ret. A gentle being,
beautiful to him as an angel, had once crossed his path; but before taking
her to the altar, the angels came and took her to their homes, beyond the
reach of blight or death; and since then his thoughts often wandered away
to the regions of perfection; and with the memory of his loved one in
heaven, he never coupled a thought of a second love on earth.

It was not long that the widow and her husband's friend remained in
ignorance of each other's feelings; the secret he had kept from all others
he confided to her; and in mutual explanations and confidences, they soon
came to understand each other; and thenceforth their intercourse was
unrestrained and cordial. What knew or cared they for the busy tongue of
rumor? Nothing. Secure in each other's esteem, with a high rectitude of
purpose, they continued their good offices to each other, careless what the
world might say, so they gave no cause for vicious tongues to speak evil of
them.

We need hardly say that with such intimate association, Mr. Scofield
learned to love little Ida as a father loves his own child. Had it not been
for the judicious watchfulness and careful training of her excellent
mother, she might have been spoiled by his petting. As it was, no child
could be gladder to see a parent than she was to see her friend. She would
bound away to meet him; and when seated, would climb upon his knee while
young, and when older seat herself by him and listen to the stories he
would tell her, or play in his locks with her childish fingers.

About a year after his friend's death, Mr. Scofield's only sister lost her
husband; and, at his earnest solicitation, she and her little boy came to
live with him.

Mrs. Hadley was not wealthy, though she could not be called poor, as her
husband had left her a small property, which, by careful management, would
school Charles and keep them both until he should arrive at manhood, when,
by his own exertions, he could carve out a fortune for himself.

Mr. Scofield soon learned to love Charles very dearly, for he was an
amiable and affectionate boy, and always strove to be kind and dutiful to
his uncle. It was one of the brother's first acts to introduce his sister
to his friend's wife; and they were not long in forming a warm attachment
for each other; so much so that Mr. Scofield became almost jealous of each
of them for cheating him out of so much of the society of both. He might
have become quite jealous had