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brother and sister; he admired Odora, and did not dislike her brother.

The next day was a bright beautiful one, and they drove rapidly towards their new home. Odora gave her brother a slip of paper on which was written, "I am curious to know how our new home is going to lookI wonder if there are shade trees and flowers, and what kind of a house do you suppose we shall live in ?"

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Well, Odora, if you want my ideas I can give them to you. In the first place, we are to be farmers, and I suppose our house will be an old storyand-a-half wood colored building, kitchen and dining-room in front, parlor in the attic, and our bed-rooms down cellar. It is very probably situated in the middle of a cornfield, with a potatoe patch in front, the grand entrance shut in by a pair of bars, a corncrib on each side forming an ar

cade through which we shall pass when we go to milking-a row of sunflowers on one side of the walk and broom-corn on the other, forming a luxuriant shade during the summer months, with dandelions and daisies, occasionally throwing back their green veils looking up to see if their tall neighbors are like to bring in an abundant harvest."

"Hush, Alpheus, you are too ridiculous. I am sure I shall like living on a farm very much, for there are more kinds of work we shall learn to do than we could do if we lived in Roselle." “Odora, don't mention Roselle again in my hearing, for that has become as unpleasant to my ears as my graphic description has to yours."

"Well, Alpheus, there will be one thing that we both shall be happy in." "What is that, sis, for I am sure that I want to be happy?"

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"I am sure that you do not try to make yourself very happy."

"Don't stop to preach a sermon, before you tell me what we are to be happy in."

"It is dear little Alba, Mr. Willard's adopted daughter; she is to be our sister, she is about five years old.” "Is she pretty?" inquired Alpheus, somewhat interested.

"Mr. Willard says she is - look yonder, brother, and see that beautiful situation !"

"It does look pleasant at a distance; I think I should like to live there."

In a few moments the carriage stood in front of a large arched gate which was opened by a well dressed laborer. Mr. Willard drove up the long avenue, skirted by the tall pines and the more modest mountain ash.

Mr. Willard again halted at a small

wicker gate that led to the front door, out of which ran one of the sweetest little girls Odora had ever

seen.

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Oh, papa, you have got home, you have got home."

Mr. Willard, as he took her in his arms, kissed her, and turning to assist Mrs. Willard to alight, said kindly to Odora and Alpheus, "Well, my children, we have got home."

Mr. Willard walked up the steps to the piazza, opening the front door into a large pleasant hall, out of which they stepped into a well furnished parlor, larger than the one they had left in Roselle. Alba was soon in Mrs. Willard's lap and kissed her repeatedly.

"You are my dear mamma, papa says you are."

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Yes, I am your mamma, and you are my dear little girl, and I have

brought you a dear sister and a dear brother, will you love

them ?"

"Yes, mamma, I love them now, will they love me?"

Alpheus and Odora approached the child, assuring her that they loved her, by an affectionate kiss, each taking one of the little hands, and led her to the piazza.

"Isn't she beautiful, brother?"

"Yes, she is beautiful," was his reply; "she is prettier than you ever were, Odora."

"I am glad of that, Alpheus, I hope she is a great deal better."

"There is a fair chance for that," retorted Alpheus.

"Isn't this a pleasant place?" inquired Odora of her brother.

"Yes, it is very pleasant, but I have seen one thing already that was not very pleasant."

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