On Reading.

adversity of its sting . Now ( continued Mr . Trollope ) , let those whom he addressed think Avhat all that meant . There were many very praiseAvorthy delig hts . There were the theatres , Avbere the people received additional amusement , and certainly a

kuoAvledge of the Avorld and of nature ; but a book people could take to bed with them if they pleased . And , again , how great was the pleasure of walking into our National Gallery ancl gazing at such masterieces in art as his friend Mr . Frithfor

p , example , had painted . There Avere noblemen AVIIO had very grand p icture galleries , AA'hich they could not take to the seaside ; they could not always play cricket ; but a good book Avent Avith them everywhere . Some were fond of hunting , but there was

a deal Avanting before people could enjoy that recreation : Avhereas they had always got their fox if they knew hoAv to read a good book . If , hoAvever , they did not read from 20 to 40 years of age , they would never read from 40 to 60 . He advised themthereforeto sit Avith their feet on

, , the fender , as Macaulay had said , ancl thus enjoy the book they were reading . After this brief address , Avhich at times was cheered , Mr . Trollope proceeded to deliver the prizes gained by the more successful of the students . Many hundreds of the best

families in that part of the City Avere present on the occasion , including a large proportion of young ladies , Avho contributed some excellent glee singing in the course of the evening .

An Old, Old Story.

AN OLD , OLD STORY .

CHAPTER VII . Stay , lot us keep tho first rough copy , though 1 ' wil ! serve again . There ' s hut the name to alter , And love Out needs must knock at every portal '" forma pauperis . We are hut mortal !

AUSTIN DOBSON . Att earthly amusements must have an ° "d , and well for us all it is , when the garish splendour of some " festive scene " Jl » s passed , AVOII for us all , as Ave say , if there

then survives for us Avith tho faded flowers , and extinguished lights , ancl hushed steams , no sadder mommies and no haunting shadoAVs . Too many of this world ' s idle shoAA's aro but the prelude to lasting sorrows , too many of its fantastic groupings but the commencement of unending remorse . But

I must not become all at once too sentimental or too prosy , ancl Avill pick up onco again tho dropped skoin of silk , and proceed Avith my " floss-AVork , " duly and properly . When the croquet was finished ancl tho

tea AA'as over , on the last occasion to Avhich your chronicler lias referred , and Avhen all the guests one by one had departed , some of them very loath to go , Miss Margorison and Lucy Longhurst had rather a dull dinner , ancl spent ( the first in their lives ) , a

duller evening . It Avas quite clear that tho good old lady had something on her mind—wished to say something to Lucy , ( as people often do in family life ) , and yet could hardly muster up courage to do soancl as the young lady

, , who , as we have already seen , was not at all deficient in acumen , had a half suspicion Avhat it all meant , she determined to give her aunt no opening , if she could help it .

Ancl so Avhen the lamp Avas lighted and the curtains Avere draAvn , by the attentive Mr . Walters , both Lucy and hor aunt relapsed into arm chairs and silence , tho one being extremely interested in a piece of tapestry work , and the other hugel y taken

up Avith a neAV novel . Mr . Walters on retiring to tho housekeeper ' s room , had expressed his opinion that there was " something up , " ancl then proceeded to convince his attentive hearers that he firmly believed his " old missis "

Avas going to " bring Mr . Williams ancl Miss Longhurst together , " a fact Avhich his female auditory at once scouted , and AA'hicli he himself denounced as a "base proceeding . " While the storm was raging below stairs , above all was placid quiescenceonly

, broken by the advent of tea , only altered , by Avhat Col . Mackintosh called "tattoo , " the retreat for the nig ht . Lucy in her room heard a great deal from her faithful and confidential Mrs .

Murray , who Avas loud m her encomiums of Mr . MaiiiAvaring , and indignant in her denunciations of Mr . Williams , Avhile , as