Brotherly Love.

exciteT * SnartIiy featUrC 3 ' aiUl tllC ° lU'i 0 Sit y wMdl lier narrative "He loves , truly loves , my daughter , " she thought . « ijTJ 0 ll no sus £ lcion wl 10 Pur benefactor is , " he inquired . JNot the least Every quarter I receive a letter containing a remittanceThe letier bears the Paris

. postmark , but nothing to indicate who the writer is I have received this allowance regularly since the decease ot my poor husband , but I never heard him mention having any friend whom I could suspect , of rendering ine this assistance . The only wealthy acquaintance I have heard him speak of was one who was Ms bitter unrelenting and whose malevolence

enemy , sent him heart-broken to an ear ly grave . Bin to return to Ida . It is the first wish of my heart that she should be comfortabl y provided for . It is true that- she is very youm ' but she has sense far beyond her years , and would make an excellent wife * " bimon could not a sihthe of his mistress

suppress g ; praise called up a deep emotion , and the uncertainty whether she woidd stand to Mm in the relation mentioned , gave Mm a transient pang . ' / 1 have had offers for her , " continued Mrs . St . Claire , "one only of wlnch I deemed eligible , for the gentleman was in circumstances to support her m comfort and respectabilit y . Strange to say , she did not regard Mm favourabl The others ^

y . lore young men , who ^ possessed personal attractions , but were deficient in means . " Here she enumerated several of the suitors of Ida , and as she finished the list , a look of gratified feeling was visible on Simon ' s countenance , which was furiher increased when she stated , that her daughter was as insensible to these personal qualifications as she was to the more substantial ones of the other aspirant to her hand .

T , iHi *¦ ' ? - ° ' P roceeded Ml ' s - St . Claire , "I sometimes suspect thai her affections arc engaged . This causes me no uneasiness ; for with her good sense , I am satisfied she would not select some empty foolish young man , with nothing to recommend Mm but a handsome face A mere prepossessing exterior would not of itself attract her In mv opinion good senseaffection for herand competency what she

, , a , are would chiefl y value in a husband . Without certain means , there can be no happiness m the married life , however warm the attachment may be . " Here a light broke in upon Simon . His practical mind , ever ready to grasp at anything unfavourable to himself , immediately comprehended the dntt ot Mrs . St . Claires discourse , and a distrust of Ida ' s truth flashed across mm .

Mrs . St . Claire had exhausted her volubility , and considering that she had said sufficient to draw forth some observation from Simon , remained silent . She was disappointed , for he made no reply , and shortly afterwards took his departure , leaving Mrs . St . Claire ' at a loss what to conclude . But she did not continue long in a state of suspense , for her suspicion recurringshe construed Ms silence into the unworth

, y motive already hinted Her feelings of maternal pride were deeply wounded by what she considered the venalit y of Simon , when she contrasted his repulsive person with the beauty of her daughter , and she resolved that in