husband's voice, for the first time shuts her book, and looks up into his face with a smile.

In all the many years these two have lived together, the times are very, very rare when that answering smile has not passed between them; and in Wat Stevens' eyes the smile of his wife is just as sweet and clear now as when he, a poor young artist, married the sixteen-year-old orphan daughter of old Philips, who had spent a lifetime in the pursuit of knowledge, and who died at length, leaving his little daughter with nothing but the memory of her father's fame whereon to live.

But though thus married in haste, Mr Stevens had not fulfilled the rest of the proverb, but on the contrary had repented less and less as the years went by -always seeing in the fading, fair-haired, loving woman, the pretty grey-eyed girl he had married. And whatever else had changed with the changing years, her love had never done so, but had increased as time went on and though, being an affectionate woman, she loved her children well, yet the great passion of her life was still poured out on the man who had been all in all to her for so many years—which is rare, for most women's life-love is only made perfect in their love for their children, whereas that of a man reaches its highest in his love for his wife.

"Chris, you are not allowed to read at tea," remarked Bob, anxious to attract attention to some one else's misdeeds. "Father, did you not say so? Chris has a book open on his knee.”

“Selfish Bob,” said Jack, soothingly, to Chris

topher, remembering his own grievances, as his father said, "Come, Chris, put away your book. It is very rude; you have plenty of time to read. during the day."

"Ma reads at tea-time," said Chris, as he shut up his Shakespeare with a slam.

"Your mother is old enough to do as she likes," said Mr Stevens.

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"But I don't see," said Christopher, with the air of a judge, "why it should be less rude to read at meal-times when one is old than when one is young." 'Now, Chris, don't argue," cried Betty," or I shall go away, and return in half an hour, hoping the last word will then have been said. And, by the by, as you have attracted attention to yourself, remember you are to come down to-night."

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'No, no!" cried Christopher in dismay, quite forgetting his other grief in this new one-"no, no! Mother, I may go to bed, may I not?"

"What is it, my dear?" inquired Mrs Stevens, once more quitting Cleopatra's Needle. "Go to bed!-why?"

"Oh, but, mother, I need not come down to-night. I promise

"No, Chris, there is no use appealing to mother, or promising anything. You promised last time, and I remember how you kept your promise. No, to-night you must come down, and stay down till all the little ones are asleep. You may go to bed at eleven, if you like."

Here there was a piteous wail from all the little ones of, "May not we come down? oh, dear

Betty!"

And Christopher dejectedly remarked, "Need I dress?"

"Yes, certainly. Father, will you give it as an order, for I am not going to endure the tortures of mind I did last time, caused by seeing white figures on the stairs every time I went out of the drawingroom door. The children are quite good and obedient alone, and Chris must dress and stay down-stairs till they are asleep."

'Very well, dear. Chris, you hear what Betty says now please do not let us have any trouble to-night."

May I not sit in the studio,-or the kitchen,— or even in the cellar ?-or-why, I would go into the garden,-oh, dear father!"

"No, father, it is a punishment because he was so disobedient last time. So there is no use arguing, Chris; you are to dress, and come down, and not to go away till I give you leave."

And Nell, my sweet little Nell, is she coming down!"

'Oh yes, father," said Betty; "Nell will have to play. You will not mind, will you, dear?" turning to the child.

Even Elizabeth Stevens' quick decided tones softened when speaking to her crippled sister, and the child well repaid the love lavished upon her; no one had ever known her voice raised in anger, or heard a selfish word pass her lips. Her life was one act of love to those about her; but dearly as she cared for them all, it was to her father she clung most. Her father it was she was ever with;

indeed it was a word in the house that you had only to find the one to be certain that the other was not very far off.

And yet, though Mr Stevens could not bear his little daughter to be out of his sight, there were times when the sound of her crutch had seemed to hurt his very heart—a time when the sight of her pale face had given him many a bitter moment, for it had been from his arms she had sprung when she had had the fall that crippled her for life;-it was to his carelessness that the baby-daughter had to owe her lifelong trial.

So it was to Nellie that Mr Stevens' eyes turned when the troubles of his life passed in review before him they did not rest long even on the little grave under foreign skies, which had caused many a heartache at the time. The poverty he had known, the struggles he had endured, were as nothing, for the sake of the love that had gilded those bitter days; only in Nellie's pale cheeks, and in the sound of her crutch, did Wat Stevens recognise the sorrow which is the share of all those on whom rests the curse of Adam's fall.

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CHAPTER VIII.

THORNS BELOW AND FLOWERS ABOVE.

"Before the beginning of years

There came to the making of man

Time, with a gift of tears;

Grief, with a glass that ran;

Pleasure, with pain for leaven;
Summer, with leaves that fell;
Remembrance, fallen from Heaven;
And madness, risen from Hell;
Strength, without hands to smite;
Love, that endures for a breath;
Night, the shadow of light;

And life, the shadow of Death."

"I CANNOT help wondering," said Betty, pausing to speak to her sister in the course of the evening, "if these good people assembled together could know the way we have toiled all day preparing for them, whether they would think the enjoyment worth the previous trouble, for I am sure I don't."

'Betty, do take off your spectacles; you have no idea how ugly you look with them on,-and Mr Elliot is here. I just saw him come in," was Nan's somewhat irrelevant reply.

Thank you, dear, for the suggestion as to my