s too old for her, but that is always
the way. When Alcides, having gone through all the fatigues of life,
took a bride in Olympus, he ought to have selected Minerva, but he chose
Hebe.

I wonder why so many people call him 'Willie' Beresford, at his age.
Perhaps it is because his mother sets the example; but from her lips
it does not seem amiss. I suppose when she looks at him she recalls
the past, and is ever seeing the little child in the strong man, mother
fashion. It is very beautiful, that feeling; and when a girl surprises
it in any mother's eyes it makes her heart beat faster, as in the
presence of something sacred, which she can understand only because she
is a woman, and experience is foreshadowed in intuition.

The Honourable Arthur had sent us a dozen London dailies and weeklies,
and we fell into an idle discussion of their contents over the teacups.
I had found an 'exchange column' which was as interesting as it was
novel, and I told Francesca it seemed to me that if we managed wisely we
could rid ourselves of all our useless belongings, and gradually amass
a collection of the English articles we most desired. "Here is an
opportunity, for instance," I said, and I read aloud-"'S.G., of
Kensington, will post 'Woman' three days old regularly for a box of cut
flowers.'"

"Rather young," said Mr. Beresford, "or I'd answer that advertisement
myself."

I wanted to tell him I didn't suppose that he could find anything too
young for his taste, but I didn't dare.

"Salemina adores cats," I went on. "How is this, Sally, dear?--
'A handsome orange male Persian cat, also a tabby, immense coat,
brushes and frills, is offered in exchange for an electro-plated
revolving covered dish or an Allen's Vapour Bath.'"

"I should like the cat, but alas! I have no covered dish," sighed
Salemina.

"Buy one," suggested Mr. Beresford. "Even then you'd be getting a
bargain. Do you understand that you receive the male orange cat for the
dish, and the frilled tabby for the bath, or do you get both in exchange
for either of these articles? Read on, Miss Hamilton."

"Very well, here is one for Francesca-"'A harmonium with seven stops
is offered in exchange for a really good Plymouth cockerel hatched in
May.'"

"I should want to know when the harmonium was hatched," said Francesca
prudently. "Now you cannot usurp the platform entirely, my dear Pen.
Listen to an English marriage notice from the Times. It chances to be
the longes