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"You are apt to see unpleasant things; why is it so, brother?"

"I do not know, unless it is because unpleasant things are set before me." "What have you seen that is so unpleasant?"

"I saw on the other side of the drawing room a large cupboard with glass doors, and in that cupboard a full set of china."

"And that was an unpleasant sight, was it?"

"No, the china does not look unpleasant to me at all.”

"Well, Alpheus, tell me what you saw."

"I saw more than a dozen of decanters filled with wine and brandy;" with his color deepening he continued, "I believe Mr. Willard makes a daily use of it."

Odora looked sad, and said, "I have too much confidence in our mother to

think that she would marry a man that used alcohol as a beverage."

The ringing of the dinner bell broke up the unpleasant tête-à-tête of the brother and sister. Alba was seated beside her new sister, apparently as well acquainted as if they had always known each other. Odora fancied her mother did not look quite as happy as she did before they stopped, and thought that her forebodings were in unison with her own. Mr. Willard looked with pride on what he then called his "prizes" that he had brought to Champlain. The dinner passed pleasantly, after which he asked Alpheus to take a walk.

Odora and her mother, with Alba between them, were seated on the sofa in the parlor. Odora looking wishfully into her mother's face and said, "Are you happy, dear mamma?"

"Yes, I am quite happy, are you?"

"Yes, mamma, only I feel rather strange; but, I wish George was here; when do you expect him?"

"He will be at home about Christmas, and that will be only five weeks." 'Mamma, is Mr. Willard a Chris

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tian?"

"No, Odora, he has never made a public profession of religion, but believes there is divine reality in the religion of Jesus Christ; his theology is correct with the doctrines of the Bible."

"Mamma, is Mr. Willard a member of a temperance society ?"

"I should think not, Odora, from the looks of those decanters in the other room, but he was recommended to me as strictly temperate, and I think, if he is not, he will be an easy convert to our temperance principles; we must make him the special object of our prayers."

The five weeks referred to were taken up in receiving and returning calls; the new-comers had little time to be home-sick. Though Odora sometimes longed for her quiet home, she did what she could to assist her mother in waiting on and entertaining company. Mrs. Willard plainly saw that the sphere in which she was now to move was entirely different from her former one. George came by the way of Roselle, bringing with him several letters for his mother and sister, and one for Alpheus, from Henry Radford. An unbroken correspondence was kept up between the friends of Champlain and Roselle for several years. During these years Mrs. Willard did not find her husband as easy a convert as she had expected. Mr. Willard was away much of his time, always having an apology for his absence. Mrs. Willard and her daughters did all they

could to make his home attractive. Odora often found her mother looking very sad, and sometimes in tears; this always occasioned her great pain, she did not venture to inquire the cause.

Alpheus, less sensitive than his sister, on one occasion made a direct reference to Mr. Willard's course of conduct. Odora rebuked her brother, and begged him not to do the like again; he was very angry; he had always been jealous of his elder brother, and sought to lower him in the estimation of his sister, and told Odora that George would be as bad as Mr. Willard if he stayed there. At this she turned deadly pale, her brain whirling so much that she was scarcely able to get to the window; hard as was Al pheus's heart, it was a little softened when he saw the distress he had caused his sister, and he said in a kinder voice than usual

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