THERE she sat, with both little hands covering her face. It was twilight, and beyond the little finger glanced a watchful eye towards the door, to see if Theodore would go. She didn’t think he would. He came back. “Is the little child crying?” he asked, relentingly, as he took the pretty fingers, one by […]

MR. JAMES WINKLEMAN shut the door with a jar, as he left the house, and moved down the street, in the direction of his office, with a quick, firm step, and the air of a man slightly disturbed in mind. “Things are getting better fast,” said he, with a touch of irony in his voice, […]

TWO men, on their way home, met at a street crossing, and then walked on together. They were neighbours, and friends. “This has been a very hard day,” said Mr. Freeman in a gloomy voice. “A very hard day,” echoed almost sepulchrally, Mr. Walcott. “Little or no cash coming in–payments Heavy–money scarce, and at ruinous […]

WHILE Titans war with social Jove, My own sweet wife and I We make Elysium in our love, And let the world go by! Oh! never hearts beat half so light With crowned Queen or King! Oh! never world was half so bright As is our fairy ring, Dear love! Our hallowed fairy ring. Our […]

No jewelled Beauty is my Love, Yet in her earnest face There’s such a world of tenderness, She needs no other grace. Her smiles, and voice, around my life In light and music twine, And dear, oh very dear to me, Is this sweet Love of mine. Oh, joy! to know there’s one fond heart […]

“HOME!” How that little word strikes upon the heart strings, awakening all the sweet memories that had slept in memory’s chamber! Our home was a “pearl of price” among homes; not for its architectural elegance–for it was only a four gabled, brown country house, shaded by two antediluvian oak trees; nor was its interior crowded […]

WHAT is it? A little pencil note, crumpled and worn, as if carried for a long time in one’s pocket. I found it in a box of precious things that Fanny’s mother had hoarded so choicely, because Fanny had been choice of them. I must read it, for everything of Fanny’s is dear to us […]

MR. HAMILTON BURGESS was a man of limited means, but having married a beautiful and amiable woman, he resolved to spare no expense in surrounding her with comforts, and in supporting her, as he said, “like a lady.” “My dear Ammy,” said Mrs. Burgess, to her indulgent husband, about a year after their marriage–“My dear […]

MR. FERRARS, who sat reading the morning paper, suddenly started with an exclamation of grief and astonishment that completely roused his absent-minded wife. “My dear Walter, what has happened?” she asked, with real anxiety. “A man a bankrupt, whom I thought as safe as the Bank of England! Though it is true, people talked about […]

A MERCHANT married a Fairy. He was so manly, so earnest, so energetic, and so loving, that her heart was constrained toward him, and she gave up her heritage in Fairyland to accept the lot of woman. They were married; they were happy; and the early months glided away like the vanishing pageantry of a […]

PART I.–LOVE. A GLANCE–a thought–a blow– It stings him to the core. A question–will it lay him low? Or will time heal it o’er? He kindles at the name– He sits and thinks apart; Time blows and blows it to a flame, Burning within his heart. He loves it though it burns, And nurses it […]

“EVER, evermore!” repeated a young man, bending with a smile over the fair face that rested on his breast. “Yes! evermore!” softly breathed the smiling lips upon which he gazed, and. evermore shone from the melting, heavenly eyes. “And you believe all these bright fancies you have been telling me of, darling?” asked the young […]

IN one of the New England States, the little church-bell in Chester village rung merrily in the clear morning air of a bright summer’s day. It was to call the people together, and they all obeyed its summons–for who among the aged, middle-aged, or the young, did not wish to fitness the marriage ceremonies of […]

AN eloquent, true, and beautiful article from the pen of a woman and a wife (and no woman not a wife, do we believe fully competent to write on this subject), recently met our eyes in the pages of a periodical. Its title was “Conjugial Love.” The Latin word conjugial was used by the writer […]

BEHOLD, how fair of eye, and mild of mien Walks forth of marriage yonder gentle queen; What chaste sobriety whene’er she speaks, What glad content sits smiling on her cheeks, What plans of goodness in that bosom glow, What prudent care is throned upon her brow, What tender truth in all she does or says, […]

BE gentle! for you little know How many trials rise; Although to thee they may be small, To her, of giant size. Be gentle! though perchance that lip May speak a murmuring tone, The heart may beat with kindness yet, And joy to be thine own. Be gentle! weary hours of pain ‘Tis woman’s lot […]

A LITTLE thing is a sunbeam–a very little thing. It streams through our casement, making the cheerful room still more cheerful; and yet so accustomed are we to its presence, that we notice it not, and heed not its exhilarating effect. But its absence would be quickly seen and felt. The unfortunate prisoner in his […]

LETTER I. MY DEAR LIZZIE, I have just received the pleasing intelligence of your marriage with one so worthy of your trust and affection. Of course, you are very happy; for there is no more perfect happiness for a young and loving woman than to centre her heart’s best feelings upon one being–to feel her […]

ABOUT a mile from one of the Berkshire villages, and separated from it by the Housatonic, is one of the loveliest sites in all our old county. It is on an exhausted farm of rocky, irregular, grazing ground, with a meadow of rich alluvial soil. The river, which so nearly surrounds it as to make […]

“I HOPE, Emily, that you don’t think I expect you to work–to spend the bright morning hours in the kitchen, when we commence keeping house,” said George Brenton to his young wife. This remark was made as he left the room, in reply to something which Emily had been saying relative to their projected plan […]