After All, Or Thrice Won.

land , she whispered " Tell Artie not to cry ; he will come soon , too ; good bye ; good bye , Artie ! " These were her last words , and her spirit flew away to the happier regions above . To Mr . and Mrs . Humberton , Arthur was now ei'erything . All that could bo done for him in reason Avas clone , though not with too great extravagance . Ho was sent to a good schoolwhere be learnt a good dealbrought away

, , several prizes , and made many friends . His parents Avere overjoyed at bis success . Ho bad always shown au aptitude for music , so his father also indulged him in this way , ancl he hacl some lessons on the pianoforte , on which he showed great proficiency . He certainly exhibited much talent and progress , ancl promised to be a bright scholar in the not very distant future . His mother was exceedingly proud of him .

But Arthur ' s troubles were not over yet . At tbe tender age of twelve he had the misfortune to lose his very clear mother , then his clearest friend on earth . His heart-broken sobs at the time were piteous to hear . He knew what death was then in one sense ; he knew that it meant separation , cruel separation , and deep , unalterable loss , never to be replaced . She hacl always been very kind to him , and he loved his mother very much .

He was again sent to school , ancl in his studies he tried to forget the sad thought that bis dear mother had left him for ever , ancl to find consolation , in working to be a cleA er man as she had Avished . He was still rjaying- attention to music , ancl in its study he made rapid strides . His father once hesitated whether he would let him follow music as a profession or apprentice him to a merchant . But when he thought of his very possible failure to succeed as a musician , and the hard life be would be obliged to lead , be determined in favour of merchandise .

At fourteen , therefore , be was apprenticed for five years to Messrs . Phane and Co . He hacl not been there long before his third misfortune fell heavil y upon him . His father was killed in a railway accident . Now , indeed , was he left friendless in tbe world . Poor Arthur ! Fortune seemed dead against him . But Mr . Phane proved himself at this period a real kind-hearted man . Not only did he give him a iveek ' s holiday from business to attend to his own private affairsbut he assisted him all he could like a true friend . Arthur

, would now have to find his own means of living , and Mr . Phane kindly offered to erase his indenture , and give a salary of fifty pounds per annum to commence with , to be raised ten pounds yearly if he merited it . Arthur AVUS overwhelmed with gratitude to him , even in the midst of bis grief , and he thanked him with silent tears . Not many men would have clone AY hat Mr . Phane did ; it was an act of true beneA r olence , done without any view of return , but never

to be forgotten by Arthur Humberton . He was now , at nineteen , receiving a hundred pounds a year from Mr . Phane , and he did all he could to deserve it . His employer lost nothing by bis generosity . It did not at all please Mr . Bulliker , though , that Humberton should be so favoured ; he took a selfish objection to anything so irregular . " I hate him , " he hissed through his teeth . In fact , he hated everybody , and probably they reciprocated bis kind feelings .

"His ' ate only applies iu practice to his biscuits , " said Merrisslope ; "he hasn ' t the spirit of a worm . " When Mr . Humberton ' s affairs were all made up , there Avas about fift y pounds a year coming in from investments , etc ., so that Arthur was tolerabl y AA ^ ell cared for . He had always had a passion for music , and this he HOAV exercised , aud he found a sweet consolation in playing on the organ extempore . It seemed

to soothe his mind , and fill him with calm , quiet thoughts , that made him forget all his troubles . Sometimes it would whisper to him in strange accents of a future fame , and swelling out into noble harmony tell of proud success . He listened to its flattering voice , and studied more and more the themes of old masters , the intricacies an d technicalities of the instrument , and tbe theory of music in all its branche s . All these he extensively prac-