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the old stout. Dr came arm#* Uio mradow |>am T hat ev» of evM; Tin? sunlight streamed along the gras* And glanced amid the leaves; And from the shrubbery below, And from the garden trees, lie heard the thrush's music flow And humming of the bees. The garden gate wsa swung apart, The apace was brief between, But there, for throbbing of hia heart, lie paused perforce to lean. He lean'll upon the garden gate; He look'd, and scarce he breathed; Within the little porch eho sate, With woodbine overwreathed. Her eyes upon her work were bent, Unconscious who wan nigh; But oft the needle aiowly went, And oft did idle lie. And ever to hor lips arose Sweet fragments faintly sung; But ever ere the notes could close Hlio hushed them on her tongne. . Oh ! beauty of my heart, ho said, Oh I darling, darling mine, Was ever light of evening shed On loveliness like thine ? Why should I over leave this spot? But gaao until I dio ! A moment from that bursting thought She felt his footsteps nigh. One sudden lifted glance—but one— A tremor and a start; Bo gently was their greeting done, That who would guess tboir heart? Long, long, the sun had sunken down, And all his golden trail Had died away to linos of brown In duskier hues that fail. The grasshopper was chirping shrill— No other living Bound Accompanied the tiny rill That gurgled underground; No other living sound unless Some spirit bent to hear Low words of human tenderness And mingling whispers hear. —Irish Song. M11S. CLIFFORD'S MISTAKE. [From Arthur’s Home Magazine.] “Oh, dear 1” It was a sigh of weariness, and poor, tired Mrs. Clifford sank for a moment into a luxurious easy-ohair.’ Perhaps I ihould not say “poor.” Her hus¬ band was called by his friends “oom fortably well off.” Tired, she eertalnly was. From dawn till dark her feet must be in every place, her hands must toil and toil that there be no creak nor jar in the household machinery. Kitchen girls she had tried, but they only brought extra care, she said, and she was glad to be independent. To-day had been unusually busy and the parlor had been left undusted till afternoon. That was why she happened in while her daughter’s city friends were there. Of course she had hastily retreated. Close by the door stootl that inviting chair, and for once Mrs. Clifford yielded to her longing for rest. She could hear the gay voices in the other room, but took no notioe of them till Izzie ex ‘claimed, lightly: “Oh, that was only the woman who works foi; us. She did not know any one was here. What were you saying about the bride, Madge ?” And then tho talk flowed on as before, broken now and then by a ripple of laughter. Mrs. Clifford heard no more. She forgot her paiu and weariness; she forgot the pile of sewing awaiting her in another room. Like a flash her mind traveled back nearly a soore of years. Izzie and Reba were babies again, and she was a proud young mother. Her husband’s means were limited, but they must wear tho finest embroideries, and by denying herself every lnxnry and many comforts she conld keep them clothed as ahe wished. They were early given the nicest tid-bits at the table, and what wonder if they soon looked upon mother’s share of good things as their own? They were pretty children, and as they grew older she prided herself upon keeping; them daintily dressed. To be sure, this involved aacnfioe od her pari She had loved books, but it took so much time to read these must be given up “for the children’s sake.” Hbo must all tip late night* to sew; ahf nmat wear her cloak the third wintei and hare her beat dreaa made over ore* more, in order that lute might hav. that charming hat with plumea or Heb. the bead trimmiag abe no much desired. Dui, k ,,„.ip..™ 1 a.. r i; ob, S.2C SSiX-iSC b- f‘“£'W‘ By the time they reached young girl hood, her husband’* income warranted the bo««t teachers, and they, being quick and bright, did credit to their instruo tors. His income also warranted her many hours «f leisure; but alas ! so long had she liven “for the children” that it seemed impossible to make any change. Nobody oould do up the muslins or pre pare food like mother. Hor husband had long since ceased to look to her for intellectual companion ehip. It was the girls, with whom he talked science and politics. When he wanted music they played and sang. If ho went to a lecture or a concert they accompanied him. Her own mission seemed fulfilled in a well-cooked meal or nicely ironed shirt. What a mistake she had made! It rushed upon her now, as she sank back into the easy-ebair with those words ringing all sorts of changes over and over in her ears: “The woman who works for us 1 the woman who works for us 1” But the callers must have gone. The \>uter door has opened and shut, and hark 1 the girls are talking again. It is Reba’s voioe: “Oh, Izzie ! how could you ?” “I know it was perfectly awful, but what could I do ? If mother would only dress decently and get used to society, we should not have to be ashamed of her when any one oomos. It’s all her own fault.” Ashamed of her 1 The children who had cost her so many wakeful nights, so many anxious thoughts, ashamed of her 1 Mrs. Clifford arose mechanically and went to her room. Tiiere she did some¬ thing very unusual for her. She spent at least five minutes gazing at her own reflection in the glass. Not a prepossess¬ ing figure, certainly. Her dress, a plain calico, guiltless of even a collar; her hair combed straight back, twisted in the smallest possible knot at the back of her head, and the face—oould that be the face that had onee been called beau¬ tiful ? No wonder the woman heaved a sigh, as she saw how faded and wrinkled it had become. As she gazed a resolute look came into the gray eyes. “Ashamed of me, aud my own fault 1 They shall never have occasion to say that again.” A quick knock sounded at her door. “Oh, mother t Miss Tebbits has sent home my polonaise, and the trimming is all wrong. Won’t you change it to¬ night ? I must have it to wear to Mattie Dyer’s to morrow, you know.” Mrs. Clifford dared not trust herself to face the girl. “You will have time to change it your self, Reba. I am going to the lecture, and some one must remain at home.” There was a moment of amazed silence, then retreating footsteps. After ward she heard Reba’s surprised, “What do you think will happen next? Mother’s going to the lecture 1” Clifford, when he came home, wfts no less sur P r * 8ed tban his daughters had been, but there was a pleased look on hw iaeo it dul her good to aee. Still, her heart almost failed her when she came to review her scanty wardrobe. The black silk was shil good, though a Mtle old-fashioned. But her oonnet *« d 8 lovea aud that cloak ! No > sh€ j conld not mortify her husband by wear ing them. She must stay at home. -Ara S Tle ontade ol~e7door, a tap, and the two girls fluttered in. -Now, mother, we are just going tc di you ourselves. Bit right down and let me arrauge your hair while Izzie pnta that dark ploma on her bonnet In place of the bright one. My cashmere ahawl ia exaotly what you want, and her giove. will tit you to a T. How the girl* will open their eyes when they ae* what a haudaome mother we vo got! mu-***—--**. 5 T^ZXS ^1'“ — ““ 1 SfS“ ' yet come, and they waited for a moment j n the hall-she and her husband. How the o]d ^ girlish blu8he8 WO nld come ae he 8too a and kissed her ! Then he 8oftly whispered: „y ou look j aat ^ yoa d i d twenty year8 ago Mary. I’m so glad to have m little wife back aga i n> ” j need not add that the eve ning was a thoroughly enjoyablo one. Nexfc morning there was a council of t h ree in the back parlor. Mrs. Clifford 8tateJ thati fihe must have more time for BOC i e ty and mental improvement. She 00uld hire help, ^ but it would be better {or concer d {or Izzie aud Rebu to learD gomethi of Uousek eeping. Izzie held up her fair white hands and ked bow tbey wou i d look playing the £ covered with 8Cars and potato tains> Reba dida » t se0 how tbe y could possibly flnd time, they had so much to d() a ] ready> Mrs. Clifford stood firm, and the conn cil ended in the kitchen with the two girls washing the breakfast dishes. During the next few weeks there were 80 me merry times in that kitchen, but more trying ones. Keba would be elated beyond measure over a well browned loaf of bread, while Izzie was in despair over a well-browned shirt bosom. Izzie displayed with pride the shining silver her hands had polished, while Reba hid the sliin iug napkins o^r which she had upset the gravy boat. Such is the inconsis¬ tency of kitchen perfection. More than once the mother felt like abandoning her plans. It would be so much easier to do it all herself. But she possessed the gift of perseverance, and after awhile the household machin¬ ery moved on as smoothly as ever, and much more easily now that there were six hands instead of two to turn the wheels. Parlor company no longer wondered where the mother was, and the daughters grew more delighted every day with her whose acquaintance they were just forming. One day Mrs. Clifford had a sick headache. Three mouths before she could not have afforded tlie luxury of a sick day. Now she could dismiss all care—for a season at least. I will not. say she did not feel some anxiety when she learned at noon that her husband had brought a “business frieud from the West” home to dinner. But everything went on as well as if she had presided. The girls had been as apt pupils in the kitchen as at tho school. Mr. Taft, the , . business . friend, . . , was a young man. He was cultured and wealthy, but he had some very oul f 8a hioned notions about young women being unfit to preside over homes of their own before learning something of i ion8 owork. He enjoyed Izzie’s sing j llg and praised her painting, but he afterward deolared it was her cooking that first attracted him. At any rate, business frequently obliged after h*ni that, to visit and Carlisle at last very he carried Izzie back to be the queen Western home, Reba gtil , Uve8 with her pare nt 3 . She 8aJ J s no one fcoJand can persuade her to leave mother. Earner , certam pars0 ^ nage will receive her How ver that may ^ CU2ord re j 0 ices that she dis¬ ’ ‘ ered her mistake in time to rectify it w ^ ^ Tirreli* A Bran® soclety'agenfcalled N H. recentlv on 3,210 ‘Z Zni in o" Concord wUh Bible. He sold 629 copies and gave away 107. vantage of th nng a Titao Mf R p. ShtUaber (“Mm. Parting* ^ ^ reltle* the following in one of hia ^ the Hartford PiMfr * ^ m|UW of oomfnoditiftlJ cut *a«5?ssurssirji . , necessity I saw it EiwSSai-Ei- —.1 E -* very • . a ^ ad auitofclothea, of Buckram, n^tfabricwuhihe _ Twist # & Co tor ,, 328. . Here was a grand ehance>for one of Um »ted means who needed some good clothes, and I followed t e ac\ei ise ment, in the capacity of patron, to very spacious quarters. I was cordially re oeived by the gentlemauly Buckram, shown th « be f g0( f“*? *“ measured and book, d ft the suit by fche nexfc Saturday. Lpon going to re oeive my tinery I was told ih.it ,he maker had disappointed them ana asked dela 7 tlU the following Satuiday, which l granted. The next Saturday I deemed ^ero could be no failure, and went ex ^tantly “J « iot ^ Buc f am 118 confused but told me a story of new fficulties he hadI been called to encouter, ud a 8 ftin begged my indulgence. I tig lively patted him on the back with a .othing intimation that he needn t cry bout it, and let it go for another week, This time I called and was simply told they wore not done. ‘Well, said I, 4 do yon think they ever will be ? He frankly told me ‘No. ‘Do you not in tend to do as you advertise, and make a suit for $28?' ‘Not fora mastodon, J was his lofty reply, and I turned away sorrowing, for I weighed 185. And he is to-day suiting the times.” Floating Homes. “As we approach Canton,” writes a Chinese correspondent of the Home Journal , “one of the strangest sights of this strange land is the vast wilderness of boats which serve as the only homes of a floating population of more than one hundred thousand human beings. As our steamer made its way slowly through the city of boats to her wharf, it seemed as if half of Canton was afloat on the water. All around us were acres on acres —yes, square miles—of junks, moored in blocks and squares, with long streets or canals between them; while darting hither and thither were hundreds on hundreds of others carrying passengers or freight. These boats are of various sizes and shapes, and are partly covered with bamboo matting, the one or +wo apartments furnishing space for paalor,. kitchen, dining-room, bedroom, wood¬ shed, barn, and idol-shrine. There mul¬ titudes of men and women, parents and children, grandparents and babies, find a home, each boat often sheltering more souls than Noah had in his ark. There thousands are born, grow up, grow old aud die, seldom being on land until car M there for buriaL Many of these boata are manned by women and girls, wbose large> unbo und feet prove that th are not < Chinese ladies;’ and yet they have learned to 'paddle their own canoe> » Babies are fastened to the deck by strings . ^ ot her children wear life j preservers of gourds or bamboo to keep them from s i nk i ngt if they fall over¬ board though the parents don’t seem to grieve much if one does get drowned, There ^ j er and more gayly deco]> ated junks called ‘flower-boats,’ used as floating pleasure-houses of no good rep¬ utation. A few years ago a typhoon swamped thousands of these small craft, and hundreds of the inmates were drowned.” A gentleman who visited a roher skating nnk and at temped to tid¬ ... par P ate hi the pleasures, says the idea of ^fe^r^toEen^ the qneerest EOllon the wor,a, world'“bH oe caa6ethe ** , 0nl , V““°? M 1 hia anatomy that aidn t touch the tiwi 1 oftener than cue inning ia ten.