of him once to young Reuel Brown, who was more likely to aid him effectually.

Reu was indispensable to so many people, during his three weeks' holiday, one marvelled how Coomatta contrived to exist without him all the rest of the year. He and Arnold struck up an ardent friendship: they met almost daily, and Arnold spent his Sundays at Wittalunga, tasting the intense enjoyment of having found a fellow-creature. He got on pleasantly enough with the few young fellows in Coomatta whom he could possibly treat as equals their society was jovial, at any rate, and a relief from Jenkinses-but they had read next to nothing, and vexed his soul by their sublime ignorance of geography. Merton was a Blackthorn-in a sense his master; and Freda and Beatrice might sympathise with him in tastes and feeling, but what a chasm lay between his outer life and theirs! Besides, the limits of opportunity make it nearly impossible for intimate friendship to exist between young men and maidens.

"The loving heart escapes a thousand difficulties which others meet, and a truly devoted life is not often puzzled by details of duty. Such perplexities are often the simple result of a discordant will, seeking at once to please itself and to avoid displeasing God."

Sarah Smiley.

REDA did not think it necessary to get a new dress for the Charlcombe party, flattering herself that she had one which would do very well. Late one evening, however, a great milliner's box arrived from Larston, addressed to her. It contained a dress-body of her own which she had never missed, and a rich ball dress, of that peculiar soft shade of pale greyish green which fashion has since acknowledged to be the best concomitant of a little dark-blue: in those days it was very uncommon. The dress was simply and gracefully made, cut square in front, with elbow sleeves. Mr. Raymond had chosen it when last in Adelaide, and undeniably, he had shewn refined taste.

"I would have got something in slight mourning for you, my child," he said kindly, laying his hand on Freda's shoulder, "but this tempted me, and I hope it will come in useful for you in Adelaide, when you'll be out of mourning."

"It's lovely!" said Freda, “only it seems more than I deserved, while my old clothes would do."

"Never mind that. I shouldn't like Harold to think I grudged you a new dress for his turn-out," said Mr. Raymond, smiling.

Yes, if it were his only, but Freda could not help fearing that Rodney would take this change of colours as a personal compliment. He persisted in trying to pay her attention, though she was so plain, and Beatrice had nice-looking girls staying with her, and helping her prepare for the party.

Preparations had been suddenly complicated by the crushing news that the young man who was to have been Fitz-James, had met with a slight accident, which would compel him to lay up for the present. His dress of Lincoln green was still unfinished: he asked if Mrs. Harold could name anyone else whom it might be made to fit. Arnold had practised the part a good deal, in helping the others to rehearse theirs, and in the emergency it was decided

that he must take it. Mrs. Harold wrote to have the dress sent down just as it was, and completed it with her own hands.

Arnold had never had such fun in his life. What with rehearsing, scene-making, and having his suit tried on, he had to be at Charlcombe at all hours, indispensably useful, and keeping the party of girls there in fits of laughter. Leonora was in high spirits, and consequently, generally very amiable, save for occasional fits of pettishness when things went a little wrong, and she was overtired. Beatrice prophesied that she would suffer for all this exertion, but Mrs. Harold would rather have fainted from exhaustion than have lived without excitement. Full of energy by nature, her horror was flatness; every-day life at Charlcombe could not suffice her, now that it was nothing new to have an adoring husband, and a house of her own. Her housekeeping, with Beatrice for an aide-decamp, did not give her half enough to do; she had not sufficient intellectual tastes to fill the gap, and would cry out, “Oh, I do like life to be full. I would rather have troubles than drag out an empty existence."

Freda could fully sympathise with the craving, and only wondered that a new game, or a visitor, was enough to pacify it; she was a great deal more insatiable herself, and would have starved in such a surface life. Just now, however, Mrs. Harold was in her glory, with something to do or arrange every hour of the day-the making of Highland costumes to superintend, besides Arnold's Lincoln green, and a Highland dress for Beatrice. Where dressmakers and tailors are scarce and inefficient, ladies must work for themselves; and their dress is much more characteristic than in England, where a lady's elegant appearance may prove only that her milliner has good taste.

The seventh of July arrived-bright as sun, and sky, and wealth of flowers could make it. Spring flowers begin, in Australia, almost before the turn of the days.

Freda and the children were out early, cutting arums wholesale to send to Charlcombe. She could not go there herself, and have all the fun of decorating, because of that Rodney; besides, the excited children needed all her authority to keep them bearable. Only Moppie and Martie were to go; it would have set a bad example to take a flock of babies.

Mrs. Raymond told a story of a party in Sandhurst, in the early days, when all the ladies were obliged to take their babies out with them, having no one to leave them with at home; and these infants, fifteen in number, were given to the care of one man who still lives, an old man now, and still relates with pride how he packed them all into little carriages, tied these together, and paraded the fifteen babies up and down the streets.

Mrs. Harold stimulated her own interest in her party by inviting as many of her personal friends as could be squeezed into the three family houses, begging them to look upon the affair, as a sort of duty, like the May ball, i.e., the annual crush ball given at Government House, when all the grandees are expected to attend, to

please the common people, on pain of not being asked to any more select entertainments given by the Governor's lady. All the neighbouring magnates were coming in force, and all the Coomatta and Larston sets, who had no conscientious objections, and had ever called upon Mrs. Harold. Lines of rank cannot be drawn on such occasions in the colonies; its distinctions are not marked enough. (Observe, I am speaking of an election party, not such a one as Mrs. Harold would have given on her own account.) The Grobbins were now publicly opposing Rodney, and discovered conscientious objections to private theatricals.

Mr. Raymond warned his wife that she must go very early, so as to have time for giving a touch or two to the Nottlebee family when they arrived.

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They've lots of things Harriet and us have sent them, Martin," said Mother Carrie. "Freda rode over the other day, on purpose to make sure."

་་

'Yes, but you can't make sure they won't put them on hind-part foremost," replied Mr. Raymond.

Freda, as usual, had to don her own robes with the speed of lightning, after helping to dress the children. There was a long glass in Mother Carrie's room, and when ready, Freda knocked at the door, and asked leave to come in and look at herself. Mr. Raymond admitted her.

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Aha, here's a fine girl," he said, taking her hand, and leading her up to the glass. Her pale-coloured dress swept round her in soft, graceful folds; her only ornaments were one white rose and a cluster of violets at her breast, and a smaller rose and drooping sprays of the beautiful white native lilac, in her dark hair. She came forward, looking like a sweet gray day in spring that brings the flowers out without troubling itself to shine, her unwonted dress making her wonted quiet simplicity the more notable. Her father looked her all over fondly and proudly, laid his hand on her shoulder, and kissed her brow. She looked up, colouring high with pleasure—if he was pleased, that was enough.

"Are the brats ready?" asked Mr. Raymond.

They came out-Moppie, supernaturally demure in the consciousness of her best white frock and pink sash, her great dark eyes flashing with suppressed excitement, her black hair falling in silky waves on her round white shoulders-Martie, very handsome in his velveteen suit. Mr. Raymond might well be proud, as he packed his little party into the waggonette, well wrapped up, for the night was cold.

Moppie clung to Freda's hand, and squeezed it, nearly beside herself. Freda felt like a child herself, with her father's kiss on her forehead, so happy and eager to see the fun. They were very early; the great, bright rooms were nearly empty. Moppie clutched Freda's hand again, and gave vent to a long smothered "Oh!" as she crossed the threshold.

The dining-room and drawing-room were on opposite sides of the hall, and could be thrown open to it at pleasure, by the removal of

sliding panels. These were now drawn back before the drawingroom, and the splendid room, stripped of carpet and usual furniture, was beautifully decorated with long native ferns brought from the hills that morning, boughs of heath and wattle, long festoons of native lilac, and arum lilies. Around a noble fire stood the family group-Leonora, her beauty majestic in black velvet and flashing diamonds; Beatrice, like a fairy from the heart of a deep pink rose; other ladies, in dresses white or rainbow-hued: and among them, the five Blackthorn brothers, tall and erect, every one of them-all but Merton, broad, stalwart men, who showed to advantage in evening dress. Arnold's light figure broke from the group, and came to meet the Raymonds. The Nottlebees arrived a moment afterwards, and Freda stayed upstairs to see that their garments were right-sidef oremost, and pick off half the bows stuck promiscuously about their little persons. The children's tea was spread in the dining-room. Refreshments were served to their elders in the deep verandah on which the room opened, now enclosed_with canvas, and decorated with ferns and scarlet geraniums. Every table blazed with flowers-flowers from the open air—and this was the depth of winter!

Guests poured in-Hester Brown looking her best, in dove-colour silk and black lace; and, was it possible? could this be Mr. Airlie? What miracle had dropped such garments upon him, and composed his red shock within such decent bounds? Freda, in alarm, thought he had had his hair cut, and spoiled himself for Roderick Dhu. It was no such thing; but Reu Brown and Arnold Kaye had driven him to order a dress suit from Adelaide, and the latter had been his valet, and in the midst of a thousand and one other claims that day, found time to see Airlie properly into his clothes, and comb his hair till it lay meekly down in good order.

Tea over, the dining-room was rapidly cleared, and prepared for the actors. This was the difficult hour of the evening, with too great a host of children for games, and a mass of their elders, compressed into one room, all agog with expectation, and forbidden to look outside the door. Freda had prepared against it by a previous children's party, without finery, at Koorianda, where she taught a good many little Coomattans a German play, called, "The Peasant," which had already delighted the little Raymonds. With a score of children who knew it to lead the movements, she had courage to place as many as liked to join in two long rows-boys on one side, girls on the other and a pretty sight it was to see her marshalling her forces, the eager, scuffling children falling into order before her gentle voice and hand. She never put on a voice at any time, but her look and tone in speaking to little children were as distinct as the mother-tones and eyes of birds and pussies. Prettier still was the sight when, the ranks in order, two long rows of little faces turned to the spot where Freda stood, with her sweet mother-look and uplifted hand, all unconscious that she was any more a part of the spectacle than the floor they danced upon, and led the song which Hattie Blackthorn accompanied on the piano