instantly recognized in her my fellow-pupil at the sewing-school,--my
"guide, philosopher, and friend," Miss Effie Logan!

"Two years, dear Lizzie, since we met!" she exclaimed, "and what a
meeting now! You see I know it all. Henry has told me everything. I am
half as happy as yourself!"

She took me in her arms, embraced me, kissed me with passionate
tenderness, and called me "sister." What a recognition it was for me!
Her beautiful face, lighted up with a new animation, appeared more
lovely than ever. There was the same open-hearted manner of other days,
now made doubly engaging by the warmest manifestation of genuine
affection. I had never dreamed that Mr. Logan was the brother of whom
this loving girl had so often spoken to me at the sewing-school, nor
that the inexpressible happiness of calling her my sister was in store
for me. But now I could readily discover resemblances which it was no
wonder I had heretofore overlooked. If he, in sweetness of disposition,
were to prove the counterpart of herself, what more could woman ask? It
was not possible for a recognition to be more joyful than this.

My mother stood by, witnessing these incomprehensible proceedings,
silent, yet anxious as to their meaning. Effie took her into the
adjoining room,--she was far readier of speech than myself,--and there
explained to her the mystery of my new position with Mr. Logan. She told
me that my mother was overcome with surprise, for, dearly as she loved
her children, she had been strangely dull in her apprehension of what
had been so long enacting within her own domestic circle. But why should
I amplify these homely details? They are daily incidents the world over,
varied, it is true, by circumstances; for everywhere the human heart is
substantially the same mysterious fountain of emotion.

A secret of this sort, once known, even to one's mother only, travels
with miraculous rapidity, until the whole gaping neighborhood becomes
confidentially intrusted with its keeping. It seems that ours had been
more observant and suspicious than even my dear mother. But such eager
care-takers of other people's affairs exist wherever human beings may
chance to congregate. Humble life secured us no exemption.

Our pastor was one of the first to hear of the interesting event. It may
be that Mr. Logan had given him some inkling of it beforehand, for he
was early in his congratulations. Jane, as might be expected, declared
that it was no surprise t