ized by invisible
hands of the desperate villain. Then came shouts and pounding upon
the door by neighbors aroused by the uproar. Encouraged by the
reinforcements, I struck a light but the ruffian had escaped through
the open window on to a piazza roof, thence by a pillar to the ground.

Then we were besieged by excited inquirers, and the rosy-fingered
Aurora, daughter of the dawn, appeared before the calm which succeeded
the storm.

Shortly after our return from this journey, a great light went out on
earth to shine in heaven. My wife's father suddenly left the body,--he
did not die, for

There is no death, what seems so is transition,
This life of mortal breath
Is but a suburb of the life Elysian,
Whose portal we call death.

Alderman B---- was a gentleman of the old school, a loving father, a
very successful business man, managing marine railways, ship-building
and repairing, as well as grain mills. We missed him sadly; but were
consoled by the reflection that our great loss was his eternal gain.

My eldest brother, and two of my brother Mark's children, at about
this time crossed the same bright river and rested under the shade of
the celestial trees.

Myself and wife had intended to live in G----, but as her father was
gone, and as she had formed a strong mutual attachment for my family,
my wife the following summer took much pleasure in building a handsome
cottage nearly opposite my father's house, and on a beautiful lot of
land given us by my brother. We formed a literary and musical club,
which met weekly at our house, making it the social centre of the
entire town.

I was elected chairman of the school committee, and proceeded
vigorously in a crusade against ignorance; but soon found that
the life of a reformer is crowned with more thorns than roses, a
thousandfold! I removed incompetent teachers who, by their silly
question and answer methods, were producing parrots--not scholars.

On one occasion, when I substituted a trained normal school graduate
for a useless dancing doll who had made herself popular by flattering
parents and coddling their children, all pupils were withdrawn from
the school. I told the new teacher to ring the bell, take in sewing
if she wished, and draw her salary even if she was left alone in her
glory; then I notified the parents that unless they at once sent their
children to the school, I should have the pupils arrested for truancy,
and themselves fined for violati