An Old, Old Story.

known house in the City , the only son of his father , a rich man , and already very well off , would one day inherit undoubtedl y , humanly speaking , a large fortune . Thus then there could be no valid

objection to him—none at all ; and though Lucy Longhurst said very little , it was plain to her clear-sighted dear friends and neighbours that she was gay Avhen he was present , aud silent Avhen he Avas absent , and apparently very much bored if

anything delayed his daily visit . HOAV much of our individual and general happiness here depends , after all , on the presence or absence of some particular person . How great is that magnetic power of human attractionwhose laws would even puzzle

, , we fancy , Professor Tyndall himself . And so , as often happens , Mr . MainAvaring and Lucy Longhurst , everything being " couleur de rose" for them above , below , around , Avere floating complacently along the river of Life , no cloud to disturb the clear blue

sky , and Avere both daily feeling more and more how wonderfully they got on together , when the Rev . William Williams appeared upon the scene , and became also , for some reason or other , an almost daily visitor at the Cedars . He was the curate of their parish church , and being a young

gentleman who considered that there Avas no reason why he should not get on in the world , if due justice Avas only accorded to his own undoubted merit , had profited by a social tea meeting of the congregation to make the acquaintance of the aunt and the nieceand received an invitation to the

, Cedars , and had become a favoured prote « e of Miss Margerison . The ill-natured people of the vicinity ( and some are very often very ill-natured to clergymen especially ) said that he was making-up to Miss Longhurst , the more

ill-naturea declared that he Avas makingup to Miss Margerison , while the most illnatured unblushingly avowed that he Avas making-up both to the aunt and the niece . The servants at the Cedars were all on the side of Mr . Maimvaring , and were very

indignant when other servants told them that the curate was making-up to their young misses . " " Curate , indeed ! " said Mrs . Murray , " my mistress looks a little higher than that . As for Mr . AValters , his remarks Avere so unbecoming to the " cloth '' that I will not repeat them here .

An Old, Old Story.

Well , we left the party sitting under the shady limes , and , forgetting the long digres . sion , let us return thither , Walter MainAvaring has made one of his merry remarks , which has drawn a pleased smile and a silvery laugh from the radiant

Lucy , a grim half-smile from Mrs . Margerison , and an " Oh , really now ! " from Mr . AVilliams , Avhen the deep bell at the front door announced a visitor .

" Who can it be V said Lucy Longhurst , looking towards the house . Just at that moment the stately form of Mr . Walters , the butler , appeared , preceding Avith much dignity a tall , welldressed , grey-hairederect gentleman

, , Avhom the least observant AVOUICI instantl y declare to be an old soldier . And Colonel Mackintosh Avas as fine a specimen of that hard-worked , under-paid , much-abused individual , the English officer , as you could Avell meet .

Though he had joined the famous Light Division in 1810 , though the Peninsular , and Waterloo , and the Cape of Good Hope , and India had long since grizzled the flowing locks , and tamed the hi gh spirit of Allan Mackintosh , no more wellpreserved and Avell set-up old gentleman was to be seen in the United Service , or shaken hands Avith in Pall Mall .

He Avas , indeed , a thorough good specimen of an English officer and gentleman , and no better comrade , and no faster friend could be found in the whole of her Majesty ' s Army List . As he came up he bowed to the ladies

with a wave of his hat , like a " vieux Mousquetaire , " and having saluted his blushing god-daughter Lucy with a hearty kiss—a regular good smack—and having shaken hands warmly Avith Miss Margerison , held out a finger to Mr . Mainwaringand

, bowed somewhat stiffly to the curate , he sank down into the well-cushioned chair Avhich Lucy had placed for him , the moment she saw who the visitor was . ( To be continued . )

Be Happy As You Can.

BE HAPPY AS YOU CAN .

THIS life is not all sunshine , Nor is it yet- all showers , But storms and calms alternate As thorns among the floAvers ;