cerned woman in her birthright.

Vesta kissed Virgie, and ceased to sob; she rose and kissed her mother
also.

"It was very wrong in me to say what I did not wish to say, about Uncle
Allan, mamma. I hope papa was kind to you to-day."

"Dear me!" Mrs. Custis cried; "everything is turned upside down by that
bog iron ore. A new element has come into the family to disturb it.
Nobody believes anything respectable any more. Your father is an
infidel, or a radical, or something perverse; you are defending those
wild foresters! What will become of the Christian religion and society
and good principles?"

"What did papa say before he left home?"

"He acted in the strangest manner, Vesta. He came right in and kissed
me, like a great booby, and sat down and wanted to talk about our
courting days. I thought at first he was drunk again, or that the
Methodists had got hold of him and fed him on camp-meeting straw. How do
you account for it?"

Virgie had slipped out as soon as the talk became confidential.

"He wants to do better, dear mamma. Do respond to his contrition and
affection! If we could all humble our hearts, it would be so easy to
start life better, and turn this accident to joy and comfort. I have
found new engagements and reliefs already. There is a young girl, Mr.
Milburn's niece, whom I shall bring home this evening and occupy myself
teaching her. She is an orphan, without a mother's knowledge, barely
able to read, but pretty and quaint."

"Bring a forester in here?" Mrs. Custis exclaimed, fairly shivering.
"What will Allan McLane's daughters say? Your sister from Talbot has
been here all this day, and you have scarcely given her an hour. Between
this fatal marriage and your neglect, she left, with her husband,
positively pale with horror. I do not know what is to follow this
marriage. I have posted a letter already to my brother Allan, telling
him of your betrayal by your father and this bridegroom. All our
connection will be up in arms."

Vesta's heart sank again, but she felt no fears of her husband's ability
to meet mere family opposition, secured by law and form in his rights.
She only feared hostility might rouse in him severity and defiance which
would neutralize her present influence upon him, and change his
accommodating, almost gentle, disposition as a husband.

For, blacker than any object in her future path, she saw a little,
trivial thing, like a wild boar closing her hitherto adventurous
excu