to make bargains, and was held to be rather economical in his dealings. He, by a little of what country people call "sarching the registry," easily ascertained the extent of the incumbrances on the Westhill place; and then set to work upon the mortgagees, many of whom were city men, and by judiciously depreciating the value of the land, induced most of them to assign their deeds to him at a discount. He knew the Colonel's property well, and was confident the interest would be paid, or at any rate, that the lands were amply sufficient. In this way, by fair means, he became the Colonel's principal creditor, much to that gentleman's liking, for he had known Jones many years, and was more willing an old neighbor should hold his securities than that they should pass into the hands of strangers.

Mr. Jones and the Colonel having now in a manner identified their interests, were brought more together than they had been before. They frequently rode over to each other's houses, and talked over the value of lots, the prices of neat stock, wood, hay, and grain. In his visits to the Colonel, the old farmer could not but be struck by the beauty and elegant manners of the two young ladies-especially Miss July's, as he was wont to call her.

He was a pretty selfish old man, and next to himself he had an only son, Oliver Jones, Junior, whom he loved as the apple of his eye. This young Oliver, his father intended should be the pride of mankind; all that money could buy should in time be his; all that plotting and toiling could do to place him in an honorable station, should be done. Accordingly it began now to dawn upon the old man that Julia Blanding would make him a capital wife. She was, he considered, the prettiest and best behaved young miss he had ever seen; while Oliver, in his eyes, was the paragon of youths. The property lay together; the Colonel was a man above him in station; in short, the more he turned the matter over in his mind, the more desirable did it appear-and that especially, as he had a kind of suspicion which he would not confess to himself, that Oliver was a little wild, and spent money rather too fast, and it would be wise to marry him and settle him down. But the old man's estimate of

12 VOL. II. NO. VI. NEW SERIES.

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his son's perfections was far from being a correct one.

Of all creatures in this world there is none I hate worse than your country dandy -one who wears great plaid pants, and chews tobacco-whose clothes are cut in the extreme tailor fashion, and whose brains have nothing in them but conceit and mean ideas-who drives a buggy, and lounges and talks loud at grocery corners, or sits tilted back with a cigar in his mouth and his boots against the tavern balusters.

Such an one was Oliver, Junior. It may appear strange that when at length by distant approaches, the old man broached the project to the Colonel, it was not at once rejected. But consider the circumstances: here was a scheme which, would make ample provision for his beloved daughter, and wipe away all his own losses. True, Oliver, Junior, could not have been educated like his own son, Stephen; but neither had Julia. As for the difference in rank, he flattered himself his daughter could gather around her what society she chose. The young man did not dress in the best taste; but what is there in dress? There was also much in his air and manner which, had he appeared to him under any other relations, would have been very disagreeable-but then the whole arrangement seemed so nice that all minor particulars would surely come out right. Thus the Colonel's ardent imagination so occupied him with the view of what after all could only be the means of happiness for his child, that he altogether neglected the end.

The old men came to an understanding. They talked it over and hob-a-nobbed success to the young couple one cold November day, with hot slings of Julia's preparation, while she was hinted out of the parlor by pretence of private business. The thing was fixed upon-decided ; nothing remained but to put it into execution.

Accordingly, old Mr. Jones, the next time he came, brought over the Junior in his old fat chaise, and the two old fellows manoeuvred to bring the young people into immediate intimacy. But they (like most old folks who attempt such games) opened too roughly, and showed their hands too soon; they forgot that Henrietta was by, with perceptions as delicate,

ɔmpared with theirs, as a fairy's; and hey were incapable of suspecting that such a quiet creature as she had any resolution or any power. Herein they could not possibly have made a greater mistake. For of the two, Henrietta was a far more dangerous witch than Julia; the latter might call up very potent spirits, but the first could waken the Love which dwells with Life and Death. She knew how Ide and Julia stood affected toward each other; and also how she esteemed them both, and more than all, how dear to her was Stephen. She saw, with the quickness of instinct, what were the Colonel's designs, and she had experienced enough from his growing infirmities to catch alarm. What she could never have done for herself she could not help doing for another. In her own nature yielding and reserved to the last degree, she could encourage her friend in resolution, which, had it not been for her, might have broken and melted away in tears.

Within an hour after the departure of old Mr. Jones and his young Hopeful from their first visit, the cousins had conferred together, and Julia had written a letter to Harry Ide in Boston, which Henrietta was to give Wilber Wells in the evening, for the post-office; that gentleman, by the way, having long entertained the profoundest respect for Ide, and hardly less for "the tall one."

I should have mentioned that Harry and Stephen were now both settled in the city, the former just working his way into a fair practice as a physician, the latter a head clerk and junior partner in a large manufacturing firm. Both visited Westhill every week or two, and they generally came together; their ancient friendship had remained unbroken, save by some little miffs, which, in bantering each other, occasionally served to turn a jest.

When Ide received Julia's letter, informing him what they had to fear, he went to a famous restaurant, and ordered a good dinner, as the first step in the business, and considered what was to be done. He loved Julia Blanding with all his heart and soul; but in order to do anything it was necessary to preserve his nerve. He thought her father a fine old gentleman, and had no desire to thwart or cheat him. But he held to that natural

and inalienable right of a freeman, to marry any lady who loves him, and the equal right of any free woman to choose her own husband. He regretted that necessity 1 should force him into proceedings out of the common way, but he was willing to go far to sustain a principle; and, in short, he was no less fixed in the opinion that Julia Blanding should not be the wife of any but him, than were the old men to the contrary. To use a legal phrase, the pleadings had now reached a direct issue.

Harry was not a man to do things underhandedly. He was no intriguer, but one who wrought in the daylight. His first step, therefore, was, to go to Stephen and open his whole heart to him, in a friendly and brotherly spirit. They had never touched the subject before, though each had a suspicion that his secret could not but be known to the other.

Stephen met his confidence by a frankness equal to his own; he had seen the Junior Oliver, and he now turned pale as he declared, that he would, rather than see his sister married to such a low-bred scoundrel, behold her pretty face beneath the coffin-lid. He saw the letter Julia had written his friend, merely a plain, brief one, informing him of the treatment she had reason to expect from her father, and urging him to come soon and pay them a visit. The truth was, the old ones had opened the campaign so vigorously, and young Oliver had been made a confidant by his father so soon, and was so sure of success, that the garrison were a little disposed to overrate the hostile force. The letter was superscribed in the hand-writing of Henrietta, and the slight flush which went across the face of Stephen when be saw it, was remarked by Ide; a little cir cumstance, but it made the latter smile. In conclusion, they agreed to go out together and spend thanksgiving at Westhill, which would be in about a fortnight. Wilber Wells was accordingly informed to that effect by the stage-coachman, who passed next afternoon.

The two weeks tardily wore sway. and found our two friends, one dreary afternoon, seated on the box by the side of the same daily messenger. But they did not anticipate precisely such a recep tion as was in store for them.

For in the meanwhile, the Colonel ha

eld a conversation with Julia, in which | e disclosed to her his plans and wishes. he, in her guilelessness and confidence in er affections, had thought to overcome er father by frankly avowing the truth o him, and appealing to his tenderness for er; she thought when she told him how ong, how dearly she had loved Harry Ide, ow constant had been his regard for her, nd all the bright hopes awakened in them y the strength of their attachment, that hen her father would forbear and relent, nd change his mind. In this she was holly in error.

The old man, to do him justice, really vished and felt that he ought to yield, but e could not. For what, if he did yield, would become of his parental authority? The moment this notion took possession of him, all he underwent in going against is natural kind feeling for his daughter was set down by him as so much sacrificed o duty. Thus the more he felt he was acting against her wishes, the more deternined was he to continue to do so. He accordingly put on a Roman firmness. His luty as a parent required him to overcome his feelings as a man. He regretted he was not more hard-hearted, and that it should cost him so much trouble to do what many men would go through with quite easily.

So have I seen a mother hector her child into disobedience, flog it therefor, and weep that she should be obliged to do t; and all really on account of there being cold morning. So have I known a man who took credit to himself for spoiling his appetite, under a notion that the Christian religion required him to eat his dinner from a sense of duty. The disease of glorying in self-denial for its own sake, is probably older than the Puritan rigor, or than monkish penances..

The Colonel grew stern and awful. Under the impression that he was playing the martyr, he, in reality, was acting like a very foolish old man. He put on the magnificent, and wished to know if his only daughter was going to disobey her father, and marry a poor doctor, when an eligible match had been contrived for her advantage; things were come to a pretty pass if daughters were to undertake in this way, to provide for themselves, against the wishes of their natural guardians. He de

sired to hear no more of it. He thought he knew what was best, and intended to be master in his own house.

He intended to be, but he was not, for there was a pair of dark flashing eyes worn by Miss Henrietta about this time, which he dared not look at. There was also in Miss Julia's manner anything but humility manifested. In fine, the selfsacrificing father only made himself and the house thoroughly miserable.

The two friends arrived just as the family were sitting down to dinner; they were received, Stephen cordially, and Ide grimly, by the Colonel, and we can imagine how by the young ladies. A few guests had been invited for the holiday, otherwise it is probable the Colonel would have proceeded to extremity, and forbidden Ide the house at once. Among others was Fogger, who had been engaged with the old gentleman all the morning in drawing papers, for he being the only man of law in the vicinity, political and personal considerations yielded to those of business. Oliver Jones, Junior, was also present, as a matter of course, seated next to Julia, on the Colonel's left flank.

That promising youth wore, on this occasion, a pair of De Meyer check pantaloons, and a beautiful gold breast-pin, with a short chain hanging to it. His hair had been frizzed that morning by the village barber, and altogether he was very fine, except his hands.

He did his utmost during dinner, seconded by the Colonel, to make himself easy and agreeable, but it was, as he himself afterwards remarked, "no go." He did not know exactly what to say, his range of conversation being chiefly confined to bar-room jests; he would have been much more at home, notwithstanding his pantaloons and chain breast-pin, seated on a beer barrel in a grocery, cutting a chip and flooding the floor, while the talk was of dogs and horses, and the same stale witticism was ten times iterated. He began to doubt whether he would marry Miss Julia after all; she was a kind of incomprehensible creature, whom he did not seem to get on with at all.

Stephen, on sitting down, put the old housekeeper into a side seat and took the foot of the table, but instantly remarking that Ide should be more familiar with