ile the tears rolled gently
from her beautiful, sightless eyes.

"Mother, dear mother, forgive me if I have done wrong, but I cannot help
my heart's throbbing more quickly at the echo of his footsteps or the
music of his voice. And when he asked me to be his wife and be ever with
him, I could not help feeling that it would make me the happiest of
human beings. Oh, mother, you cannot know how kind, how good, how tender
he has been to me. The world never looks dark when he is near."

Alice bowed her head on the shoulder of Louis, while her fair ringlets
swept in shining wreaths over her face.

"This is so unexpected!" cried Mrs. Hazleton. "I must speak with your
parents."

"I come with their full consent and approbation. Alice will take the
place of Helen in the household, and prevent the aching void that would
be left."

"Alas! what can Alice do?"

"I can love him and pray for him, mother, live to bless him, and die,
too, for his sake, if God requires such a sacrifice."

"Is not hers a heavenly mission?" cried Louis, taking the hand which
rested on his arm, and laying it gently against his heart. "This little
hand, whose touch quickens the pulsations of my being, will be a shield
from temptation, a safeguard from sin. What can I do for her half so
precious as her blessings and her prayers? If I am a lamp to her path,
she will be a light to my soul. 'What can Alice do?' She can do every
thing that a guardian angel can do. Give her to me, for I need her
watchful cares."

"I see she is yours already," cried the now weeping mother, "I cannot
take away what God has given. May He bless you, and sanctify this
peculiar and solemn union."

Thus there was a double wedding on the morrow.

"But she had no wedding dress prepared!" says one

A robe of pure white muslin was all the lovely blind bride wished, and
that she had always ready. A wreath of white rose-buds encircling her
hair, completed her bridal attire. Helen wore no richer decoration.
Spotless white, adorned with sweet, opening flowers, what could be more
appropriate for youth and innocence like theirs?

Mittie wore the same fair, youthful livery, and a stranger might have
mistaken her for one of the brides of the evening--but no love-light
beamed in her large, dark, melancholy eyes. She would gladly have
absented herself from a scene in which her blighted heart had no
sympathy, but she believed it her _duty_ to be present, and when she
congratulated the we