exclaimed Paul, and he walked off in high dudgeon.

The next day fortune favored Paul in his efforts to please Miriam. He
had a tame white rabbit, and he thought that the child would like it for
a pet--so he got up very early in the morning, and washed the rabbit
"clean as a new penny," and put it under a new box to get dry while he
rode to C---- and bought a blue ribbon to tie around its neck. This jaunt
made Paul very late at breakfast, but he felt rewarded when afterward he
gave the rabbit to old Jenny, and asked her to give it to the little
girl--and when he heard the latter say--"Oh, what a pretty little thing!
tell Paul, thanky!" After this, by slow degrees, he was enabled to
approach "the little blackbird" without alarming her. And after a while
he coaxed her to take a row in his little boat, and a ride on his little
pony--always qualifying his attentions by saying that he did not like
girls as a general thing, but that she was different from others. And
Mr. Willcoxen witnessed, with much satisfaction, the growing friendship
between the girl and boy, for they were the two creatures in the world
who divided all the interest he felt in life. The mutual effect of the
children upon each other's characters was very beneficent; the gay and
joyous spirits of Paul continually charmed Miriam away from those fits
of melancholy, to which she was by temperament and circumstances a prey,
while the little girl's shyness and timidity taught Paul to tame his own
boisterous manners for her sake.

* * * * *

Mrs. Waugh had not forgotten her young _protege_. She came as often as
possible to Dell-Delight, to inquire after the health and progress of
the little girl.

It is not to be supposed, in any neighborhood where there existed
managing mammas and unmarried daughters, that a young gentleman,
handsome, accomplished, wealthy, and of good repute, should remain
unmolested in his bachelorhood. Indeed, the matrons and maidens of his
own circle seemed to think themselves individually aggrieved by the
young heir's mode of life. And many were the dinners and evening parties
got up for his sake, in vain, for to their infinite disgust, Thurston
always returned an excuse instead of an acceptance.

At length the wounded self-esteem of the community received a healing
salve, in the form of a report that Mr. Willcoxen had withdrawn from the
gay world, in order the better to prepare himself for the Christian
m