An Old, Old Story.

Indeed , as he had onl y left the house the evening before , so matutinal a call on his part was alike unusual and novel . He had evidently attended to the adorning of the " outward man , " and was as smart as he well could be , and an exact observer might have noted that his boots were

newwhich , perhaps , partly accounted for the redness of his face , and that , to use a somewhat vulgar expression , he had on his "Sunday best . " The " state" of the curate did not escape the wide-awake eyes of Miss Lucy Longhurst , who was partly

annoyed and partly amused by his unexpected appearance . She had clearly a sort of " presentiment" what it all meant . But my heroine , as my readers will perceive , and as young ladies are just now , was quite able to take care of herself , and she set

herself , as the saying is , " square " to her " work , " and " went in , " as they also say , " meaning to win . " When , then , after a few dulcet speeches and after a few preliminary vapid nothings , Mr . Williams appealed to Lucy personally for support some

upon point or other which he adroitly put forward for the occasion , Lucy so sat upon him and so " shut him up , " as she told her friends afterwards , that Mr . AVilliams gave up his efforts , whatever they might have tended to , in despair , and treated her as a

friend of ours once told us he behaved to a young lady in a similar situation" went to propose to her , old fellar , but found her such an out and out vixen , that I let- her drop . " I do not say for one moment that any such profane ideas entered

into ^ the well-regulated mind of Mr . AVilliams , or that any such very slan » sentences dropped from his well-trained lips I This would be doing , doubtless , injustice to him—alike in thought and utterance , But he turned from the young

lady in mute displeasure and injured indignation , and at once devoted all his attention to Miss Margerison , who had by no means been an inattentive eyewitness of all that was taking place , and clearly disapproved of the cavalier treatment and contemptuous

behaviour which Lucy had manifested in such an unmistakeable manner to her agitated swain . And so the good old lad y thought that it was her bouuden duty to attempt to soothe the ruffled spirits of Mr , AVilliams , and , much to Lucy ' s annoyance , she again asked him to luncheon , and

by numerous " petits soins and kind words and friendly ways , soon restored that ill . used young man to his customary self , complacency and self-esteem . And yet perhaps , it is one of the most awkward situations in life for a man—young or old

matters not—when a lady has rebuffed him—much more , has refused him . She may have done so advisedly or unadvisedl y , rightly or wrongly , but still for the bi ped " homo " it is as humiliating a fact as can be well imagined . To know that

your "Donna del Lago , " your own adorable Priscilla has literally refused you—has after all her encouragement to you , well and what not else—declined distinctl y to have " anything to say to you , " to have youin factfor her " lord and master" to

, , , be the " cynosure of your eyes , " and the " fond affection of your heart , " etc ., etc , It is dreadfully trying , no doubt , and some men never get over it . Some go on their way humming the old song , —

" There are yet as good fish in the sea , As ever yet were caught , " while some simply make up their mind on the spot to take the " other alternative , " to " propose to someone else . " I remember a poor friend of mine who

once was refused by his angel Ann , and for a time he was the most disconsolate of men . He travelled about alone , he got hipped , he bored his friends , he seemed getting queer , when , all of a sudden he met somebody else , and he said to himself

" what a fool I have been ! " He got interested , became friendly , proposed , was accepted , has now a large and increasing family , and is as "jolly as a sand-boy . " But , however , it was quite clear that that resolute maiden Lucy Long hurst

would have no " part or lot" in Mr . AVilliams , and , therefore , like a prudent and considerate person—as he was—he gave up youth and flighfciness and took to maturity and good sense . Lucy often told the story afterwards , and said how amusing

it was to mark the astonishment aw . growing embarassment of Miss Margerison , For Mr . AVilliams—who prided himself equally on his " discernment " and " never doing things by halves " —was now lavishing all his platitudes and all his " attentions " on the elder lady . She , good old soul , in the simplicity of her heart and the