still to be seen in some of Sir Joshua Reynolds' pictures: for, with natural taste, she generally eschewed powder. Her brilliant complexion contrasting with this simple white dress, made her look like a fresh white rose-bud—one of those which has a blush in the heart, while all the rest is of snowy whiteness. The very room seemed to be more fragrant for her being there.

It it needless to say that she never looked lovelier. But this was not entirely owing to her attire, but was partly the consequence of her employment, which always throws such an atmosphere of home around a high-bred woman. He is a hopeless bachelor, indeed, who can watch a graceful girl, engaged on some pretty piece of needle-work, without thinking how beautiful she would look as his wife, plying that small gold thimble with those delicate fingers, by the same fireside with him, on a cold, wintry night, chatting gayly as she nimbly worked, and continually looking up at him with the sweet, dear smile of confidence and love. Ah! miserable man, whoever you are, whose life is spent in hotels; who know nothing of the quiet overflowing bliss of domestic happiness; and whose only knowledge of women is obtained from belles at balls, or flirts at watering places; we wish you could have seen Kate then. In our time, alas! the ́needle is almost obsolete, so that you have small chance of being conquered. Young ladies would scream now-a-days, if caught sewing, whose grandmothers won scores of hearts by this bewitching feminine art. The world is thought to be improving in every respect, but we are old-fashioned enough to think that the grandmothers understood our sex the best, and that they slew thousands with their pretty household graces, while their fair descendants, with all their Italian music, slay but tens.

Those good old times have gone forever. It is the cant of the present day to abuse them as stiff and formal. But when again shall we behold such high-bred courtesy among

men, such a sense of personal dignity, or such chivalrous deference to the fair? Our gentlemen-where are they? And the change is almost as much the fault of women as it is of her companion sex. In that day, ladies were known by their domestic virtues, quite as much as by their erect carriage, their swan-like movements, their robes of rich brocade, or their stomachers of lace. But now, while we have silly girls, or heartless coquettes, or artful establishmenthunters, or rampant woman's rights agitators, we have few ladies like our grandmothers, high-bred both in parlor and in kitchen. Men have lost reverence for women, because woman ceases to be true to herself. Lovers no longer count themselves in heaven if they are allowed to kiss the tips of their charmer's fingers, or sue on bended knees, like Sir Charles Grandison, for the sweet affirmative; but thinking themselves very condescending to have the dear creatures at all, solicit them in a nonchalant manner, as much as to say, "It's a bore anyhow, and I'd quite as lief you'd decline." Young America has more sentiment for a fast trotter than for a fine woman. We have seen enthusiasm in bargaining for a "two-forty," but never heard of it in asking a lady for her heart.

"Oh !" cried Mrs. Warren, waking up with a little scream at the noise made by her book slipping to the floor, "I haven't been asleep-have I?" And she got up and rubbed her eyes.

"I

"About half an hour, this last time," said Kate, laughing. "This last time !" indignantly exclaimed her aunt. wasn't asleep at all, but merely forgot myself for a moment, and only this once."

Kate pulled out her watch.

"It's just an hour and a half since we came in, and you've been nodding for more than an hour of that time.

But

hark! Didn't the knocker sound?" And, as she spoke, a charming blush suffused her cheek and even neck.

"Yes; it's some visitor. must be Major Gordon, for he hasn't been here yet, though we've been expecting him every day; and there's no one else to call. It's considerate of him, I must say," continued Mrs. Warren, sitting down, smoothing her dress, and otherwise putting herself into company trim, "to have deferred his visit till we had time to get up something of a wardrobe. What would our cousin, Lord Danville, have said, if he had known in what dishabille we've had to dine. Such shocking creatures as we've been till within a day never did exist, I suppose."

Who can it be? Dear me, it

"I don't think Major Gordon judges people by their dress merely," said Kate, softly, with another blush.

"Tut, child, what do you know about it? You've scarcely exchanged a dozen words with him. He's a gentleman, however, and can make allowances; what a pity he's a rebel."

"Hush, aunt," said Kate, raising her finger, her heart beating so that her boddice visibly throbbed, for the firm tread, which she fancied she recognized, was heard approaching the parlor.

Almost at the same instant the door flew open, and a servant announced Major Gordon.

CHAPTER X.

ARAB.

Oh! spirits gay and kindly heart,

Precious the blessings ye impart.-Joanna Baillie.

There's little of the melancholy element in her, my lord: for she is never sad, but when she sleeps; and not over sad then; for I have heard my daughter say she hath often dreamed of unhappiness, and waked herself with laughing.-Shakspeare.

Ir would be difficult to explain the cause of Kate's flutter of spirits at this visit. Certainly, she could not have analyzed her own feelings, even if she had tried. Her agitation both surprised and annoyed her. Never before had she been thus affected on any similar occasion, and she mentally pronounced it a bit of weakness unworthy of her.

It is true that Major Gordon had occupied no inconsiderable portion of her thoughts during the last fortnight. Nor is this surprising. His almost exclusive agency in the rescue of herself and aunt could not be concealed from her, in spite of the modesty on his part which would have represented it as a deed equally shared by many others. Indeed, the deportment of Major Gordon in reference to the affair, heightened the estimate which Kate had been predisposed to form of him. Though the words he had exchanged with our heroine had been few, she still seemed to hear the mellow tones of his rich, manly voice. Not that Kate was what is called a romantic girl. She was very far from supposing that, because a handsome young officer had been instrumental in saving her life, she must fall in love with him, irrespective of other and higher claims to her notice. Imaginative as she was, she had too much.

strong sense to be so weak. She had often detected herself speculating at the causes which kept Major Gordon from visiting them, as he had been formally solicited to do by her aunt, and by herself more reservedly, though not less earnestly; but she had not felt it as a personal slight, like an ordinary heroine of romance would have heen expected to do, under similar circumstances.

The emotion of Kate, from whatever cause it sprung, was but temporary. Before the door was fairly opened, much less before she was called on to return Major Gordon's bow, she had schooled her face and manner into that high-bred ease, which, in combination with the natural force of her character, made her so bewitching as a woman.

Major Gordon, attired carefully in the full uniform of his rank, had a striking personal appearance. He looked every inch a gentleman, even as gentlemen were in those, their palmy days. Bowing gracefully, with a calm, self-collected air, first to Mrs. Warren and then to Kate, he took the seat offered to him by the servant, and glided gracefully into conversation.

"We have been expecting you before, Major," said Mrs. Warren. "Especially since we heard you were stationed at the Forks, which is so nigh to Sweetwater."

"I have been delayed by important public business," was the answer. "The powder, for which I was on the lookout, having arrived, I had personally to see to its safety and subsequent transmission to head-quarters. I made daily inquiries after your health and that of Miss Aylesford, however," he continued, "and had the pleasure of hearing that you were slowly but surely recovering from your fatigues."

"We have been told," said Mrs. Warren, still taking the Lead in the conversation, "that you have been appointed to the command at the Forks, which has been created a military post."

"It is so.

There is so much valuable merchandize there,