ting some business in Greenville, which detained him for a
considerable time. I often met him at parties. We were mutually pleased
with each other, and, when he left Greenville, I was his promised wife.
My home is now at Jackson, in Tennessee, where Mr. Harringford resided
previous to our marriage.

"I felt a strong desire to visit my parents, at New York, this summer;
and, as Mr. Harringford had heard much of the beautiful scenery of the
White Mountains, he persuaded me to accompany him to New Hampshire for
the purpose of visiting them, and to that circumstance I owe the
happiness of again meeting with you. I have ever remembered you as the
bashful school girl I left in Philadelphia, and when I found you so much
changed you cannot wonder that I failed to recognize you."

In my turn I narrated to Mrs. Harringford the events of my life since we
parted. Her tears flowed often as she listened to the particulars of my
mother's death, for she had much loved any mother. I kept nothing back,
not even the circumstance which had caused me to leave Mrs. Leighton.
The intimate friendship existing between us made it easy for me to speak
freely to Mrs. Harringford. She informed me that she intended visiting
Philadelphia before returning South, as she had many old friends
residing there. As she contemplated visiting the Leightons, I exacted
from her a promise that she would conceal from them her knowledge of my
residence. I had never once heard from them since leaving Philadelphia.

Mrs. Burnside was the only one with whom I had corresponded; and I had
requested her to avoid mentioning the Leightons in her letters to me.
But of late I had felt a strong desire to hear from them, and I
requested Mrs. Harringford to give me some account of the family in the
letter she proposed writing from Philadelphia.

The party of young friends who had accompanied me from Littleton were
quite ready to return at the expiration of a week; but Mrs. Harringford
intended remaining a week longer, and she was very anxious that I should
remain with her. I therefore allowed my friends to return without me. I
wished to enjoy the society of Mrs. Harringford as long as possible, for
I thought it quite probable that we might never meet again.

We spent a happy week together after the return of my friends to
Littleton. The only shadow upon our happiness was the thought--how soon
we must be parted, perhaps for life. From all I observed of Mr.
Harringford I thou