What Happened At A Christmas Gathering.

" I am not , " that strong-minded young woman replied ; " he wants money , and he will get it ; he wants some one to manage him , and he will find what he wants . As he has made his bed , so let him lie ; I don ' t pity him in the least . " And I don ' t believe she did .

I fancied I heard the ladies tittering as they all tramped along , Mrs . De Salis lingering behind to say a soft farewell to Jamieson . " You and the widow are going it , " I said to old Jamieson when he returned to

the table . AA'hen we all closed round the fire , before separating for the ni ght , '' Charming woman , Tomlinson , " the old impostor said , " full of warmth of heart , and what a fond and sympathetic creature she is . "

" Yes , old fellow , " I thought to myself , you and she will do very well ; you will get her money , and she will bully you . Such are the compensations of life . " Soon after this we all went our way , wishing each other " buona botte . "

At breakfast the next morning poor old Jamieson was more silent than ever , and was evidently ill at ease , and even impervious to the attentions of the read y widow . Soon after breakfast was over , he went up to our kind hostess and told her

that most important business called him away to town , much to the apparent astonishment of that amiable personage , to the consternation of the widow , and the evidently suppressed amusement of Mrs . Jorum , Jimmy Miller , Laura , and Co . He gave no explanation , and avoided us

all , and left by the London express . Curiously enough , the widow , in the afternoon , also found that she must return to town ; and the next morning she also left us , resolute and reticent . I said to Mrs . Jorum , when this second

denouement took place , " Can you solve the mystery ? " And that heartless woman laughed outright . " You had better , I think , " she replied , knowingly , ask Jimmy Miller and that young scapegrace his brother , officer , Mr . Vesey . "

But they would tell me nothing , and it was not until some time afterwards that I learnt the solution of the enigma . Mr . Vesey was the " woman in white , " and had frightened old Jamieson out of the house and into the loving care of the bold widow . Laura and her Jimmy were married

after Lent was over in the following year , and are as happy as two geese of lovers can be . Mrs , Jorum is my authority for the expression . Jamieson married Mrs . De Salis , and is , they say , kept in thorough good order . He has never seen a ghost since , though he probably sees far too much to his taste—of a stout woman in white !

Mrs . Jorum and 1 have often talked over the matter since . She still contends that all is for the best , and that each of the two " spoons" is properly mated , and has got justwhathe orshewanted . She will not allow that Jamieson is to be pitied at all . " A man who makes up his mind , " she says , " to get money , must take things as he finds them . If he sets his heart on ' ochre '

he must not be surprised if he finds it to be , after all , dross ; and that , as be has outraged all true sentiment , he can't get his sweets without his bitters . " I agree with Mrs . Jorum . Though old and gouty , and full of soft memories of what happened to me , " Consule planco" I

, yet feel certain of this one thing : that marriages of affection afford the best prospect of earthly happiness ; and that if society is disorganised , if its creed is sceptical , and its morals somewhat " gone astray , " it is only because we choose to

forget that , though hasty and improvident and incongruous marriages are very bad things for all concerned , a mercenary marriage is detestable , and a marriage without mutual affection is but a certain

prelude to severed sympathies , and a mournful fiasco . " Yes , " says Mrs . Jorum , " my view is , that love and affection combined , with a quantum suff . of the good things of life are far better than all the money in the world ; and that if the heart does not go

with the gold , and the dross which perishes with the using , and is not purified and elevated by tender sentiment and true sympathy , there is veiy little chance of mutual happiness for any two people in this world . "

As 1 think that my readers will agree with the "dictum" of that charming person , who has made the best of wives , and is the most sincere of friends , and the cheeriest of good company—an honest , true-hearted , fascinating woman—I conclude my little tale with her eloquent peroration .