f his generous affectionate disposition,
and the influences of a warm friendship, and an early attachment, had
guarded him from evil--then the period when he had been perfectly happy,
and the sobering power of his position had been gradually working
on him; but though always religious and highly principled, the very
goodness of his natural character preventing him from perceiving the
need of self-control, until the shock that changed the whole tenor
of his life, and left him, for the first time, sensible of his own
responsibility, but with inveterate habits of heedlessness and hastiness
that love alone gave him force to combat. He was now a far gentler man.
His younger children had never seen, his elder had long since forgotten,
his occasional bursts of temper, but he suffered keenly from their
effects, especially as regarded some of his children. Though Richard's
timidity had been overcome, and Tom's more serious failures had been
remedied, he was not without anxiety, and had a strange unsatisfactory
feeling as regarded Flora. He could not feel that he fathomed her! She
reminded him of his old Scottish father-in-law, Professor Mackenzie,
whom he had never understood, nor, if the truth were known, liked. Her
dealings with the Ladies' Committee were so like her grandfather's canny
ways in a public meeting, that he laughed over them--but they were
not congenial to him. Flora was a most valuable person; all that she
undertook prospered, and he depended entirely on her for household
affairs, and for the care of Margaret; but, highly as he esteemed her,
he was a little afraid of her cool prudence; she never seemed to be
in any need of him, nor to place any confidence in him, and seemed
altogether so much older and wiser than he could feel himself--pretty
girl as she was--and very pretty were her fine blue eyes and clear skin,
set off by her dark brown hair. There arose the vision of eyes as blue,
skin as clear, but of light blonde locks, and shorter, rounder, more
dove-like form, open, simple, loving face, and serene expression, that
had gone straight to his heart, when he first saw Maggie Mackenzie
making tea.

He heard the wheels, and went out to unbolt the door. Those were a pair
for a father to be proud of--Norman, of fine stature and noble looks,
with his high brow, clear thoughtful eye, and grave intellectual eagle
face, lighting into animation with his rare, sweet smile; and Flora, so
tall and graceful, and in her whi