The New Year.

Falling around us grimly , in form of Avratb ancl fear , As Ave move on darkly burdened for the toils of another year ? AVkat will another tAvelve months tell us ? What have they yet in store For you and mefor loving friends , standing

, upon the shore Where meet the surging billoAvs of yon tumultuous seas Ancl Ave yet can hail the balmy odour of each refreshing breeze ? Is sorrow standing in our path ? Or trial

in our way ? As all unknown Ave IIOAV begin another year to-day ? Must sobs and separation bind doAvn our hearts in pain ,

As our little bark is floating on hfes ever treacherous main ? Alust change and chance ancl bitter loss fall on us all alike ? What is the bloAV that God may send ? Or Providence may strike ? Let us ask ourselves all calmly , as on our

life-long Avay AVe greet with smiles or sighs of pain , another year to-day ; Let us ask ourselves the question , in humble truth ancl trust , To help and cheer aud strengthen us poor

mortals of the dust , Who knowing little , seeing less , must leave in loving fear To God Most High , our hearts and cares as of old , iu the Nevr Year . A . F . A . W .

The Widow's Stratagem.

THE WIDOW'S STRATAGEM .

ELDER BOYD , though a very good man in the main l and looked up to Avith respect by all the inhabitants of the little village of Oldville , was rumoured to have , in Yankee parlance , a pretty sharp lookout for the main chance—a-, peculiarity from Avhich

Elders are not ahvays exempt . In Avorldly matters he Avas decidedly Avell-to-do , having inherited a fine firm from his father , which was growing yearly 'bore and more valuable . It might be supposed that under these circumstances the Elder , who Avas fully able to do so , w . ould have found a help-mate to share his

house and name . But the Elder Avas Avary , Matrimony Avas to him , in some measure a matter of money , and it Avas his firm resolve not to marry unless he could thereby enhance his Avorldly prosperity . Unhappily the little village of Oldville

ancl the toAvns in the immediate vicinity contained few AVIIO Avere qualified in the important particular , ancl of these there Avere probably noneAvith whom the Elder ' s suit would have prospered . So it happened that year after year passed aAvay , until

Elder Boyd was in the prime , of life—44 or thereabouts—and still unmarried , and , in all human probability , likely to remain so . But in all human calculation of this kind they reckon ill AVIIO leave AvidoAvs out . Elder Boyd ' s nearest neig hbour Avas

a widow . The AvidoAV Hayes , AVIIO had passed throug h matrimonial experience , was some years younger than Elder Boyd . She -was still a buxom comely Avoman , as AVHIOAVS are apt to be .

Unfortunately the late Mr . Hayes had not been able to leave her sufficient to make her independent of the world . All that she possessed Avas a small , old-fashioned

house in Avhich she lived , and a small amount of money Avhich Avas sufficient to support her ancl a little son of six , like-Avise to be enumerated in the schedule of her property , though hardly to be " productive " of anything but mischief .

The AvidoAV Avas therefore obliged to take care of three boarders to eke out her scanty income , AA'hich , of course , imposed upon her considerable labour and anxiety . Is it surprising that under these circumstances she should IIOAV and then have

bethought herself of a second marriage as a method of bettering her condition ? ' Or again , need Ave esteem it a special Avonder , if in her reflections upon this point , she should have cast her eyes upon her neighbour , Elder Boyd ? The Elder , as Ave'have

already said , -was in flourishing circumstances , He would be able to maintain a wife in great comfort , ancl being one of the personages in the village , could' accord her aprominentsocialposition . HeAvas notespeciallhandsomeorcalculated to make a

proy , found impression upon the female heart ; this was true , but he was of a good disposition , kind-hearted ; and Avould no doubt make a very good sort of a husband . x 2