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Show 15G HlC: II AJW II UIWIS. CJIAP'l'lelt XXI. '!'liE HAPPY FAi\lH.Y. "So tlty fuit· hnnd, eunmor~d fn ncy glenns The trcnslu·eJ pictuJ·es of n thousnml scenes;" Thy pencil tJ·Hccs on the lovc•·'s thought Some cottnge home, from towns nnd toil remote. 'Vhe~·e love nncl pence mny claim nlternute hou rs With pence embosom'J inJdulinn bowers! Remote from Unsy life's LewildeJ•ed wny O'er nil Ids hcnt"t shu11 Lnste tuHl Ucnnt.y swnyFree on the sunuy slope, Ol' winding shot·e, With hermit steps to wonde•· nnJ nJore."-CAli!'D~:LL. ON our return to Colonel Grafton's, we were received with a welcome due rath er to a long and tried intimacy than to our new acquaintance. There we met a Mr. Clifton-a young man about twenty-five years of age-of slight, but elegant figure, and n face decidedly one of the most handsome I had ever seen among man. It was evident to me after a little space that such also was tl10 opin ion of Julia Grafton. ITer eyes, when an opportunity offered, watched him narrowly; and I was soon enabled to sec tl1nt the gentleman him self was assiduous in those attentions which nrc apt enough to occasion love, and to yield it opportunity. I learned casually in the course of the evening, nnd after the young mnn had retired, what I had readily inferred from my previous obsetTation-namely that they hnd been for some time known to each other. Mr. Clifton's manners were good-artless exceedingly, nnd frank, and he seemed in all respects, a perfect and pleasing gentleman. He left us before night, alleging a necessity to ride some miles on business which admitted of no delay. I could sec the disappointment in the cheek of Julia, and tl1e qui,·ering of her lovely lips was not entirely concealed. 'rhat uigl1t she sang '\'liE IIAPI'Y F.-\MILY. 157 us a plaintive ditty, to the music of an ancient, but nobly-tonecl harpsichord, and trembling butanticipati,~ e loYe '\~ns the burden of her song. The obvious interest of these two m each o~h.cr, had lhc effect of cnrrying me back to 'Marengo- but the viSIOn which cnconnlcrcd me there droYC me agnin into the wi1dcrne. ss and left me no refuge but among strnngcrs. I fancied that I bel1eld the triumpl1ant j oy of John llurdis; and the active and morbid imagination completed the cruel torture by show in ~; me l\fary Easterby locked in hi s arms. My soul shrank from the l)ortraiture of my fancy, aml I lapsed away into gloom and si lence in defiance of all the friendly solicitings of our host and his sweet family. But my companion had no such suffering as mine, and he gave a free rein to his tongue. lie related to Colonel Grafton the circumstances attending our interview with the debtor, not omitting the remarks of the latter in reference to the colonel l1imself. "It matters not much," said the colonel, "what he tl1inks of me, but the truth is, he has not told you the precise reason of his host ility. The pride of the more wealthy is always insisted upon by the poorer sort of people, to account for any differences between themselves and their neighbors. It is idle to answer them on this head. They themselves know better. If they confessed that the possession of greater wealth was an occasion for their constant hate or dislike they wouhl speak more to the purpose, and with far more justice. Not tl1at I think that \Vcbbcr hates me because I am wealthy. lie spends daily quite as much money as I do- but he can not so well convince his neighbors that he gets it as h onestly ; and still less can he conv ince me of the fact. In his own consciousness lies my sufficient justification for the distance at which I k eep him, and for that studied austerity of deportment ou my part of which he so bitterly complains. I am sorry for my own sake, not less than his, that I am forced to the adoption of a habit which is not natural to me and far from agreeable. It gives me no less pain to avoid any of my neighbors than it must givo them offence. But I act from a calm conviction of duty, ancl this fellow knows it. Let us say no more about him. It is enough thnt he promises to pay you your money-l1e can do it if he |