helpful; word' from my Bible, cast my Burdens, "great "oF small, "on my God in priyer's'sid bet ib as T hoped by rising Up oxfly, aid Sitting up Jate, to carry through before 26th December,: ny literary enterprise. "Into this sanctum I had just retreated for the night, when I drew from pocket' ani -un-openad letter, received during, the day, and: forgotten until now. Te. was from Aunt Octavia, my father's walden sister; she. was a lady of large means, but very small mind, who as my godmother took @ special interest in me, and her letters consisted chiefly of moral precepts, and warnings against what she considered: the unfeminine tendencies of the young girls of the present day. Above all she' was possessed by the dread thats might be misled some. day attempting authorship in emulation of female relatives on my mathe: this she held to be the most glaringly unwomanly of pursuits, I now read, in her cramped angular writing, on a half-sheet of paper, crossed and re-crossed "My. dear niece,—Although it is, as you know, my habit to spend Christains time in my own parish, I propose to make this Thhope be unwelcome to you all, Tam sutear another arrangement, which will not,
fering from " dinness in my eyes, and wish to see Dr. Fuber, the famous oculist, without delay, so I shall be glad to spend a few days at your house, if you can receive me. [take the opportunity to give Benson short holiday among her relatives, 80 shall look to you for any assistance I na: require in my somewhat helpless condition: and I hope to find you at liberty to accompany me to the oculist's, whom I wish to visit to-morrow afternoon; and purpose therefore arriving at Cornwall Square about 1pm.
Your affectionate Aunt, Ocravia MoxTimone.
P.S.—I can friend: but ye my canaries in charge hall of course bring Uttor dismay was my first sensation there was not time, even if my father would have allowed' it, to inform Aunt Octavia Unat every corner ut our house was slreudy bespoken, Wherever could we put her! To say nothing of finding time for the, endless exactions her coming always involved. Besides, had not one of our must valued serra i to give wareing, Aunt Octavin's last visit, by the annoyance and trouble caused by that pampered yelping, ill-conducted brate, Snowflakes? "And then, with my god-mother in the house, Teouldn't ever be sure of midnight liberty, for she bad w habit of wandering about the house at unearthly hours "because her sweet Snowflakes, her faithful little guardian, had sat up on her bed and barked."
However, I mustu't waste the precious present time in laments, so I sat down to iny translation. It was rather dificult; a vee of high-flown sentimentality, "so rench in character (and doubtless therefore chosen) as: to puzzle sorely an English translater, required to give as nearly as possible a literal rendering.
At last, about 3: a.m, I had almost finished my work: only: s few blanks remained for reference to a-superior dictionary which T resolved to borrow.
"Where should we put her?" was the text of our conversation at the breakfast table. Gradually the dread conviction dawned on me "that I must give up my dear little room to Aunt Octavia, and sleep on a sofa in the nursery adjoining.
"Well, [riy sorry for it, my dear," said Papx: "I know you are fond of your room; but it won't be for many days, I dare say."
As I had feared, the servants looked cloudy at my intimation of Mies Mortimore's coming. " Snowflakes" Idared not hint at. After making out a long list of orders yet to be given to our trades-people, I Tushed upstairs feeling this was my last chance of stowing away such of my private concerns as I wished to conceal from Aunt Octavia, Most carefully I gathered together-ths louse pages of my prize-translation, and deposited them under the mattress of the nursery sofa; then locked up my letters, diary, and come of my photograph: and next started on a round of final Chris mas shopping, the distance increased by my visit to a foreign Neary for a French-English dictionary, which I afterwards left behind me, and had to recover, at more than ove shop-counter, But at last, the bulky volume under my arm, and my hands full of parcels, I reached ud at the same moment beheld, up to the door, a luggage-laden cab, from which there emerged first x tangle of white-haired poodle, which was committed tu the ccbwan by the hands of one unseen, Cabby hastily passed the brute on tu me, as Tstood aghast at the bottom of the door fow appeared Aunt Octavia, re-able by her large worsted-work bag. Her face was almost coucenled by a deep green eye-shade and immense dark spec-tades, like reduced meat covers, and she put out ler feet gropingly, as she left the cab. Poor Aunt Octavia! it certainly was very sad to think of her sight failing; I went forward with some compunction to help her into the house.
"Why child," she exclaimed sharply, what have you got there? I hoped to find yun occupied with your household duties." From under that green shade, through those ment-safe spectacles, she had actually spied the French dictionary Her luggage had all to be carried at once to her room, up four flights of. stairs, though the servants were ut dinner when she arrived, Then it appeared that nothing on our lunch-table would suit her. She was avoiding solid food, fearful of inflam-motion in her afflicted eyes—if only there hud been soup! Perhaps however we had Liebig's essence, or Russian gentile? Ah well, it wasn't likely such things would Be thought. of (which meant T knew, that luckless dictionary.) Never mind, she had n rusk in hee bag: and she could take a little celery: there was some in the hamper she had brought, and which the cook had better open at once, Afraid to ask the cook, I managed myself to unearth the celery.
Now some milk, please, slightly warmed, for my aweot pet; break u) one of these rusks in it, Evelyn; when we yo out we will got some of his own favourite biscuits, and some new ribbons for his neck, won't we, my putty, ity dear!"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.