azed at this new aspect in the
character of their pet young nephew from the country. Mr. Brindlock
said, consolingly, to his wife, when the truth became only too apparent,
"My dear, it's atmospheric, I think. It's a 'revival' season; there was
such a one, I remember, in my young days."

(Mrs. Brindlock laughed at this quite merrily.)

"To be sure there was, my dear, and I was really quite deeply affected.
Reuben will come out all right; we shall see him settling down soon to
good merchant habits again."

But the _animus_ of the new tendency was far stronger than Brindlock had
supposed; and within a month Reuben had come to a quiet rupture with his
city patron. The smack of worldliness was too strong for him. He felt
that he must go back to his old home, and place himself again under the
instructions of the father whose counsels he had once so spurned.

"You don't say you mean to become a parson?" said Mr. Brindlock, more
than ever astounded.

"It is very likely," said Reuben; "or possibly a missionary."

"Well, Reuben, if you must, you must. But I don't see things in that
light. However, my boy, we'll keep our little private ventures astir;
you may need them some day."

And so they parted; and Reuben went home to Ashfield, taking an
affectionate leave of his Aunt Mabel, who had been over-kind to him, and
praying in his heart that that good, but exceedingly worldly woman,
might some day look on serious things as he looked on them.

He had thought in his wild days, that, when he should go back to
Ashfield for any lengthened stay, (for thus far his visits had been few
and flying ones,) he should considerably astonish the old people there
by his air and city cultivation. It is quite possible that he had laid
by certain flaming cravats which he thought would have a killing effect
in the country church, and anticipated a very handsome triumph by the
easy swagger with which he would greet old Deacon Tourtelot and ask
after the health of Miss Almira. But the hope of all such triumphs was
now dropped utterly. Such things clearly belonged to the lusts of the
eye and the pride of life. He even left behind him some of the most
flashy articles of his attire, with the request to Aunt Mabel that she
would bestow them upon some needy person, or, in default of this, make
them over to the Missionary Society for distribution among the
heathen,--a purpose for which some of them, by reason of their brilliant
colors, were certainly