of the poet-for a poet's soul have I, though I oftentimes mend stockings, even blue ones, make bread, and teach and tend ragged and untidy children.

But this winter should be one of thoughts and deeds. Seated by our evening fire, the wind howling without, and the rain and sleet driving against the closed shutters; I had paused in my reading to listen to one peculiar wail, which had thrice risen above the elemental strife. Nay, nay; it was nothing but the moaning of the wild winds, and the bitter weeping of the horizontal boughs, lashed by the crystal sleet.

Yet, why should this external warring oppress me so? Through thy sympathies, O soul! On such a night, poor Biddy Malone's baby died, and none but me to sit with her beside the little bed.

A well-known rap at our evening parlor door. I quickly laid down my book, for John came in, bringing letters. My father took his and leisurely broke the seal, mine was torn open and read at once. It was from Maria. What a beautiful letter Maria writes! so gracefully penned, so choice in diction, so-so-kind. And, oh! she loves me so dearly. Well, it is something to know, and a great deal to be loved by a lovely, and large-minded woman. I always have strong misgivings about the woman whom other women love not.

Well-and Fred-how glad I was he had been there, and Maria had told him his sister's story. The darkness was lifted from his soul-her memory was now to him as something holy.

I held the letter still in my hand. My father said—

"I have a letter from your aunt Guilder. Her physician has advised that she should spend a winter at the North, to invigorate her health, which, it appears, has been for some time declining. This news does not give me unmixed plea

sure, certainly.

"But now, my precious, listen to her demands, for, from my only sister, a simple hint of her wishes, is all that to me.—

She is to spend the winter in New York city; and being a stranger, and, in some degree, an invalid, wishes my daughter to come and spend a large portion of the time at her house. Now, what answer can I make, my pussy ?"

"Oh !" I said, and my heart gave a great leap. "Tell her, I would be most happy to accept her kind invitation, but I cannot possibly leave my dear papa, alone."

"You are a born Diplomatist, my little Miss, you know very well how to manage your fond and foolish papa," he replied, with a gay and cheerful laugh.

"As you please, dearest papa."

"Well, I shall only be too glad to see my sister; so I think,-ah !-if you do not object, we will go down to Gotham, spend a few days, and then I may consent to leave you there some little time longer."

(6 And pray, what will you do at home alone?"

Oh, to be sure- -Why we will take your cousin, Belle, down with us, and when she is tired of seeing the Lions, she can return with me-and see the Bears."

"These, I suppose, I am to understand to be the country beaux, which her beauty and wit must attract to this place?" "If you please, but my vision extended not so far." "Well, indeed, I hope there is no hurry, I had rather wait awhile-and pray how are we to find my aunt?"

"I will answer your last question, first. She is now at the St. Nicholas Hotel, but will in a few days be in her own house we will go next week, for I already begin to be impatient to see my beloved sister."

So it was all settled, and in the morning a note was despatched to cousin Belle. A few more quiet days passed, and then what slight preparations were deemed necessary were soon completed.

For various reasons my father chose to have us go by our own conveyance, a comfortable family carriage.

It was a cold, but calm and pleasant day.

We arrived in the city early in the afternoon, stopt for a

brief while at the St. Nicholas. My aunt had been gone from thence some days. My father procured her address, and we proceeded to her residence.

How great was my surprise when John checked the horses in Forty-Fifth street, in front of the house adjoining that one where I had spent such pleasant hours, and also, hours of such fierce anger, followed by hours of deepest sorrow! It was a surprise not unmixed with pain. I did not wish to recall memories fruitless of any good, the darkest and most painful I had known, since my own great sorrow.

was of a different character.

"We wait for you, my pet."

And this

It was the voice of my father, and instantly recalled me to the present. Cousin Belle was already upon the steps. I cared not to note any of her surroundings. I would have my aunt the first object on which my eyes should rest, the lovely figure in the foreground of the picture my imagination had painted. And so it was.

And oh, what a vision of perfect loveliness, of full, rich, ripe, mature beauty and feminine grace dawned upon me! My girlhood's dream of this peerless lady, my aunt Guilder, was then fulfilled.

the

Eolia was summoned, a bright, sylph-like creature, to show young ladies to their room and assist in the divestiture of their traveling gear.

As we entered our room, Belle glided past me, sank into a chair, and with a half sigh, as if not fully assured of the impression she had made, said

"My dear, we got through the presentation with most remarkable ability."

Certainly we did—had you any previous doubts on that head, my little Belle ?"

Oh, but our aunt is a very splendid woman."

"Yes, and sweet tempered, for see the bright warm fire she has ordered in the grate."

"Heaven send her heart be as warm !"

Eolia drew two luxurious chairs near the fire and intimated that there would be no company to tea-the young ladies would have two hours for dressing, she would leave for awhile, and then return and assist them if desired.

We thanked her, but said, we northern young ladies, in robust health, needed little aid in making our toilette. Exit Eolia, courtesying.

"Isn't she pretty?"

"Yes, very. Spanish, with a slight cross of the African." "Evidently, but, Minnie, why did you not lead her on to talk more? her voice is music."

“Eolia—wind-harp. Dear, I intend she shall be to me what her musical name implies-wind-harp, which is heard only when the free airs of heaven breathe upon its strings. Give me one Eolian strain, but take thou, dearest Belle, and keep all the pretty Polls thou canst hang up in a tin cage." "How kind! Allow me also a few oranges from that silver basket, which no doubt Eolian Strain has left here for our use."

"You shall have but one, you saucy thing-for it is near time to begin to dress."

"Excuse me, dear-but what are we to wear?"

"Our brown silks, ma belle ! they are very sweet in effect, and with black velvet bows, not too dressy for the present occasion."

"Brown, with black velvet-ah, what little doves we shall be. And so we are to sit gracefully, and coo-like two little ring-doves."

""Tis the bridal ring-the brida-al ring." I sang the refrain of an old Swiss song.

"Is it, Minnie? Bridal ring! aha, an omen."

"In what, pet?"

“Oh, I'll not tell you, until I see it fulfilled."

"The usual way with omen-venders, I believe."

"A fig for your sarcasm.'

We proceeded quite leisurely with the pleasant toil of

dressing, much to Belle's comfort, who had somewhat of the lymphatic temperament. She was a pure blonde, and it required no little study to combine appropriate colors and give a pleasing effect to this "neutral tint," which Belle often playfully termed herself.

Our delightful task was just completed-a light tap at the door-it was Eolia, come to show us down to tea.

We found my father and aunt in almost Paradisical happiness; and her son, our cousin Henry, to whom we had previously been introduced, an attentive and pleased listener. The journey from the South, here the brief sojourn in the city, or seeing her brother-some one or all of these incidents had done much toward renewing my aunt's health— for she was now the picture of mature loveliness. It was not alone her beauty of person, her gracefulness of manner, or her rare intelligence, which charmed. Not these alonethere was a moral grandeur about my aunt Guilder, more fascinating, more entrancing, than all these.

Belle was in ecstacies. After we returned from the tea-room, our cousin Henry devoted himself to Belle and me. He talked with us we played and sang, and so the evening passed, like many that followed, full of interest, full of pleasure, full of real, enduring, home-happiness. Each succeeding day seemed brighter and fairer than the one gone before it—we rode out, visited many places of interest, which the real Manhattaner knows so well how to enjoy.

One day a letter to Madam Guilder came, containing the intelligence that she was soon to be joined by her son, whom we had never seen, and of whom we knew little, as he had completed his education abroad—had traveled for some years on the Continent of Europe-but would now remain with his mother at least, as long as it suited him to do so. My father was content to stay another week.