (Copley) should attend a mass little Spanish sprite is like a draught ol chain- meeting in an adjoining State in the interests of pagne— sparkling and stimulating—a merry, j the paper. He carried the news to Esther, to- j shared in the enmity. “Pam” was especially se- mocking thing without a soul, and making you gether with the outlines of a few local notes he ' vere on the office lad, whom he designated as “a forget that you have that tormenting appendage. : had hurriedly thrown together, and a batch of j stuck-up fool” since his rise in life from news- I suspect her of being deceitful and mercenary political papers, which she had requested him boy, and his appearance in whole clothes and a sometimes, for she has a knack of leading me to bring that she might catch the last phases of pair of shoes that were not odd pick-ups. into temptation and emptying my pockets; but that changeful weathercock—American politics— j With a fluttering heart, Esther, leaving “ Pam” that is the way of the sex, and this one does it and glean hints for future paragraphs. He shook i to wait for her below, ascended the stairs be- with such artless witchery that xou can't help the hand she cordially gave him, and stammered tore which her -mide had stopped and knocked forg"' *— — - ’— ’ • ’ ’ — »• “ - - - ’ -- - bud As he . , . light, with rows of printer's desks ranged I was thinking of Ellen and wishing to see her in her eyes. He did not tell her that he had its length, and busy typos in shirt-sleeves stand- letter; will you let me read it to myself now, j met Harvey riding out with a l oon companion j ug before them at ‘their cases, filling the room Harvey? . _ | for a dinner at the Lake, but Esther read mas- j with the click of type. A clean-visaged, dapper “ lake it out of my pocket, he answered in a giving in his eyes. | little foreman, with sleeves rolled up and a white changed, chilled tone. Mastering the gloomy despondency that pos- towel tied before him, was bobbing about taking She drew it out and glanced over it, while he 1 sessed her, she set herself to work upon the - . notes and papers Copley had. left. She made a careful study of the facts contained in these, in their relative as well as absolute significance, putting them together and drawing inferences turned his head away on the pillow and threw his arm up over his face to hide its expression. “Dear little Willie !” she burst out presently, as though by an involuntary impulse. “ I knew proof impressions, whistling and making face tious remarks to himself as he flourished the roller and dexterously peeled off the proof-sheets from the galleys of type. He wheeled around, bowed and stared a little as she entered, but “Beauty, talent, .poverty, loneliness, and a dash of mystery, as it seems to me. How de lighted Ermine would be to get hold of such a combination — quite her ideal protege and cama- rnde! But she shall not hear of her from me. She would only spoil her for the life and duties that lie before her. Pet her, and spoil her, and then tire of her, as she has tired of so many.” Meantime, Esther had hastened to, Harvey’s room, entering softly with the expectation of seeing him asleep as she had left him. But to her surprise and dismay, she found that he was not there. At any other time, his absence would not have alarmed her, but she knew the condition in which she had left him, and she recalled his gloomy utterance of the words, “ I shall not be a clog and a curse to you much longer.” What tf, in his excited, desperate mood, he had gone off' and taken his own life? On inquiring of the servants concerning him, Esther found that one of them had seen him go out and had spoken to him, but received for answer on!}’ a vacant stare, as though his mind he would be a prime favorite with his grand- and conclusions before she took up her pen U p 0n her inquiry for the editor, politely in- was t°° muc h occupied or his senses were too parents. Just hear what Ellen says about the ! to write. In grim satire of her mood, she f orm ed her that his sanctum was 'the room on beclouded for him to take note of what was abject sway the young despot exercises over that wrote several pages of lively local paragraphs the rigllt hand as s he entered the passage. So passing, willing subject, his grandmother. 1 and political “hits, her instinct ol humor ena- ; s he turned back, and with fingers that began to She lead aloud a pleasant passage descriptive bling her to catch the satire that lurked, often • tremble, opened the door on the right and stood of the sway the baby had already established in ; unconsciously, in the mass of political inform- j j n the august presence of the editor-in-chief his new Western home. Then she passed on to ation, while her faculty for combining caused j Ensconced in his crimson-eushioned chair that other sentences, and read, in tact, the whole i her to seize salient points and to supply details his amn i fi nronortions comfortahlv filled with I simple tender letter that Harvey had declared from her imagination?^ It newi- elaborTe dSSKSTand^ gold spLfa les JvS he would not hear. It was lull ot devotion and papers making tier familiar with the popular keen eyeS; he hold counsel with a pair of wishes for the time that he would come and tricks of phraseology. knowing-looking personages on the affairs of the “court her and marry her over again, as he had While writing, it grew dusk, and as she nat i on . He represented the imposing element promised. _ rose to light the lamp, Madame came in and put - - - - - (TO BE CONTINUED. ) [For The Sunny South.] No Female Clerks, if You Please. BY JENNIE WEEN. “Dear, faithful, tender heart!” sighed Esther, : “What is so lovely in a woman as a loving heart ? How happy it would make her if you could go to her, Harvey.” “Go to her!” he repeated, starting up and laughing bitterly. “A discontented, dissipated devil, with no capacity for what is called home happiness, and with not a dollar in pocket! I would be a tine boon to a woman, would I not ?” Esther was silent for some minutes; then she asked gently: “How have you got along with your note book to-day ?” “I almost determined to throw it to the winds this morning, but force of habit prevailed. I handed in a few notes this afternoon, and there BY MARY E. BRYAN. CHAPTER X. Moans of bitter anguish broke from Esther when she was at last alone in her room. She a little note on her table. “For Harvey,” she said. “I think it is from his office; I saw before the petit tjarcon that brought it—printers’ devil, you cali him, is it not? You are looking pale, Mademoiselle; you study too hard. You should come down to the parlor and give us some music. We have one nice new boarder—a jenne hoinme—vfho has got a lovely blonde mustache, and sings such senti mental songs. You should hear him sing Ah! I mon Fernan —a little what you call squeaky his voice is, but so sentimental. fille She broke off’ in quite a different key, as she turned upon the little red-headed maid, who had tripped on the threshold in entering and spilled a pitcher of water over the floor. Mad ame always scolded her servants and her hus were the proceedings of an important.-railroad meeting that I took down, but haven’t extended. There were notices of the amusements at the band in her own language, stopping midway a different theatres that I ought to have written, suave sentence to one of her boarders to turn _ but I have done nothing of the kind. There will upon an offender with a torrent of creole French, threw herself down upon the couch, and covered be a row to-morrow, and a dismissal, probably; j and then, as suddenIj^sc.bsiding and picking with her trenihlin« hands her thee t.lmt burned hut it doesn’t matter,—it will be sure to come , up the dropped thread of conversation with a with shame as she°remebered the look Dr. Hav- sooner or later.” smile and a shrug. In the instance of Bridget, wood bad given her, when her own false words She p ot possession of the note-book, and set her scolding had always a paralyzing effect, for (false words from her who had an ideal love of h erse H to the task of decipering and extending that daughter of Erin, not comprehending a truth !) her cwn admission, had placed her vir- i the phonetic dots and scratches which marked word of French, associated it with the Latin jar- ‘ the proceedings of the railroad meeting. She interpolated a few lines of lively comment, and then, taking a fresh sheet, dashed oft' a vivid, artistic notice of the concert, taking names and other details from a programme she found in Harvey's pocket. It was finished and the papers folded and slipped into Harvey’s pocket in fif teen minutes, and then Harvey was aroused and persuaded to carry the manuscript to the office, that was. only a few blocks off. “Iam glad you brought this to-night,” Ber rien said to him. “ I may as well tell you there is danger of the Colonel scoring you off his book unless your habits are more regular. Boy, you have the brain-force to carrV vou ahead; but tually beyond the pale of his respect. “He would have believed me—he alone, of all the world of men, would have believed me, if I had dared to tell him I was innocent. But to tell him that, would have made my conduct a mystery that he would naturally have set himself to solve. He might have suspected at once—he would certainly have attempted to see Harvey to penetrate into the motives that actuated me, had I led him to believe that Harvey was other than my lover. I saw from his face that he believed . the worst of me. My agitation, and my entreaty that he should not see Harvey, confirmed his be lief. Oh ! to think that he should lose all esteem for me. he who respected me so even when I was gon of her priests, and listened with staring eyes of superstitious awe to the anathemas of her mistress. Harvey came in not long after, much to Es ther’s surprise and relief. He went directly to his room—his step more hurried than usual — and began walking the floor restlessly. His sis ter came to his side and silently linked her arm in his. She saw that his eyes were blood-shot and his cheeks flushed with excitement. “Here is a note that came to you this even ing—from the Crescent office, I think.” “I don’t need to read it; I know what it is— a dismissal; and well enough. It is a farce to keep up this pretense of employment when all of the Crescent, while the real working head- centre was to be found in the adjoining room, where Norman Berrien sat, tall and upright, behind his desk and read proofs, looked over and corrected reporters’ notes, revised commu nications, clipped paragraphs, and turned out I copy as though he were a machine. It was to this desk that the chief directed Esther by a wave of his majestic band, when he had at last understood that the roll of manuscript she held ! was not a charitable petition, or a sentimental - - story, but reporter’s copy from Harvey Bernard. Ah, cette amble de j she crossed the room with cheeks that burned under the curious stare of the men, who stopped their talk and looked after her, woddering to see a woman here alone at night—a woman young, and with such a face and such a shape and mo tion of stately, undulating grace. She crossed the broad, carpeted room, entered the door open ing into it, and laid the papers upon Berrien’s desk. She could hardly utter the few words of needed explanation as his keen, gray eye looked into her face with rapid scrutiny. He saw that i she was agitated, and handing a chair ssked her to be seated—a courtesy which she declined by a gesture. She stood a moment to recover her composure before facing the opera glass and the two pair of spectacles in the next room. Ber rien's quick eye, meanwhile, had run over the manuscript, noted the heads of the articles, took in a few terse sentences here and there, and then went back to Esther’s face with a closer scrutiny than before. “This is not Bernard’s hand,” he said. “His notes were extended by a friend, ” Esther , answered. “He is not well.” ; “His friend is very obliging; I have noticed this handwriting several times of late.” Esther drew the black lace vail over her face ; more closely, and, bowing in silence, turned to 1 go. At the foot of the stairs, she found that ! “Pam” had deserted Lysr, and that a drizzling rain had begun to fall. Perplexed and half fright me ! it is a bitter cup that my own brother has have a respect lor talent and hate to see it thrown shall play me as he pleases. 1 m mistaken if he tant telegram, whose sending off' he wished to put to my lips! Little he heeds what .agony it aW r2p'. , , . . T don t find me some bigger work than torging a superintend in person, was questioned by the cost me to drink iU Why Aid I como here? , Thls 'T as .? « 00 . d J 6 ? 1 to come from Berrien— j paltry, check .devalue ^ this .evening, _ senior concerning bis la ly visitor, and replied What good can I do him ? He will eastaside my affection and my companionship to follow foolish passion—wayward, impulsive being that he is ! What is to become of him ?” And with this last exclamation, wrung from ras’ happened roman’s treach- little about what other people did, unless it was ery—the most common thing I know of. What to sneer at their weakness or satirize their faults ; else could one expect from a creature like Zoe He said these words to Harvey as he encoun- but falsehood and deceit ? Yet it stung me; it this graceless brother welled up again, and changed her reflections from reproach to anx iety. She listened anxiously for Harvey’s re turn. When at last she heard him eoming. her quick ear detected an uncertainty in his step. , senior concerrpn^ that he had never seen her before. “ She brought Bernard's papers, and reports him sick.’ “The old sickness, of course,” remarked the Colonel. “I have seen it coming on him for some time. We’ll have to strike him oft', Ber rien. ” “ Better wait awhile, sir,” returned the junior, her tried heart, the great tenderness she felt for tered him in the passage leading to the compos- j set my blood on hre. I followed them; came ing room, where Berrien had been superintend- j upon them taking a cosy tete-a-tete petit diner at the ing the correction of his proofs. Harvey would Lake House; I had my riding-whip in my hand, have resented such interference from any other individual beside this t ___ r . man who seemed born io comiuauu—to iook j on. one came in ior ner snare; i saw tne Diooa pave improved his articles. He did not come first to her room as was his d °T n «P on ordinary mortals and contemplate i fly from her plump arms and neck as I laid the „ ets the better they become.” habit, and exclaim “How are we now?” as he their shortcomings in a half-pitying, half-con- lash across them.” kissed her and tossed into her lap a magazine or ' temptuous way. j “Oh, Harvey ! what will follow from this? ' ----- “ xhey will have me up, I suppose. The po- CHAPTElt XI. i lice were after me, but I mounted Thrasher’s erference from any other and I spoiled his waxy visage with a dozen cuts, j intoning his coat and putting on his hat. tall, taciturn, eagle-eyed one alter the other, as fast as my arm could lax “Singular enough, his present sickness seems l to command to look ; on. She came in for her share; I saw the blood t 0 imnroved bis articles. The worse he new book (Berrien often handed over the new books to him to review), or an orange or a bon turn, for he was like a child in his appreciation of sweetmeats as well as in maDy other respects. But no checks that affection or friendship i fast mare, and gave them the slip. I may could put upon his course availed to keep Har- i look for a call from them any moment.” “he bottle of wine he “And what will be done with you?” “Fined, or sent to prison to enjoy the sweets of seclusion in default of bail. I suppose you will pawn your scanty wardrobe and Cop his tea-kettle, to keep me out, but you shall be on his bed, where his sister presently heard him drank with Zoe renewed in his excitable nature groan. She went to him, sat on the bed beside the old craving for stimulants, and he was often him and took his hand. He drew it partly away, under the influence of liquor. He came less saying peevishly: frequently into Esther's room; he was moody “You up yet? Why did you not go to bed? and morose, or else recklessly merry; he neg- spared the trouble. I’ll not be a curse and a I begged you never to wait for me.” lected his business to such an extent that he j clog to you much longer.” “ It is not late, and I have not felt like sleep- would have been dismissed from the office ot ing. I had a headache, and came away from the the Crescent had not Esther’s exertion and Cop- theatre (|llite early n Hndripyc mfwlp nn fnr Viiu dnii/linTA/• vt in citn_ “ So Copley told me; and that it was on my ac count. That’s the way some women scold. I had rather they came at me with a poker than with a headache and a meekly-injured look.” Esther made no answer, only gently stroked his hand with her fingers. “To have an old maid like Copley hunting one up with a cut-and-dried lecture !” he ex claimed after a pause, adding bitterly, “as if there was any use !” ley’s kindness made up for his deficiency in ap plication. In his “bad days,” when he would do nothing, Copley gave up his own “items,” intended for the columns of the Adviser, to his wayward comrade, and Esther wrote them out in her graceful style, interpolating with them lively thoughts and fancies of her own. Then, if Harvey could not be persuaded to carry them to the office, his friend of the Adviser did it for him, though the two newspapers were rivals, and the attaches of the Crescent scowled at him “ Why will you say such reckless things, my own dear brother ?” Esther said, her voice trem bling with pity and distress. ‘Copley, of the Adviser, helps him, no doubt; I have noticed him several times bringing Ber nard’s notes.” “They are not in Copley’s chirography or in Copley’s style,” said the other as he left the room, adding to himself, “ The combined bat tery of the Adviser couldn’t evolve such lively electric flashes,” as he hurried down stairs, um brella in hand, and very nearly ran against a figure at its foot, standing against the wall for shelter and looking out into the street as if in search of some one. As he turned to apologize, he saw it was his recent visitor. “Are you alone?” he asked, perceiving her hesitation and bewilderment. “ Ahoy came with me, who was to wait here "lou know it is true. I have hung upon until I came down, but he has disappeared, you, a wretched, shameful weight, that will was no j quite sure of finding my way, bein< never be lifted till I lie in Pother's Field yonder, | s tran*’er in the city.” Would that some power would deliver us from our friends! When will the newspapers i cease to interfere with our private concerns ? Is it not enough that we should be bored by their eternal phillipics against the deluded females who invade their much-lauded prerogative of the ballot, and that we should be deafened by their incessant “ crowing over ” the defeat of a | poor little weak band ot women? But are we to be eternally harassed and mortified by their indelicate allusions to our dress? And now, as in a late Herald, by their attacks upon our espe cial prerogatives of shopping ? Even a little wren will fight sometimes, and really I think it is time to resist—particularly as in this last attack the grievance is the greater in that a pretended effort is made to take our part. Our part, indeed ! when they try to de prive us of “that right to fluttering female 1 hearts the nearest,” admiration. What pleasure will it be to us to shop if only women are to wait on us? Just think for a moment of the dear delight of trying on a jacket with half a dozen gentlemen standing around and admir ing, and of course seizing every opportunity to payja compliment; of the selection of our ribbons or dress with regard to our complexion, which it is all-important to suit, and of the sweet little comments exchanged as to the fair blonde or bright brunette. Then the gloves are to be fitted on the delicate little hands. And the feet: how nice to ask for No. 13, a No. 1, and to hear ex clamations as to their diminutive size. Would any reasonable person deprive the gallant shop man of the opportunity of making himself fas cinating, and of showing off his address in pretty attentions, and his grace in exhibiting his goods as well as his skill in suiting them to each fair lady ? Think of the charming little chats of which we would be denied, and the pleasant inquiries as to our health after the last hop. Why, the purchase of each little article is accompanied by delicate flatteries, by blushes, smiles and bright glances, so that our shopping is indeed a labor of love. As to myself, if I am to be waited on by women, all the pleasure is gone. If they are old, they are as grumpy and unsympathetic as if they wished to lecture us on the vanity of the world, or tell us that all flesh is grass; and they look like martyrs whenever we wish any fresh article handed to us. If they are young, wc can plainly see by their supercilious manner that they are sax'ing to themselx-es, “that color is sweetly pretty, but it would suit me better than this ducketv, mud complexion who thinks to wear it.” No, never would I trust myself with a female salesman. I should expect to be made a fright. No; sooner than risk it, or be so snub bed, I will have the goods I xvish sent home to examine. And I will answer for it, the owners of the establishments will see a difference v hen mama and prudence have all the voice in the se lection. As for our dress, it is a shame we can wear nothing new but every editor must consti tute himself a critic. They sneer at “men mil liners,” and yet, they seem themselves to be greatly occupied with a lady’s apparel. Only they forget another right of woman is “ protec tion,” and it is not very generous or courteous to be alxvays hitting at and ridiculing those who cannot answer or defend themselves. It xvould be far better if they xvould try to shield us from the “naughty ways of rude, rough men,” who, congregating on the pavements and repeating the last good thing in the papers concerning us, defiling our breathing with their pipes and cig ars, our hearing with their coarse language, and our dresses with their filthv tobacco. Still Esther did not speak, and presently he as he brought in his bundle of manuscript and put his arm around her, and drexv her closer to laid it upon Berrien’s desk. With this assist- him. ance, added to his occasional exertions, Harvey I’m an unmitigated scoundrel as I told you, managed to retain his place, the weekly pay of iy resolve not which xvas all-important, for Esther’s serial ‘was where my poor proxy moulders.” He had thrown himself upon the bed. Esther bent over him and kissed the scarlet lips that xvere dry and fevered xvith passion and with liquor. Then, she talked to him soothingly, threading his hair with her fingers until the re action of the stimulants he had taken set in, and he fell asleep, breathing deeply, with now and then a quivering sigh, like that of a grieved child. With tears of tender pity and anguish . “Will you give me the number of your resi dence? It is likely I can direct you; or ” Berrien hesitated. He was a business, not a ladies’ man, and there xvas but one woman in the world he ever escorted. However, this girl’s loneliness, her ignorance of the city, the singu larity of her visit to the office, appealed to his chivalry, and his—curiosity. He would have denied the imputation that her beauty had any thing to do with his interest in her; neverthe- [For The Sunny South.] PREACHING. BY ABNOT. Esther,” he said. “I've broken my to drink, and I’m false at heart to poor Ellen, with her letter unread in my pocket.” “ A letter from Ellen ! Will you let me read it, Harvey—read it aloud to you ?” “Take it and read to yourself. I would not hear a sentence of it to-night for anything.” “I shall be very glad to hear from her and darling little Willie.” “ I would have given you the letter this after noon, but I was out of sorts. First, old Jones lectured me for inattention to business. And then I found out that Zoe was back here. I knew she always xx-orked up all the bad that was in me, Bishop Andrews, xvho was one of the best men the Methodist church ever had, was more noted for good sense than for brilliancy. He very often preached upon the subject of “family govern ment,” and the importance of the subject so weighed upon his mind, that in his later life he wrote a little book, and a most useful book it is, upon “Family Government.” I mention this to make one point, and that is this: There is too much abstract preaching. Not that there is too much preaching, but too much of what we have is dex-oted to abstiact doctrines. While preachers do much good, they could do more with the same effort if a different direction was given to it. The preachers speak with an authority, and flowing down her cheeks, his sister sat still for less, the dark, luminous eyes had a charm even a tew moments looking at his beautiful face and f or the cold, work-absorbed, unsentimental not yet finished, and a short story she Ijad sent ; thinking of his wrecked life; then she rose up \ editor of the Crescent. At anv rate, after an in- had brought only a word of praise and “accept- j noiselessly and went into her room. She still s tant’s hesitation he added: ance with thanks.” j held in her hand the note Harvey had refused to j “Or perhaps you would accept my company In the days of weary anxiety and despondency, | rea d. and opened it and looked at it mechanic- j ant i my umbrella. It is raining quite fast.” Esther put aside her own personal grief in the It was from Berrien a xvord of warning She saw no harm in taking advantage of the endeavor to save her brother. All the little arts i to the effect that if his matter xvas not handed kindness offered by such a grax'e, dignified per- she knew were employed to keep him with her, J tn this evening, he need not make his appearance , sonage, though she shivered nervously to find and to attract him to the side of right and duty, j at th e office again. herself walking under the gaslight of the strange j are listened to with a consideration that no She never reproached him —she never com-| Esther reflected a moment. She knew how i city with her hand on the arm of this tall, square- other class of persons are honored with. The plained. On the rare evenings xvhen he gave j important empl3ymrgdHWft»ro»e.-astBre like hia— shouldered, soldierly man, to xvhom every preachers have a larger auditory than any other her his company, she exerted herself to please j hoxv a regular engagement to xvork ought to act j passer-by touched his hat. teachers, except newspaper editors. Hence, this him more than exer did maiden to charm a as a moral anchor to his restless character. More- They walked rapidly; Esther’s haste to reach j vast opportunity should be improved. Preacli- lover. She read his favorite books, sang the over, the money he received from the Crescent home made her keep pace with Berrien’s long, ing is nothing but teaching, for we are told that and I believed she was false to the attachment songs he loved, prepared little confections and ; was much needed, and Esther determined to j steady stride; and scarcely a dozen words were j Christ taught in the temple, she professed for me. I had been told as much served them, graced xvith smiles and flowers, on . send the notes she had written with so much j spoken xxhen they came in sight of Esther's j A moral teacher should teach everything that by one of the circus fellows that came to see me the little table in her own room. She was cheer- ! care. But hoxv should she get them to the office? boarding-house. Then her companion re- , makes a man a better man. when I was wounded at Melvin. When I met ful, playful and witty, when there was a struggle j It xvas nine o’clock. Madame had gone with ; marked: -Bishop Andrews thought one way to make her unexpectedly at the theatre, my first thought to keep tears from filling her eyes. Copley, who , her husband and little girls to a child’s party. “I hope Bernard’s inc.sposition will not last. ! men better fathers, and women better mothers, He is a good hand when—when he is well. Does and children more filial, and all better Chris- he board xvhere you do?” tians, was to teach “family government.” “He does,” replied Esther. Infant baptism, immersion, free agency, free “He is a friend—a relative, perhaps, of yours ? ’ will, predestination, Calvinism, Armenianism, “ He is my brother.” are all proper subjects enough; but it might be “Ah! your brother!” repeated Berrien, xvith asked if it would not promote morality, religion was to tell her of her falsehood and be done with understood her intuitively, regarded her with Most of the boarders had gone out for the even her forever; but—well, it ended in the old way. reverence, and did his best to second her efforts | ing, or had retired to their rooms. There was She protested, pouted, smiled, and finally began to restrain without seeming to do so, the erratic no one she could safely entrust with the papers, to cry. I had to soothe her; and as she wouldn’t spirit, that craved sin and irregularity as its nat- ! As she peered doxvn into the lighted street, she return to the theatre (pretending she didn’t want ural element. Copley never took offense at the con- caught sight of a face she recognized—a shrexvd, to meet the medical student, xvhom she vowed temptuous snubbings and sarcastic retorts that queer little visage, with a smut adorning one she detested), I had to take her to a kind of res- Harvey dealt him plentifully. He looked after side of the nose and a xvide mouth, now dis- a cheerful intonation, as though it somehoxv and Christian obligations, for preachers to talk taurnnt kept by her brother, where we had a him every day as persistently as though he were tended to its full extent by the apple he was pleased him to learn that such was the relation of some other things occasionally—such things bottle of champagne and afterwards a game of a wayward child, or a non compos mentis, and j munching. She recognized him as a newsboy existing between Esther and the young reporter. ' as conduce to the moral government of the peo- billiards. She is a capital billiard player, and bore with patience his stinging insinuations j whom Harvey had 'once laughingly presented “I trust he will soon be able to beat his post,” pie? Old Dr. Pierce, that good man whose light gets into such a pretty, childish glee at winning about meddlers and busy-bodies. Often, xvhen i toher as Epaminondas, otherwise “Pam,” a rising ' he continued; “not that his post has suffered flickers between this world and the next, basset that one doesn’t mind losing to her. Copley he was so much under the influence of liquor genius, xvho lodged in an old sugar hogshead on from his absence—quite the contrary, I must say,” ; a fine example on the line of these thoughts, found me here and broke in on our game with that Copley could not bear to have Esther dis- the levee, and xvas engaged in writing a dime ; he added, looking questioningly ‘at Esther as And in the discharge of this duty, the colored his lecture and his long face. As we walked tressed by seeing him, he carried him off to novel on bits of yellow wrapping-paper. they stopped ffhder a street lamp by the door preachers have a fine field to work in, and an op- “ ‘Pam!’ ’’shecalled doxvn to this lean, loosely- which bore Madame’s sign of “Cheap Board.” portunity to do much good, hung genius, who was sauntering leisurely along “Mr. Copley has been very kind,” returned Gentlemen, so let me say to you, that what with a batch of evening extras under his ragged Esther, coloring with embarrassment under the most of you talk of in every sermon is of high, coat-sleeve. “ Wait there a little while for me,” searching look. Then she remoxed her hand yea, of vital consequence; but slack the strain and in two minutes she was by his side, shawled *'—" l "' - 41 —*— J *— 1 ' -- u 1 11 — "" ;l ’"’’ r away, he told me I had spoiled your evening’s Owl’s Perch, as he called his own lofty little hab- pleasnre. Poor Esther! I’ve always managed ; itation, got him a cup of black coffee from his to spoil your happiness—to be a shame and a landlady’s kitchen, and coaxed him into his lit- grief to you.” 'tie cot-bed, where, when he knew him to be “ You can be a pride and a comfort to me yet, asleep, he slipped off to let Esther know that if you will,” she answered; “if you only will.” she need not be uneasy, buying a little bunch of and bonneted, and carrying her roll of manu- He shook his head in silence. Presently, he violets from the blind girl at the corner to send ! script tightly clasped in her hand. “Will you said : up with the message. j show me the way to the Crescent office ?” she ‘ You think my fancy for little Zoe is a fool- \ He was so faithful, so untiring, that he earned ! asked. l ish, wicked infatuation, and I know it’s wrong, ! Esther’s gratitude, while he was more than re- ; Quite flattered by the request, he proffered to 7and harmful, and all that—but may be it’s not j paid by seeing her face light up when he came, ; go with her as far as the door. Across that, he from his arm. thanked him for his courtesy with i occasionally, and mix something lighter xvith a grace as stately as that of any grande dame he our more substantial diet. A little lime and had ever met, and glided up the short flight of j sand between layers makes a better wall than all steps, at the top of xvhich stood Madame with brick or all stones, her little flock, just returned from the juvenile party. 1 Censure is most effectual when mixed withj Berrien watched the retreating figure of his ■ praise.