before he passed from her sight.

"Oh, mammy," she said to her attendant, for she had always thus
affectionately addressed her; "did you ever see any one as handsome as
Willie?"

"Yes, child," she replied, "his father was, before him. You both look like
your father; but Master Willie favors him more than you do. Shut down the
window, Miss Ellen, don't you feel the wind? A strong March wind aint good
for nobody. Its bright enough overhead to-day, but the ground is mighty
damp and chilly. There, you're sneezin; didn't I tell you so?"

Late in the same day Ellen was seated at the window, watching her brother's
return; gaily watching, until the shadows of evening were resting on his
favorite rocks. Then she watched anxiously until the rocks could no longer
be seen; but never did he come again, though hope and expectation lingered
about her heart until despair rested there in their place.

William was starting on horseback, after an early dinner at the tavern in
C----. As he put his foot in the stirrups, an old farmer, who had just
driven his large covered wagon to the door, called to him.

"You going home, Mr. William?" said he.

"Yes, I am; but why do you ask me?"

"Why, how are you going to cross Willow's Creek?" asked the old man.

"On the bridge," said William, laughing; "did you think I was going to jump
my horse across?"

"No, but you can't cross the bridge," said the farmer, "for the bridge is
broken down."

"Why, I crossed it early this morning," said William.

"So did I," said the farmer, "and, thank God, I and my team did not go down
with it. But there's been a mighty freshet above, and Willow's Creek is
something like my wife--she's an angel when she aint disturbed, but she's
the devil himself when any thing puts her out. Now, you take my advice, and
stay here to-night, or at any rate don't get yourself into danger."

"I must go home to-night," said William; "I have promised my sister to do
so. I can ford the creek;" and he prepared again to start.

"Stop, young man," said the farmer, solemnly, "you mind the old saying,
'Young people think old people fools, but old people know young people are
fools.' I warn you not to try and ford that creek to-night; you might as
well put your head in a lion's mouth. Havn't I been crossing it these fifty
years? and aint I up to all its freaks and ways? Sometimes it is as quiet
as a wearied baby, but now it is foaming and lashing, as a tiger after
prey. You'd bett