"NEVER, Mrs. Pierson, never!" exclaimed old Squire Darwin, in a voice of thunder; and he set down his foot upon the floor in a way to emphasize the voice. "I will never leave one dollar of my property to Edward Darwin, or any of his heirs. My mind has long been settled there."

"Wall, Squire Darwin, of course you with your own property as you think best; still, it seems to me that when men is standin' only a few days this side of the grave, he 'd better lay down his etes and heart-bin's afore he gets farther, as they 'Illy be a sorrow and harden to him they're carried be

She Said it without fear or flinching, tittle, brave, black-eyed woman, and she looked the proud, indomitable old man steadily in the face as she spoke.

Old Squire Darwin winced a little. These words were facts which there was no getting aside, and they confronted him now with terrible earnestness. He looked at the calm, kindly face of his gardener's wife, the only human being who would so fearlessly have told him the truth. For once the proud spirit of the old man reoiled; and when the answer came at last, there was a change in the tones which told that the little woman's words had struck home.

"I came to this conclusion years ago, Mrs. Pierson, and a fan isu't going to alter his mind, if he's male it up in perfect health and strength, becaus he's where you say I amhear the grave.'

"I don't know bout that are, Squire Darwin; it's my opinion hat my grandmother told thé truth when shesaid to me, a few hours afore VOL. LXIV.

her death: 'Jane, you may depend on 't the Lord opens our eyes when we get near the close of our journey as He never does before, and we see all our living in a different way, and can tell wh.. we had time, we'd alter things, and jest contrary to what we have done, for the last sight is the best and truest.'"

Squire Darwin did not speak; he leaned his head back among the cushions, and looked at the roses, which had just begun to open their great vases of pearl and ruby by the window, for it was in the early June; and the air was full of the sweet spices of their breath, and the scent of those blossoming roses brought over the old man's soul a wind from the land of his youth, a soft, perfuming wind, stealing up and down the dark, silent pathways of his heart. Mrs. Pierson looked in his face, and she saw the little change which had come over it; and, plain, hard-working, uncultivated woman though she was, she had the quick, sympathetic instincts which a good heart and native acuteness bestow.

"Squire Darwin, your brother Edward was several years younger than you, wasn't he?" It was years since any one had dared mention the name of Edward Darwin in his brother's presence. The old man started, and a shadow that was like a frown came and went on his face, but in a moment he answered: "He was five years younger than I."

"And there was no more of you; he was all the brother you had?"

"He was all," answere Squire Darwin. After this there was a little pause. "Old Mrs. Johnson passed the day at our house last week," resumed the clear, steadily

25