word again to Uncle Jaw or any of his race; but she was taken by surprise at the frank, extended hand, and friendly "how d'ye do?" It was not in woman to resist so cordial an address from a handsome young man, and Miss Silence gave her hand and replied with a graciousness that amazed herself. At this moment, also, certain soft blue eyes peeped forth from a corner, just "to see if he looked as he used to do." Yes, there he was! the same dark, mirthful eyes that used to peer on her froni behind the corners of the spelling-book at the district school; and Susan Jones gave a half sigh to those times, and then wondered why she happened to think of such nonsense.

"How is your sister, little Miss Susan?" said Joseph.

"Why, she is here-have you not seen her?” said Silence; "there she is, in that corner."

Joseph looked, but could scarcely recognise her. There stood a tall, slender, blooming girl, that might have been selected as a specimen of that union of perfect health with delicate fairness so characteristic of the young New-England beauty.

She was engaged in telling some merry story to a knot of young girls, and the rich colour that, ike a bright spirit, constantly went and came in her cheeks; the dimples, quick and varying as those of a little brook; the clear, mild eye; the

clustering curls, and, above all, the happy, rejoicing smile, and the transparent frankness and simplicity of expression which beamed like sunshine about her, all formed a combination of charms that took our hero quite by surprise; and when Silence, who had a remarkable degree of directness in all her dealings, called out, "Here, Susan, is Joe Adams, inquiring after you !" our practised young gentle. man felt himself colour to the roots of his hair, and for a moment he could scarce recollect that first rudiment of manners, "to make his bow like a good boy." Susan coloured also; but, perceiving the confusion of our hero, her countenance assumed an expression of mischievous drollery, which, helped on by the titter of her companions, added not a little to his confusion.

"Deuse take it!" thought he, "what's the matter with me?" and, calling up his courage, he dashed into the formidable circle of fair ones, and began chattering with one and another, calling by name with or without introduction, remembering things that never happened with a freedom that was perfectly fascinating.

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Really, how handsome he has grown!" thought Susan; and she coloured deeply when once or twice the dark eyes of our hero made the same ob. servation with regard to herself, in that quick, intelligible dialect which eyes alone can speak. And

when the little party dispersed, as they did very punctually at nine o'clock, our hero requested of Miss Silence the honour of attending her home, an evidence of discriminating taste which materially raised him in the estimation of that lady. It was true, to be sure, that Susan walked on the other side of him, her little white hand just within his arm; and there was something in that light touch that puzzled him unaccountably, as might be inferred from the frequency with which Miss Silence was obliged to bring up the ends of conversation with, "What did you say?" "What were you going to say?" and other persevering forms of inquiry, with which a regular-trained matter-of-fact talker will hunt down a poor fellow-mortal who is in danger of sinking into a comfortable revery.

When they parted at the gate, however, Silence gave our hero a hearty invitation to "come and see them any time," which he mentally regarded as more to the point than anything else that had been said.

As Joseph soberly retraced his way homeward, his thoughts, by some unaccountable association, began to revert to such topics as the loneliness of man by himself, the need of kindred spirits, the solaces of sympathy, and other like matters.

That night Joseph dreamed of trotting along Iwith his dinner-basket to the old brown school

house, and vainly endeavouring to overtake Susan Jones, whom he saw with her little pasteboard sunbonnet a few yards in front of him; then he was tetering with her on a long board, her bright little face glancing up and down, while every curl around it seemed to be living with delight; and then he was snowballing Tom Williams for knocking down Susan's doll's house, or he sat by her on a bench, helping her out with a long sum in arithmetic; but, with the mischievous fatality of dreams, the more he ciphered and expounded, the longer and more hopeless grew the sum; and he awoke in the morn. ing pshawing at his ill luck, after having done a sum over half a dozen times, while Susan seemed to be looking on with the same air of arch drollery that he saw on her face the evening before. "Joseph," said Uncle Jaw, the next morning at breakfast, "I s'pose Squire Jones's daughters were not at the quilting?"

"Yes, sir, they were," said our hero; "they were both there."

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Why, you don't say so?"

"They certainly were," persisted the son.

"Well, I thought the old gal had too much spunk for that you see there is a quarrel between the deacon and those gals."

"Indeed!" said Joseph. "I thought the deacon never quarrelled with anybody."

"But, you see, old Silence there, she will quarrel with him railly, that creatur' is a tough one;" and Uncle Jaw leaned back in his chair, and con. templated the quarrelsome propensities of Miss Si lence with the satisfaction of a kindred spirit. "But I'll fix her yet," he continued; "I see how

to work it."

"Indeed, father, I did not know that you had anything to do with their affairs."

"Ha'n't I? I should like to know if I ha'n't!" replied Uncle Jaw, triumphantly. "Now see here, Joseph you see I mean you shall be a lawyer: I'm pretty considerable of a lawyer myself-that is, for one not college larn't, and I'll tell you how it is" and thereupon Uncle Jaw launched forth into the case of the medder land and the mill, and concluded with, "Now, Joseph, this 'ere is a kinder whetstone for you to hone up your wits on."

In pursuance, therefore, of this plan of sharpening his wits in the manner aforesaid, our hero, af. ter breakfast, went, like a dutiful son, directly towards Squire Jones's, doubtless for the purpose of taking ocular survey of the meadow land, mill, and stone wall; but, by some unaccountable mistake, lost his way, and found himself standing before the door of Squire Jones's house.

The old 'squire had been among the aristocracy of the village, and his house had been the ultimate