What Happened At A Christmas Gathering.

fact ; I believe a woman did cross my room this morning early . " " What was she like 1 " said Jimmy Miller , in a tone which no one could fail noting . " AVell , " said old Jamieson , " I did not

see exactly , for I was half asleep , and in a dreadful fright ; but she looked like a woman in white . " " Stout or thin ? " said Jimmy again . Everybody laughed , and old Jamieson said " Mr . Miller , none of your jokes on

, me . Its no laughing matter . I saw something , but what it was I can ' t say !" The conversation dropped . But the story soon got out among the ladies , and I felt pretty sure from their low laughs that Master Jimmy Miller and Miss Laura knew

something about the matter However , the discussion ceased , and vve spent the day as people usually do in a pleasant and comfortable country house . When we all got together for tea in the afternoon , it was quite clear to me that Jamiepou and

Mrs . De Salis , aud Jimmy and Laura had paired off like Dame Durden ' s serving maids and men . And so I said to Mrs . Jorum , " It all appears to be going on as one could most desire . "

"Yes , " she replied ; "that ghost has done it . Mrs . De Salis has profited by the occasion , and has convinced Jamieson how undesirable is a bachelor ' s life , and how lonely and how unprotected , and how uncompaniable it is . I believe , if the ghost

appears again , Jamieson will take and marry Mrs . De Salis off the reel , to keep off such nocturnal visitants . AVhether he will be the gainer or the loser by the transaction , time only can show . " " Wellbut" I said" what has the

, , , ghost to do with it ?" "AA ell , you see , " she replied , looking most mischievous , " old Jamieson is , I believe , an arrant old coward , and Mrs . De Salis has pluck—I won ' t say brassfor two ; and like all weak men—and you

men are so weak , such poor creatures—he must lean on a woman . Now Mrs . De Salis is as bold as a lion , and fears no ghost and certainly has no alarm about a husband ; " and here Mrs . Jorum laughed again her merry laugh . " Look at them "

, she said , " why those two old geese are getting quite tender . Well , 1 never !" Certainly Mrs . De Salis had played her cards well , and Jamieson was enraptured ,

Old Jorum came up and said , " Its quite disgusting !" " What is , " asked Mrs . Jorum , " you most unsentimental of men ?" ' " Those two old doukies making love in that way . "

"Bless my soul , " said Mrs . Jorum , " what creatures men are ! As if it was not necessary to sweeten the black draught of life with a little coating of sugar or of gold . Jorum , I had expected better things of youafter all the

in-, struction I have given you ! Do you remember , Mr . Tomlinson , how loving a certain person was once upon a time ?" I bowed impressively , and she went on : " And here he is , positively grudging poor old Jamieson a few short sweet

moments of sunshine and quiet and happiness . " At this moment Laura and her Jimmy came up , looking supremely happy . Jimmy came to my chair and whispered in my ear : " All rightold boy—father

, and mother agreeable—and I am going to write to my friends . " " Oh ! incautious maiden , " said I to the blushing Laura , whom Mrs . Jorum

was warmly congratulating , "You are really determined to land on the dangerous island of matrimony . Be warned and wise in time , ere it be too late . " The impudent young woman only laughed , and said , " Grapes are sour , you

old and woe-begone bachelor !" And in due course we all separated to adorn the outer man , for the cheery and pleasant dinner . This evening all went off and went on , as they say , " most swimmingly . " Jamiesoii was so engrossed by

Mrs . De Salis that he took no heed of his left-hand neighbour ; and Jimmy was so absorbed in Laura ' s sprightly conversation , that he even had scarcely an ear for Mrs . Jorum ' s merry sallies . But , as she said confidentially to me afterwards , " a man

in love is really all but' off the nut . ' " It was quite clear to all now that old Jamieson was booked , and I confess , like a person suffering from a twinge of the gout , I began to feel a qualm of compunction . And as we were separating for the night

, and the ladies had finished nibbling their biscuits and sipping iced seltzer water , with just a soupcon of cognac—only a soupcon- —I said to Mrs . Jorum : " I am really sorry for poor old Jamieson . "