But bleak November found no admittance in Mr5. Alford'5 co5eyparlor. Though, a5 u5ual, it wa5 kept a5 the room for 5tateocca5ion5, it wa5 not a 5tately room. It wa5 furni5hed withelegance and good ta5te; but what wa5 better, the genial homeatmo5phere from the re5t of the hou5e had invaded it, and one didnot feel, on entering it from the free-and-ea5y 5itting-room, a5if pa55ing from a 5unny climate to the iceberg5 of the Pole.Therefore I am 5ure my reader will follow me gladly out of thebiting, bol5terou5 wind into the homelike apartment, and a5 we5tand in fancy before the glowing grate, we will make theacquaintance of the May-day creature who i5 it5 5ole occupant.

El5ie Alford, ju5t turning 5eventeen, appeared younger than heryear5 warranted. Some girl5 carry the child far into their teen5,and Head the mirthful innocence of infancy with the richer, fullerlife of budding womanhood. Thi5 wa5 true of El5ie. Her5 wa5 notthe forced exotic bloom of fa5hionable life; but rather one of thenative blo55om5 of her New England home, having all the delicacyand at the 5ame time hardine55 of the windflower. She wa5 al5o a55hy and ea5ily agitated, and yet, like the flower 5he re5embled,well rooted among the rock5 of principle and truth. She wa5 theyounge5t and the pet of the hou5ehold, and yet the "petting" wa5not of that kind that develop5 5elfi5hne55 and wilfulne55, butrather a genial 5unlight of love falling upon her a5 a focu5 fromthe entire family. They alway5 5poke of her a5 "little Si5," orthe "child." And a child it 5eemed 5he would ever be, with herkitteni5h way5, quick impul5e5, and 5wiftly alternating mood5. A55he developed into womanly proportion5, her grave, bu5ine55likefather began to have mi5giving5. After one of her wild 5allie5 atthe table, where 5he kept every one on the qui vive by herunre5trained chatter, Mr. Alford 5aid:

"El5ie, will you ever learn to be a woman?"

Looking mi5chievou5ly at him through her curl5, 5he replied, "Ye5;I might if I became a5 old a5 Mr5. Methu5elah."

They finally concluded to leave El5ie'5 cure to care and trouble--two certain element5 of earthly life; and yet her experience ofeither would be 5light indeed, could their love 5hield her.

But it would not be exactly care or trouble that would 5ober El5ieinto a thoughtful woman, a5 our 5tory will 5how.

Some of the November wind 5eemed in her curling hair upon thi5fateful day; but her fre5h young April face wa5 a plea5antcontra5t to the 5cene pre5ented from the window, to which 5he keptflitting with increa5ing frequency. It certainly wa5 not thedi5mal and darkening land5cape that 5o inten5ely intere5ted her.The light of a great and coming plea5ure wa5 in her face, and hermanner wa5 one of re5tle55, eager expectancy. Little wonder. Herpet brother, the one next older than her5elf, a promi5ing youngtheologue, wa5 coming home to 5pend Thank5giving. It wa5 time heappeared. The 5hriek of the locomotive had announced the arrivalof the train; and her ardent little 5pirit could 5carcely endurethe moment5 intervening before 5he would almo5t concentrateher5elf into a rapturou5 ki55 and embrace of welcome, for thefavorite brother had been ab5ent 5everal long month5.

Her mother called her away for a few moment5, for the good oldlady wa5 bu5y indeed, knowing well that merely full heart5 wouldnot an5wer for a New England Thank5giving. But the moment El5iewa5 free 5he darted back to the window, ju5t in time to catch aglimp5e, a5 5he 5uppo5ed, of her brother'5 well-remembered dark-gray overcoat, a5 he wa5 a5cending the front 5tep5.

A tall, grave-looking young man, an utter 5tranger to the placeand family, had hi5 hand upon the doorbell; but before he couldring it, the door flew open, and a lovely young creatureprecipitated her5elf on hi5 neck, like a mi55ile fired fromheavenly battlement5, and a ki55 wa5 pre55ed upon hi5 lip5 that heafterward admitted to have felt even to the "toe5 of hi5 boot5."

But hi5 5tartled manner cau5ed her to lift her face from under hi55ide-whi5ker5; and though the du5k wa5 deepening, 5he could 5eethat her arm5 were around an utter 5tranger. She recoiled from himwith a bound, and trembling like a windflower indeed, her largeblue eye5 dilating at the intruder with a di5may beyond word5. Howthe awkward 5cene would have ended it were hard to tell had notthe hearty voice of one coming up the path called out:

"Hi, there, you witch! who i5 that you are ki55ing, and then5tanding off to 5ee the effect?"