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Show A FRIEND IN NEED, "No! Will you take that for an uuswei? . I have tried hard to be excused, but you wi;l accept Irom rue no reason or Buying ut uuoie, bo you must titkea plain refusal." "It will be the lust thing you will ever reiuae me." "Churl io Thornton hastily quitted the breaklaat-room without auotber word or look for the lady who presided at the table, and who w.is wholly dio j eoncerlcJ by tbia unlooktd lor pro-5 pro-5 ceediug on his part. 1 With flashing eyes she looked out j of tbo wiuuow, saw her buubaud mount hia horde, and dash madly j a way from her Bight. "I'll pay him lor thia iu bis own coin; on hia return he will nud me in the same mood as be lelt me," Turning away from the window, her eyea cauyht tboae of her old friend, MUs Potter, fiied on her in aad surprise. "Whut words are those you mutier so angrily, Sarfth?"' anked the uulerlv lady. ( "I was Baying I would p y that husband of mine for the extubitiou 01 such temper; be never evunomU 'yuou morning aa be left. "ciarali, dear, were you not much more to blame than he lor the manner ol bis leave-taking?" "I to blame lor Charlie's- abomin able temper, Aunt Potter? How can you attaon oiame to me lor bis rudeness?" rude-ness?" A Bhower of tears were imminent; but Hiaa .Potter, nothing daunted, kept on: "My dear, does it not occur to you bow severely you may have tried bis temper by so persistently refusing to go to his lather's to tbia family reunion?" re-union?" "Well, I don't care; why will he tease me to go to that old farm house iomeet all those. dreadful people?" "You do not care? Do you really mean what your words imply?'' "I mean just what I aay," Sarah teplied, with slightly elevated brows. "Nay, barab, il I believed you reUy knew the cruel meaning of those i words, I should also know you had ! not mite of unselfish love lor the man ! you so fondly at times call husband, ; and tho advice I am about to ofl'er you would be worse than thrown way." "Nonseoael auntie, it is not a question ques-tion of love at all; but because 1 have a perfect horror of meetmg all - those I country friends and relatives of bis, I and be bored to death by an incessant j talk of 'stock' and 'crops i must j need be accused ol not loving my bus-' bus-' band." !' "Sarah, you must forgive me, but for the sake of your future happiness Xmufit talk plainly to you. 8nall 1 j go ou, darling?" 1"JVI dearest auntie, you know you could say nothing to your wayward darah that could podsibly require forgiveness. for-giveness. So pray go 00; let me Bet the full ex tent -of my natural wickedness." wicked-ness." I "riarah, when you married Charter Thorn loo, you kuew his life waa to b lived among bis country friends, yei you seemed happy, in your choice. iind more than contented with tht home in the country which he hac aptired no trouble or money to makt as much like the old one in this citj irom which he had taken you. Once here, he welcomes any of your friendi whom you choose to gather arounc you ; nor does he leave you t the task of entertaining them, bn makes himself such an agreeable host that your friends go back to tbt city thinking you themost enviable 01 womeu." ud, 1 Know ne is just the dearest fellow in the world il he would only cease tormenting me about visiting herein the country." "Wait, my dear; hear what I have to say to you. For all thia love and kindness shown you by one of the most indulgent of husbands, you have made a most wretched return. Fur all he does for your happiness you tiavo paid him with an utter selfish inditlerence, and by such a course -longer predated in! tre.uble for the couquence. tiarah, your huetmua is but numan; hu for bo iruce will uot last always; ure yuu not utraid you may lose. the prioeUysd treasure ol such a man's -love?" i tiarah Thornton's face bad undergone under-gone many changes while her. irWnd nad delivered, in such gravtt tones, her short soeech: and whon Min Potter finished, and waited fur an answer, she only looked up with a startled, grieved look in her brown eyes, and the aweet childish lips trembled, but gave forth no sound. Liking this indication of repentant sorrow, the old lady talked long and earusstly, pointing out many errors, giving much advice where Sarah seemed so entirely ignorant, until she was fully awakened to a sense of wrong, aud remissness of wifely duty and love. "Oh, auntie, auntiel ia this ngly picture ol selfishness me, really your darah?" came at laat in brukeu words, as she lay sobbing in the arroB of kind ilies Potter. "it is, truly dear. Now doyou forgive for-give me for talking so plainly!" "Do notspeak of forgiveness dearest ; friend, but show me the right way. , Lead me until I am in thu right path, j thatl may gain a stronger hold 0:1 the love uunerio eo slightly prized, bo nearly lostl" "Willingly will I do all lean for you; but don't begin by bewailing the past; let that go, only serving as a foil to the bright picture of the future which you shall make by studying the nappinesB of your husband as closely as h watches over yours. Lay aside all thoughts ot self; ha sure Charles will not forget your welfare. In time you will find purer joy in hia pleasure than ever you did in pleasing yourself alone." "Thank you, dear aunt; you will see that I am going to profit by your advice; and with you always at hand to help me, 1 think it will he an easy task to do right. But I do wish it were already time for Charley's return. re-turn. Oh, dearl it is only twelve o'clock, and be will not be here until five, 1 am eo anxious to tell him that I want to go to father Thornton's with him, to meet all who will receive me as a friend or rcUtive for his; sake." I "Nay, dear, rather be glad you have bo much time to prepare for hia coming. Is there no little thiog you can do for hia comfort nothing that vou can do for him to awure biui you thought of him in his absence? And j wheu it ia done, remember that Charlie likt-s you to drt-sa expressly for him. Even Utuugh you kuow uu other company is coming Now tun away and ba ready; but be Bure you are dressed au wjinethir-'he likeB particularly, eo lhatiwnen be , catches the first aigut ol you be may kuow all is peace." It was a bright picturo that met Coailey Thorntuu'a sjht aa, riding moodily up the bridle path leading to hia home on tho aitwinoon ol that day, he saw the-em ill figure of bis wife standing in the tUrar-way of the tiand&orae houe, with nu 4 eager, expectant look on her- face. And Sarab, noticing the isllecs, dejected air with which be. threw himself from the saddle and came up the steps to her, felt a great twinge of remorse. "Charley, you are latet -what baa detained you? ' she asked; timidly., "Nothing of imj ortaaice., idavewe company? I am sorry lo have kept you waiting, ' said the husDaua, lauciDg at the pretty dinner torlet- of ins wile. "No, Charlie, we have no company; but may I not have the kiss you ought to have given me this morning?" aud Sarah looked up shyly. "A dozen, my treasure, if .you. like! Dut how ia this, Sarah?" I expected to see frowns on thia brow, aud, to speak truly, tnat is why I loitered so oug-" and be pressed a kiss on the low: broad forehead upturned to him. "Oh, Charlie,' you' cannot- even guess how sorry I am for past naughtiness! naughti-ness! And, instead of frowning, I in tend to araile -Always," said Sarah, playfully; but there wag no sound of (ears in the light words which cauaed Chaclie to whirl her suddenly round iu face him. "See here, Sarah, what have you been doing to my little wife to day?" "Ob, Charlie, I have been taking herseverely to tusk lor her abominable selfishness, and laying out an entire new coil tee for her in future." Selfishness, darling? I don't under stand "'began Charlie. "Understand I know you don't; it is impossible for one-like you to guess at it. But you will soon know what a different -person I mean to be 'iu the future." . "X do not want a different person in my wife, bo pray do nothing raeh-jV and passing bis arm about-her wtstf he executed a dizzy waltz once around tbe room." ' I say, Charlie, be quietl 1 want to ask you aomevhiug." "Bay on, Sarah," and he had al ready made up hia mind to let her go for a visit of bo me weeks 'to thr city. "Will you take me- to- fatberV' on Thursday to - meeu all - our friends usually- assembled there- on Christmas Day?'" Sarah, are-you-in -earnest, and' doyou do-you really wish to go?"' "I truly do, Charlie, and I feel sum of a day of real enjoyment." "I am certain everything will be quite different from, what you' have always fancied it, -darling; - only con-sentito con-sentito koowmy mother and -sisters, and iyouwill never t-regreb" it. And-father, And-father, too, he often - talks of other thiugs-th.in -crops'-and 'stocks." "Ob, OuaNie, 'forgive meh I am sorry tor auuh'talk! I feel-that. I can nesar -'forgivu -uiyaelf 'fop aoobr- utter foolishness."- r And 'Sarah' lay-'-sobbing: -on his ahouldery where-BU6 had ---hidden her face- at-tbe-ment!oa- of ' "crops and stock. 'J 1 ' A 1 most delightful day--the next Thursday--'pro9ed;"and" no'One- was .happier -tuaipeiU'liitle ladyy 'who was in great- danger of 'vba)ing-aa badly petted, and spoilecUby Charlie's- father , aarbLnottier-iver-she had been by himself-,-i Anal -the. two pretty young matrons1 wbec tiled -her little (Later lookedo movh'liltfl Gharlie that her heartbeat out; to them, and Bbe telt Eurei of peaoe'-and love from them always. Before' IMw day was half spent 1 .she JettheiWflfb(G )miog interested in tbein Bt!wArt'hittS.tnds, and although they ! spake ol'- their crops to her Bbe 1 did.noconue'fHelilik-j resenting it. None" ol Hie-'party wished more l heartily for tho return of the day than p did Sir ah. . "I kaewh'jr heart was right, nnd i her hoad"only ' needed netting the j prettyiiead-hor. jbtihand had nearly r succeeded" iu'turuing by so much petting- and-'snoiliug. But, hoping j much from her 151 h d common sense, I I determined to saveher from trouble, perhaps uttep misery,' iu tho future; I for who can tell -where such conduct j might have k-d her to? X am so glad ; I tried to Bave- her." And elderly ! Mies Potter nodded her head in satis faction. |