different atmosphere, soon became calm. I am calm now, very calm. I know all the hopelessness of my situation; its worst aspects are before me. Yet I will not despair. Youth is strong and hopeful. I shall comfort my father, love and teach Margaret, be dutiful to my stepmother as long as I can. To-morrow the visitors will be here, but the

day after I shall see you.

Good-bye. Believe me, until then, your own

BERTHA ELLICOTT.

JOHN BIG GS.

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE ATTORNEY,' 'HARRY HARSON,' ETC.

СПАРТЕР FOURTH.

DAYS went flitting by until they grew to be months, and months swelled into years. Each wrote its story as it went, and the tenor of that story was, 'change;' but the changes wrought by Time are always gradual, and its silent work could be detected only by looking back through the past, and contrasting it with the present.

Children had grown to be men, and men, stalwart and robust, had sunk into decrepitude. Households told the same story. There was a broken crutch in the garret, and an empty settle in the chimney-corner, where the old man used to sit, querulous with age, and in the way of every one except the half-blind dog who dozed at his feet, and licked his palsied hand, and with dim eyes, still looked affectionately at him. Time had done its silent work there, likewise. The grass was growing rank and long where the old man now slept, and his dog was long since forgotten. Yet, it was but ten years a small span in history, but a

long one in the life of man.

It had told its tale, too, on the blacksmith; but his frame was an iron one, and although, perhaps, it was not quite as erect as it had been, its rugged strength had withstood the brunt of years, well. His hair had become nearly white, and his face more furrowed; but there was the same expression of simple, honest purpose in his look, and the same character of iron repose about his massive face, and the same appearance of slumbering strength in his limbs, as in days long past.

He had kept his promise to the boy committed to his charge, well; and in so doing, he had reaped his own reward; for, as Harry Lindsay grew up, and day by day developed those traits of character which had always rendered his family beloved among their neighbors, the blacksmith learned to regard him with the same pride and affection as if he had been his own child.

'He's a noble lad,' said he to one of his neighbors - although Harry was now nearly a man as they stood looking at him galloping past the smithy, his fine features glowing with health and exercise, and his eyes dancing with life and happiness. He's the same as my own child to me - almost.'

But, although John had thus far carefully guarded his childhood, and had been his confidential adviser as he advanced in years, he had not been alone in the formation of the boy's character; for, shortly after the death of Mr. Lindsay, Dick Bolles, finding that John could not be induced to abandon the smithy, 'pulled up stakes,' as he termed it, and took up his abode in the village. He had a warm admiration for the blacksmith, not unmixed with a feeling of pity for the guileless simplicity of his character. As soon as he understood the nature of the

relation which existed between John and Harry Lindsay, he mentally constituted himself the guardian of both of them. For he remarked, that although John was a good man, and a man of learning, he was but a child in the ways of the world, and must be looked after. He'll do all he can for that boy, and he'll do a good deal in his line; but it'll take me, to make a man of him.'

The idea of Dick Bolles, as to the course of education requisite for a young man, was indeed different from that of the blacksmith. The former, in his youth, had been somewhat noted as a hard-riding daredevil, with a dash of the moss-trooper in his character. It was true, that with the increase of years came a proportionate diminution of his mad-cap propensities, and he had, at length, become quite a sedate personage. Still, he evinced a strong hankering for his old habits, but he resolutely kept it down, and yielded to other and younger men his place as ring-leader in all the scrapes and hair-brained pranks which took place there. It was well-known, however, that, notwithstanding his reformation, Dick had still a kindly feeling toward every vagabond within the purlieus of the place, and took their part on all occasions. He was looked up to as a sort of oracle by the stage-drivers and owners of fast-trotting horses, and knew the name of every horse which had won a race for the last century. Every good-for-nothing fellow whose exploits had rendered him a terror and nuisance to the neighborhood, was sure of a kind word, or a nod, half of caution and half of encouragement, from Dick.

Dick had watched the proceedings of the blacksmith for a long time in silence, but, as Harry Lindsay gradually advanced in years, he thought it high time to advance his opinions; which he boldly did, by telling John that it was all very well to keep an eye on the lad as he did, but he would be glad to know when he intended to make a man of him in good earnest? He then proceeded to illustrate his idea of what a man should be, which idea, when fully carried out, turned out to be a very glowing delineation of what he himself had been in early years. The blacksmith shook his head and smiled, for there was too much open honesty, too much truthfulness, and too much of love and charity toward his fellow-man, mixed up in the nature of Dick Bolles, for the smith to do other than appreciate his character; but he gave no assent. His friend did not wait for it; for, having convinced himself that John was laboring under a mental hallucination on the subject of education, he determined to carry into effect his own plan of instruction, and forthwith set about diluting the moral precepts enjoined by John, by infusing in the boy's character a large portion of that love of mischief which was so prominent in his own.

Thus, under the care of his two guardians, Harry Lindsay had grown up, a noble, high-spirited lad, truthful and upright, yet with a dash of that buoyant, daring spirit which went very far, among his associates, to set off and enhance the sterling traits of his character.

John Biggs eyed him with pride, for he knew him to be all that he had hoped, and he felt that the anxious care which he had bestowed upon him, had met its reward. Dick Bolles was equally ardent in his admiration, for he said, ' he had often seen him put his horse at a five

barred fence, and clear it at a flying leap, and that was more than any man there could do; and, as to his other qualifications, it was not for him to say much about them, seeing that he had had a hand in making him what he was, but that he would say, that he could handle any man of his inches in the place, and he but a boy!'

Notwithstanding the progress which Harry Lindsay was thus clearly making, they who had charge of his person and estate during his minority, thought it necessary that he should complete his education at a University in one of the New-England cities, and preparations for his departure were made without delay.

The day before he set out, John left his work, and spent the day at the house. He passed part of the time in going over the house with him, and then they strolled over the grounds. In their walk, they paused at a small plot of ground which had been used for more than a century as the burial-place of the Lindsays. It was a sequestered spot, shadowed by weeping-willows and large acacias, and overlooked the Long-Island Sound.

6

The smith paused, and turning to Harry, said, in an earnest tone :

Harry, lad, here sleep those from whom you have sprung. There is not one lying here for whom you need to blush. Pray to God that when you rest at their side your descendants may have reason to feel the same pride in you; and remember, that when your father died, he imposed it as a sacred, trust on me, to bring you up to resemble those who are resting here. I have endeavored to do so; but the hardest trials of your life are yet to come. Temptation will beset you; the impulses of youth will be at war with right; you will meet with evil advisers, and I shall not be at hand to counteract their influence: but, in the hour of your sorest trial, think of the old blacksmith; of his anxiety for you – of his promise to father your

and endeavor to remember what he has said. And remember too, lad, that if you need a friend, a single line will bring me to you, no matter where you may be, or what may be the nature of your trouble.'

Harry loved the blacksmith, and he promised all that he asked. As yet, life to him was but a dream of sunshine, and although he looked earnestly up in the rugged face which was bending so anxiously over him, and saw the furrows on the cheek and on the brow, he thought not of the cares and sorrows which had made them so deep, and had given to its whole cast such an anxious earnestness. And, as he looked forward at the path which Hope was spreading out before him, he saw nothing like a shadow in the bright vista which it presented. He laughed merrily, and told John that he was an old raven, but still he promised all that he asked, and John was satisfied.

Before day-light on the following morning, Harry took his seat in the stage-coach which was to carry him to the city of New-York, whence he was to go by steamer to Boston, his place of destination.

John Biggs was in attendance, to see him off. Dick Bolles, too, was there, and after listening with great patience to John's farewell injunctions, merely added:

'All that John says, is very true, and you'd better do as he tells you;