Four men stand near the dark cavity. Their feet are imbedded in the gravel that has been freshly thrown out, and it rattles back again into the grave, with an unearthly echo. The men each hold on upon a strap. They let it slip-you can distinctly hear it-through their hands. Down-down-down! The coffin has gone down beneath the edge of the grave. It grates, and rubs, and rumbles against the rough sides of its cell, and then sinks into the silence and darkness for ever. You hear sobs-quick, convulsive, heart-rending sobs. They are full to bursting with distress. They come from the lips of her mother-her sister-her brother. You cannot bear it yourself. Oh, for only a single, tear! Oh, for but a single heaving of the breast! -But no-but no. No one to whom to carry all your griefs now. They must flow back upon your heart again. They must scorch it with their boiling lava. They press even now so hard upon you, that you feel fearfully self-possessed. It is almost impos sible to bear it all. Young girls step timidly up to the edge of the dark grave-snatch a look at the coffin that holds all your own heart-and cautiously throw roses down upon it. This time they pull harder at your arm, and call you by name. You look up-but you comprehend nothing. You hear your name spoken-but know not by whom. They warn you to come away. You move on reluctantly after them; but your last look is on that grave. And you think you will come back again, when night steals over the place; and watch by the side of it till she comes and sits down beside you; and then you will weave fresh roses again into garlands together. -You are back in your little office once more. You open a book—a huge book-and lay it out upon the table before you. The events of the day you desire to make into something more real; and you bring them into close proximity with your daily duties-with the very books you have handled so often, with the clear type on the page. Alas!-in only a moment-they become far too real to you. They roll rapidly over your brain, like yeasty waves over a drowning man. No ambition now-no more hope-no high thoughts for the future. You care nothing for ap plauding voices. They are but faint whispers, in the storm of your roaring and deafening trouble. You pace to and fro in your little room; but no The sight goes to your very heart. But no tears consolation. All your castles, that you had builded yet. What a relief would they not be? And now you clench your hands tightly together, and bite your lip in fresh agony. You spit blood already from your mouth. Only a prayer-a slow, solemn prayer from the reverend man of God-and all is over. The dense throng begin to turn away. They are nearly all gone: they wait for you only. Some one touches you gently on your arm; but you are senseless as stone. Your eyes are fixed on that remorseless grave-the greedy grave, that has in a moment swallowed up all your hopes of earthly happiness. You only wish you could lie down, and be buried there too! -Then you think of her again-of the time when she was in the flush of health and beauty. You remember well the very first look she gave you. It will never, you think, pass out of your memory. You call up her tender expressions; her genial thoughts; and her many arch and graceful sayings. You think how surpassingly beautiful she seemed to you, on a certain summer morning, when you were riding together along a road lined with ruddy appleblossoms, and vocal with the bewildering music of birds. You think, too, of the time when she gently dropped her head upon your manly shoulder, and you felt your soul full to the brim with happiness. And then to have the crushing thought fall again like a great weight upon you--that this is all that is left of her love; and that she is carefully laid away for the rioting worm! -Oh, for but a hot-a scalding tear! How you pray that this mighty grief will break its bounds and overflow! with such nice care, have crumbled to the ground. All the domestic bliss you had thought soon to enter upon, has suddenly become a blank. The homefires you had thought to kindle so brightly on your hearth, are all smothered and smouldering. Only dry ashes before you: no blaze; no warmth. A vacant chair stands beside your own. You seize your hat, and rush out to breathe out your still grief upon the winds-hoping, perchance, they may waft it to her ears. -And this is your first disappointment-your first great grief. Would to God-you say-it may be your last! -Bubbles-all bubbles, thought I, as the wind shrieked at the crevices of the Old Garret again. When do we stop blowing them?--and when do they stop bursting? Now, I thought I knew what Banquo meant, when he said that the earth, like the water, had bubbles; "And this is of them!-" I piled fresh logs upon my fire. I felt chilled, as with a searching wind. My eyes wandered out at the window. The sick sun no longer lay across the floor. It had gone down behind the distant hills. The swart shadows were at the casement, and were slowly creeping in. They had come-thought I-to throw their dark shroud about the Fancies that were brooding here. And I gladly welcomed them, too.— I buried my face in my hands; and a secret joy stole into my heart, that the Night had finally come. 374 THE MINISTER'S WIFE. BY ELLA RODMAN. L THE Rev. Sydney Saybrook preached his first me hear your ideas on the subject, Milly-I wish to sermon to an admiring congregation. The people of know what you consider 'just the thing.'" were astonished; old men dwelt with delight "Why," continued Milly, warming with her subon the excellent home-truths introduced, as it were,ject, "her dress, in the first place, should be scrupuamid a bed of flowers-young men admired the elo-lously plain-not an article of jewelry-a simple quence and frank bearing of the speaker-and young straw hat, perhaps, tied down with a single ribbonladies, ah! that was the thing. They, disdaining and a white dress, with no ornament but natural the matter-of-fact admiration of the rougher sex, flowers." looked forward into futurity, and, as the young minister was reported free of encumbrances, they thought of putting an end to his season of bliss by providing him with one as soon as possible. "Very good," said Mrs. S-, "as far as it goes; but the beauty of this very simple straw-hat' is, of course, to consist in its shape and style, and country villages are not proverbial for taste in this respect. It would never do for a minister's wife to spend her time in searching for a tasty bonnet, and with a limited purse this is no light labor. Then, too, she is obliged to encourage the manufactures of the town in which she resides. If you could have seen some of the hats I had to wear!" Milly shuddered; she could have borne reverses of This, however, is in strict confidence-they would not have acknowledged it for the world, and yet many of the brains pertaining to those attentive faces were busily at work within the pretty parsonage, altering, remodeling, arranging things to their own particular tastes. One would have that rose-vine taken away-it obscured the view; another would not only leave the rose, but would add a honey-fortune, could even have stood at the stake unflinchsuckle, too-it looked pretty and romantic; while a third had re-carpeted the stairs to the last flight by the time that Mr. Saybrook arrived at "thirteenthly." Milly Ellsworth was a very pretty girl, and, therefore, what might perhaps have been vanity in one more plain, was with her only a pleasant consciousness of her own charms; as, in apparent forgetfulness of the saying that it takes two to make a bargain, she exclaimed: ingly, supported by the glories of martyrdom; but an unbecoming bonnet is one of those petty trials for which one gains no credit but that of bad taste. "As to the white dress," continued Mrs. S-, "you must intend it to be made of some material from which dirt will glance harmlessly off on one side. Or perhaps you have one already—a legacy from one of those everlastingly white-robed heroines in the old novels. Those must assuredly have been "I have made up my mind to captivate Mr. Say-spectre woods that they wandered in, for in our days brook-it must be so beautiful to be a minister's wife." The last remark was intended as a sort of compliment to their visitor, who enjoyed that enviable distinction, but Mrs. S merely smiled as Milly's earnest face was raised toward her. brambles and under-wood leave their marks. I was obliged to give up white dresses." Milly looked thoughtful. "Oh, well," said she, after a short pause, "dress is very little, after all. I should like the idea of being a minister's wife; you are so looked-up to by the con "Only think of it," continued the young en-gregation; and then they bring you presents and thusiast. think so much of you." "Yes," replied Mrs. S―, "there is something in that; I had seven thimbles given to me once." "Well, that must have been pleasant, I am sure." "It would have done very well had they not expected me to use the whole seven at once. Don't look so frightened, Milly-I don't mean in a literal sense; but I was certainly expected to accomplish as much work as would have kept the seven well employed. This, with my household affairs, was somewhat impossible." Milly sighed; she was not fond of work, and had vague visions of meals of fruit and milk, and interminable seams accomplishing themselves with neatness and dispatch. "Exactly," returned Mrs. S-, smiling at this very satisfactory explanation, "but for 'pattern' read 'mirror'-a reflection of everybody's own particular Now, that you look rather more rational," said ideas; in which, of course, no two agree. But let | Mrs. S—, with a smile, "I will give you a little of my own experience, that you may not walk into | by no means ill-natured, willingly left the turnpikethese responsibilities with your eyes half-shut, as I cakes, and I was soon plunged up to the elbows in did. My ideas upon the subject of minister's wives my labor of love. I had very mistaken ideas though were very much like your own, and when I left my upon the subject of bread, and its capabilities of father's house in the city to accompany Mr. Sto rising; I supposed that a very minute piece of dough his home in a distant country-village, it was with the would bake into a pretty loaf, and was extremely impression that I was to become a sort of queen- surprised when I beheld only an extensive tea-cake. over a small territory, it is true, but filled with ador- Mr. S laughed good-naturedly at my baking, and ing subjects. Mr. S is not very communicative, pronounced it very well, what there was of it. and as he did not pull down my castles-in-the-air Anxious to distinguish myself in his eyes as a good with any description of realities, I was rather disap- housekeeper, I toiled over pies, cake, and every thing pointed to find no roses or honeysuckles; but a very eatable that I could think of; but, alas! the meed of substantial-looking house, with an immense corn-field praise always fell short of my expectations. He dison one side and a kitchen-garden on the other: I patched the pies with a mournful air, as he assured could scarcely repress my tears; but Mr. S-, who me that he never expected to taste any equal to his had been accustomed to the prospect all his life, mother's;' and after trying in vain to reach this welcomed me to my future home as though it were standard of perfection, I gave it up in despair. This, all that could be desired. I have since found, is merely a delusion peculiar to men, to be classed in the same scale with the fancy that sermons were longer and winters merrier in childhood than they are now. "The congregation soon flocked, not 'to pay their respects,' but to take an inventory of my person and manners. I was quite young and naturally lively, and old people shook their heads disapprovingly at the minister's choice, while grave spinsters, disappointed ones perhaps, tossed theirs at the idea of 'such a chit.' The very rigid ones black-balled me from their community as unworthy to enter, while the gay ones regarded me as a sort of amphibious animal, neither one thing nor the other. "Before long, the gifts of which you speak thronged in. I was pleased at the attention-not dreaming, in my innocence, that twice as much would be required of me in return. My ignorance on a great many subjects excited the contempt, and often indignation of my country neighbors; they made not the least allowance for my city education. "I was standing in the kitchen one day, with a delusive notion of making cake-for my attempts in the cookery line always placed me in a state of delightful uncertainty as to the end, it was quite a puzzle what things would turn out-when a middleaged woman made her appearance, and, without being invited, seated herself near me. A basket accompanied her; and after remarking that 'it was awful hot!' she asked me if I would n't like some turnpike-cakes?' "Previous unpalatable messes had been sent in to the table, and afraid that I might be drawn in to taste some nauseous compound, I replied rather hesitatingly-No, I thank you-I do not think that I am very fond of them.' ་ "Anxious to put an end to this perpetual state of surprise, I went into the kitchen to oversee the girl's performances-knowing about as much of the matter as she did. Her request, and would ye plaze, ma'am, to be afther showin' me,' just meant to do it myself. The sensations that Mr. S experienced on finding me thus employed were almost too deep to vent themselves in words, but he positively forbade my doing it again; so, whenever I knew that he was off on some lengthy visit, I continued my mysterious occupation unsuspected; while he rejoiced at Biddy's improvement, and in the innocence of his heart exclaimed: "Don't tell me, my dear, that these Irish cannot be taught-look at Biddy!' "I did look at her, and encountered so hopelessly vacant a visage that I laughed to myself at his credulity. "I was invited, rather commanded, to join 'The Dorcas Society for the Relief of Indigent Females,' which met every week, and where the members always sewed on unbleached muslin and sixpenny calico; they made me president, and in consequence "Mrs. Badger, for that was my visitor's name, placed a hand on each hip, and looking me full in the face, burst forth into a laugh that would have done credit to a backwood's-man. I trembled, and felt myself coloring to the tips of my ears. To this day II was expected, at each meeting, to take home the have a vivid recollection of the impression made upon me by that woman's contempt. "Well, wherever was you broughten up,' said my visitor, at length, 'to 'spose that turnpike-cakes was meant to eat! Why, bless your heart, child! they 're to make bread with!' "1 caught eagerly at the idea; Mr. S- was partial to home-made bread-Mrs. Badger, who was unfinished work and do it up during the week. I was collector for the poor-and in my rounds some gave me sixpence, some nothing, and some impudence. I was superintendent of the Sunday-school, besides teacher of a Bible-class of middle-aged young ladies who were not quite grown up. I was member of a 'Society for the Diffusion of Useful Reading,' which also met every week; and where, had I not been a minister's wife, I should certainly have fallen asleep over the 'Exhortations,' 'Helps,' 'Aids,' and 'Addresses,' that were showered upon us poor women; while I wondered that nobody took the trouble to write to men. "Don't you think,' said I, rather hesitatingly, 'that they would rather go where they could be better accommodated?' "Anna,' said Mr. S, as he deliberately laid down his pen, 'I am really sorry to see you so unwilling to contribute your mite toward entertaining those who should be welcome guests in every "Mite, indeed!' thought I; but that sounded better in a sentence than 'superhuman efforts."' 6 Mr. S―,' said I, in a sort of frantic hope of reducing him to reason, there are exactly two spare-beds in the house-these divided among six full-grown men are not very extensive accommodations.' "You must acknowledge that my time was pretty well employed; but, besides all this, I was expected to entertain innumerable visitors. Traveling clergy-house.' men always made our house their stopping-place; and it must have been conveniently on the route to almost every place in the Union; for some were going north, some east, and some west, but that was always the halting-place. Their hours of arriving were various and unexpected; but I was expected to furnish banquets at the shortest notice-to drag forth inexhaustible stores of linen and bedding-and throw open airy apartments that had hitherto been concealed by secret springs. Mr. S was firmly convinced that the house possessed the elastic properties of India-rubber, and mildly disregarded my ignorance when I asserted that it would not stretch to any extent. "A convention of ministers was to meet in the village, for some purpose or other, and the visitors, like British soldiers during the revolution, were to be quartered upon the inhabitants-with only this difference, they were to be invited before they entered a house. I was seated in Mr. S's study when he mentioned the ministers. "My husband turned upon me a look, 'more in sorrow than in anger,' and left the room, as I imagined, to examine our stock of blankets and comfortables. But not he; he only went to look for a book of reference, and soon was writing again as calmly as though six ministers were not hovering over us in perspective. "I sat like one bewildered, and thought. Mr. Swould not imagine the possibility of our not being able to accommodate them; and I foresaw that all the blame of a failure would fall upon me. Had they only been girls, I could have disposed of them somehow; but the idea of packing away six grave ministers, like so many bundles, was quite repug "I spoke for you, too, my dear,' said he coolly, nant to my feelings of reverence. I thought, how' and said that we could accommodate six.' ever, in vain-there was no conclusion to come to; “Mr. S———!' I exclaimed, roused past all en- nothing left for me but inglorious retreat. In spite durance; 'are you really crazy!'' "Anna!' replied my husband, as he turned his eyes upon me. Mr. S was usually very mild, and appeared to think that a look was sufficient to subdue refractory spirits. He now undertook to look me into reason; while I, fairly boiling at the idea of being treated like a naughty child, and yet struggling with a sense of right and wrong, sat with downcast eyes trying in vain to get cool. "I hope," continued Mr. S-, 'that my wife has not forgotten the rules of hospitality, or the precepts of the Bible?' "But it is so impossible!' I pleaded. beds nor any thing else will hold out under inundation.' Neither such an of having taken him 'for better or for worse'-notwithstanding that I had vowed to cling to him through every thing-I deserted him in his hour of need. Yes, I thought that a good, practical lesson might be of benefit both to him and me; so I went off on a visit, ostensibly to spend the day, but I contrived to be gone all night-the very night that the ministers were to arrive. "I learned the particulars of their visit from Mr. S. "They arrived about dinner-time, and rather disconcerted at my absence, Mr. S did the honors of the house with all the egregious mistakes that usually fall to the lot of absent-minded people. No extra provision had been made for the six guests; "Remember the widow's cruse of oil,' replied and Mr. S helped the oldest minister so liberally my husband. "Yes,' said I, for I felt just the least bit termagantish, but such things do not happen now-a-days.' "Mr. S- looked again, and I was quieted, though I felt very much like laughing. that the others were in danger of falling short. Âs he proceeded in his employment the alarming scantiness of the viands struck even his eye; and, in his first feelings of embarrassment, he abruptly left the room, and dashing into a closet near by, he soon re "One can sleep on the sofa,' continued my hus-turned with a dish, which he presented to one of the band, after a pause. unfortunate ones, saying: "Mrs. S "It was the nearest approach toward calculating probabilities that I had ever known him to make; but I took somewhat of a wicked pleasure in replying, "Not if he is very tall-and then he would probably roll out, it is so narrow; and, after all, that is only one.' "Chairs!' suggested Mr. S. is quite famous for her-her"What name he would have bestowed upon it he does not exactly know himself; but his visitor's optical organs being more on the alert, he indignantly declined the feast of soft-soap with which Mr. S was about to favor him. My husband asserts that his feelings were indescribable; and to this day, he has scarcely forgiven my desertion. He was taking his first lesson in house-keeping; and saw, with some surprise, that a dinner provided for three or four persons would not answer for six more. He sent to the neighbors', and soon supplied deficiencies; but conversation rather flagged, and his visitors evidently looked upon him with some distrust. At tea-time Biddy made so many ridiculous mistakes that he was obliged to set the table himself, and expressly forbid her entering the room. 377 "My dear,' said Mr. S to me one day, after I had been home some little time, 'are you not making an uncommon quantity of cake? Do you expect any visitors?' "I do not expect any,' I replied. "But they may come without expecting. Perhaps the six ministers will stop here on their return.' "Mr. Sgave me a look, but it was only to smile at the expression of my eyes, which, I felt, were fairly dancing; and he replied quite meekly: "It was very foolish of me to be so unreasonable but I have had a lesson that will not be soon forgotten.' "I could have thrown my arms around him in ecstasy, but they were full of flour, and as I had ‘a respect for the cloth,' I desisted. He never again volunteered to take in six ministers at once; how truly they had been taken in,' they could probably testify." "Well," said Milly, with a sigh, "were you not sorry that you had married Mr. S▬▬▬▬▬?” "Not at all," replied the visitor, with a smile at this detriment to her advice, "I would do the same thing again to-morrow.” "The hour for retiring approached, and then, indeed, came 'the tug of war.' Mr. S examined the accommodations again and again, but no more beds grew beneath his eye; and at length, in despair, he concluded to marshal them upstairs in the order of precedence, and see how things turned out. Brother A― took the light from his hand, and bade | him 'good-night' in an imposing manner, but without a single hint that the company of Brother Bor Brother Cwould be acceptable; and somewhat despairingly he descended to his other visitors. Brother B, being of a convenient size, was bestowed upon the sofa; but there now remained four others for one bed and a half, for Mr. S had coneluded to take one in with him. Two were dispatched to the remaining room; one was invited to share his apartment, and, after giving Brother A abundance of time to establish himself comfortably, Mr. S presented himself at his door with the remaining visitor, and aroused him from a sound sleep with a request to take him in. No wonder that Brother A- looked dignified at this miserable management, or that Mr. S began to think that I might be half-right, after all. The next Sunday the young minister was as eloThe next morning matters drew to a crisis. The quent and fascinating as ever; but Milly glanced at coffee, manufactured by Mr. S-, was execrable; his white cravat and thought of the ironings-she and this, with a banquet of burned beef and some-glanced at the congregation and thought of sewingthing that Biddy termed 'short-cake,' lumps of societies-and, like the things in "The Philosopher's dough, scorched without and raw within, utterly Scales," Mr. Saybrook went up with a bound, failed to satisfy the appetites of the six visitors, who while these stern realities pressed heavily down were going upon a long journey; and they departed in the balance, Her eyes were opened, and the with a conviction that my husband's invitation had young minister fell to the lot of some competitor been extremely ill-timed, and prevented them from who had not been favored with "a peep behind the accepting others that might have proved pleasant. scenes.". Milly was surprised; she had seen Mr. S-, a grave, mild-looking gentleman, in a white cravat, but, while she regarded him with the greatest reverence, and trembled whenever she encountered him on the stairs, she could not realize the possibility of his compensating for all these trials-even Mr. Saybrook failed there. FRAGMENT. A PICTURE. BY WM. ALBERT SUTLIFFE. CALM was the wave; such stillness up in Heaven A bark lay on the deep; and from the shore Quiet the sea-kissed shore-noiseless the hills- |