were to be found all the hopes, and plans, and motives, and activity common to humanity every where. The daily and yearly experiences of these simple hearts, therefore, may be taken as an epitome of the experience of human hearts the world over. They are really so. And these annals are little less than pressed leaves in the book of recollection.

Mr. Humphreys sat down for a moment by the hearth before the deacon came in. Mrs. Burroughs was already pouring the tea.

"Sit up to the table, if you please, Mr. Humphreys," said the matron. "Mr. Burroughs told us not to wait for him if he wasn't here by this time."

"Sit here, Miss Buss, if you please," directed Lucy, placing a chair for her across the table from Mr. Humphreys, while she appropriated her father's place to herself.

"Yes," replied that lady, quite stiffly, as she walked still more stiffly to her seat, throwing a bundle of arrowy, glances at Mr. Humphreys by the way.

A blessing was besought, and Miss Buss proceeded to adjust her handkerchief in her lap exactly to suit her; while at every convenient or inconvenient moment she looked over at Mr. Humphreys, and then dropped her eyes innocently to her lap again. When it was shaken out of its folds just as she thought it should be, she took her cup of tea from Mrs. Burroughs, and instantly grappled with her handkerchief, raising it to her mouth, and coughing quite softly behind it, and throwing another glance or two over at Mr. Humphreys.

"Will you take a biscuit?" said Lucy, passing them.

"Thank you; I'm very fond of biscuits," returned Miss Buss, "especially your biscuits, Miss Burroughs," meaning Mrs. Burroughs by the motion of her head.

"I don't have as good luck at some times as I do at others," explained Mrs. Burroughs.

"You certainly were fortunate to-night," offered Mr. Humphreys, who had taken a large bite from his own.

Are you fond of biscuits, sir?" asked Miss Buss, looking straight at the clergyman, as if she were curious to know the exact shade of his eyes.

“I am, very,” said he, and another piece melted in his mouth, in testimony of the truth of his admission.

66

Now, do tell me! Well, I call myself quite a hand at baking. Really, you will have to come over and try my skill some time."

Lucy colored a little at being a witness to so open an invitation, and looked at her mother. Mrs. Burroughs, however, seemed trying not to notice what was said, begging Mr. Humphreys to help himself to butter, and asking Miss Buss if her cup was out.

"No, it isn't, I thank you," answered the lady, smiling very hastily on her hostess, and directing her attention immediately to the clergyman again.

"Let me see," said Mr. Humphreys, laying down his knife; "I hardly think I know where your house stands. On this side of the street?"

"O, no, indeed! Why, you don't know? Is it possible? I thought every body knew that."

"But I am only a stranger here, you know."

"Yes, yes; I didn't think of that when I spoke. So

you are all very excusable, sir. I live; it's with my sister, sir wife; and with my brother, too, for he lives with his own wife.

The clergyman was waiting to

the mansion alluded to.

Well, I'll tell you where that is, with my brother's I 'spose, for that matter, Ha! ha!"

hear about the locality of of vollst

"O la, I forgot again that you didn't know my brother," said she. "He was a sayin', only this very day, how that

he wanted to know you very much, he'd heerd so much about you. He hasn't been to meetin' yet, you see; but he means to come. They've had such changes here in Brookboro', and so many new ministers, too, he didn't know what they'd finally make their minds up to. He means to wait till they've pitched on to somebody for good. That's his cut out; and I can't exactly find it in my heart to blame him, either. Well, my brother thought he couldn't get over at present, so he said he guessed I'd better come; and so I did. He wanted to hear about the minister all he

could, you know."

1

Mr. Humphreys nodded a sort of half-vexatious nod. Mrs. Burroughs glanced at him, and asked him to take another cup of tea; and Lucy looked at her mother, and at Miss Buss, and at Mr. Humphreys, one after the other. "The house is on what's called the back road,' ventured Lucy, with a view of keeping the threads of the conversation a little together

"O, yes,” broke in the visitor again. "It's rather a lengthy walk there, sir; but I guess you couldn't miss the way." my boy

Mr. Humphreys bowed, and was going politely to accept her invitation to call there. :

"A red house, sir, it is," she interrupted, holding her cup in her hand, and lifting up her face until it showed fuller and more crimson than ever. "Left-hand side, a little back from the road, and a wood pile a little one side o' the buildin'. You can't miss it if you try. I'm sure my brother 'll be glad to see you, and so'll his wife, and so shall I; and we'll try and make you comfortable, though we don't pretend to be quite such good livers as Deacon Burroughs' folks be. They live on the street, you know. Quite a difference! We're off the post road entirely; never see nobody, except when we come to meetin', and that hasn't been very steady, lately, or when somebody comes over there. But I'm goin' more now; we've got a new minister, and I tell folks it makes a great, a wonderful sight of difference in my feelings. And it does, you may depend on't. If you'll come over, sir, my brother Ned'll give you all the talk you'll want, I'll warrant you. He'll talk every thing, and about every thing. Sometimes I tell him, just to stop him, you know, he'll tire me out, and all the rest of his friends, too. But you must come over, sir, and see him, and see us all, for yourself. He'll give you good talk, and a plenty of it."

Mr. Humphreys tried to reply to her

First he began

How

at one end, and then at the other, and then he essayed the middle. It was all a snarl and confusion to him. ever, he could do no less than promise to improve an opportunity for making a visit whenever it should offer.

"Perhaps I'll walk over with Miss Lucy, some afternoon, and take tea with you," said he,

"Yes, or with her father, either.

are good friends, I believe.";

He and my brother

Another exchange of glances between mother and daughter, which Mr. IIumphreys this time himself saw, much to their confusion.

"

Miss Buss passed her cup three times for tea, and begged Mrs. Burroughs not to add much cream- she liked it pretty strong. So it would naturally appear, if her voluble tongue were to be cited in proof.

“I was afraid you would think I kept you waiting for your supper," said Mrs. Burroughs, addressing her boarder. "I had to wait a little for Mr. Burroughs."

“O, not at all, madam," he replied. "I was quite too much engaged to think of the next meal, I assure you." "Writing must be very exhaustin'," offered Miss Buss, unwilling to be kept out of the conversation. "Seems to

me I've heerd folks say so."

66

Possibly at times it is," assented the clergyman. "I was not engaged in writing this afternoon, however."

Miss Buss stared at him, as if to know what other kind of work ministers had to do. She said she thought they wrote all the time, and that was all they did.