the most tender recollections,-pleasing, yet painful,— bitter, though sweet; and it was these emotions which filled her heart when her protector entered her chamber, and she could not control them. After the departure of the fisher she recovered her cheerfulness, and turning over her trunks, selected from her own little store, that she had privately purchased when in Denmark, some beautiful presents for Jessy and Olive, and in which Margaret Craftly was not forgotten; (for Agatha had always liked Margaret, though she despised her brother) and placing them all in a basket of beautiful workmanship together, she hung it on her arm, and tript lightly down stairs, in order to present her offerings of friendship and sisterly affection.

But neither Jessy nor Olive were in the oak parlour, and she went in search of them to the housekeeper's room, where it is well known that she found them.

In one moment she spread her little store on the table, and bade them take what they liked, save a rich crimson silk bag, which she intended as a gift for their honest kinswoman, Margaret Craftly.

A candle might have been lighted in the face of Olive, and she dared not look at Jessy, who, softly murmuring a gentle sigh, deplored the ingratitude of the censorious Margaret to so pure and spotless a being as Agatha Singleton, believing her to be totally unworthy of her generous gift.

But Jessy said nothing, neither did the too conscious, but now abashed, Olive, who, having her first choice, save the bag which was intended for Margaret, and of which, had it been possible, she would very willingly have deprived her, took care to select the

most beautiful and costly of Agatha's presents; then turning to Jessy, she exclaimed,

There, Jessy, the rest are for you!" At this moment, a beautiful little cornelian heart, set in delicate pearls, and which had escaped the greedy eye of Olive, most invitingly appeared at the bottom of the basket, and Olive wanted that too; but Agatha gently laying her hand on her's, sportingly exclaimed,

"No, Olive, you must not expect to monopolize all hearts, and wear them in your chains; let Jessy have one heart, and one heart, well preserved, and long retained, is worth a thousand that neither love nor constancy have charms sufficient to bind to our service; be this heart, then, your own, sweet Jessy!" and, taking a small gold chain from her own bosom, Agatha affixed it to the heart, and tied it round the neck of Jessy, amidst the envious sneers of the half-pleased, yet certainly the frowning looks, of her discontented sister.

TRIFLING and inconstant minds will always attach themselves to objects of as trifling a nature, while those that merit the most serious attention pass neglected by. And this happened to be precisely the case with Miss Olive Blust, as she rapturously surveyed the shining ornaments which she had made choice of, in preference to the plain and simple ones, that were left, without any choice at all, for the acceptance of her sister Jessy; and though she would have had no sort of objection to the little cornelian heart, and the gold chain, to which it was now suspended, yet, on viewing her own glittering treasures, she felt that the advantage was considerably on her side, and that she had better make a virtue of necessity on the present occasion, than be suspected of envy or jealousy towards her sister. There was also a probability that the trunks of Miss Singleton not being all unpacked, that they might yet contain something more valuable, which might one day or other fall to the share of her and Jessy; for the jewels which still remained in

Agatha's possession were unknown to any but the fisher, who had expressly desired Agatha that it might be kept a secret from his family; nor did even Jessy know that her amiable friend was possessed of so much treasure: not that in such a heart as Jessy's it would have made any impression, save that of the most transporting joy, that Agatha was beyond the reach of pecuniary want; but a knowledge of this would neither have diminished or encreased the sentiment of almost veneration, with which she regarded the character of the beautiful and amiable orphan.

But had Olive been in possession of this important secret, it is certain that every action of her life would have been guided by it, and that Miss Singleton would have been viewed in a far different light to what she now was. So much for worldly wisdom, and worldly prudence!-adopted by older and wiser heads than Olive Blust's; we will, therefore, not censure her, for following but the example of her betters: all Agatha's pretty gifts, however, were presently laid before the fisher.

"And how do you like this, father?-and is not this pretty, father?" were questions repeatedly put to him by Olive; and he answered, "yes" to all, till be chanced to spy the cornelian heart, which was just beginning to peep from the snowy bosom of Jessy; and he exclaimed, in delighted accents,

"Shiver my topsails, if that be not the prettiest bauble of them all! come here, Jess, and let thy old father give thee a hearty buss, and wish thee joy to wear it." The open arms which were extended towards Jessy were not suffered to remain long unoccupied, for the heart of an affectionate child leaped to

receive this proof of affection from a father, whom she adored; and Jessy flew into those arms, that never could deceive her, the best, the most secure, and safest for lovely woman, save those alone of an affectionate husband! all other arms are the enemy of woman, however gilded and charmed with the insidious art of flattery, or soft deluding friendship ;for

"What is friendship but a name,—

A charm, that lulls to sleep;

A shade that follows wealth and fame,---
But leaves the wretch to weep?"

And whether Jessy thought this or no, as the arms of her doting old father were encircled round her slender waist, we cannot determine; but certain it is that her spirits were revived, when she gently disengaged herself from his arms, on the entrance of Miss Singleton and her kinswoman, Margaret Craftly, who, uninvited, had come to pass the day at Herring Dale; and, at her approach, the fisher exclaimed, bestowing a look of the utmost complacency on the smiling Agatha,

“Well, Meg, and you have brought an olive branch in your hand, I see, to reconcile me to your company, whether I like it or not, so sit down and make yourself comfortable, my old lass. Jess, what have you got for dinner, my duckling? now kinswoman is come, we must needs have something in addition to our fare."

"If I had thought that any ceremony was necessary I should have sent you notice of my coming," cried Margaret, quietly disrobing herself of her large red mantle, and her close black bonnet, not however without the assistance of Miss Singleton, who, perceiving