An Old Maid's Mistake.

tion to her class m telling her age . She owned a neat little cottage ancl several acres of land , situated iu the thriving village of B . It was a great mystery to her how it happened that she , Avith quite a large fortune tempting the opposite sex , should remain single so long , but to others

it Avas no intricate case to solve ; for whoeA'er caught a glimpse of that sharp-pointed nose and little grey eyes peering out from under their Avhite eyebroAvs , would be rather inclined to keep at a respectable distance .

The owner and occupier of the lot adjoining Miss Prim ' s , was a Mr . Pray , a very quiet and diffident person , AVIIO kept bachelor ' s hall . His visits to Miss Prim ' s Avere like angels' visits , few ancl far between . He

had lived a neighbour to Miss Prim nearly a year , all of Avhich time she had spent in vain endeavours to draAv him into an intimate acquaintance . He was bullet-proof to all her great personal and real attractions , and she declared he would die an old bachelor , and she would not pity him if he

did . One day , Avhen she Avas sitting in her parlour engaged in sewing , to her great delight she saw Mr . Pray emerge from his dAvelling ancl make his Avay toward her own . She flew to the door to let him in ,

took his hat , ancl gave him a seat ; then there Avas an irksome silence . Soon , IIOAVever , our hero mustered up courage to say : " Miss Prim , I hope you won ' t be offended at Avhat I am going to ask

you—" " Oh , no , " interrupted Miss Prim , " you can say Avhat you please and not offend me . " " Well , " continued Mr . Pray , " trusting to our friendship—"

" Yes , we Avere always great friends , Mr . Pray , ancl I hope , " continued she , " we shall over remain so . " " I came to see if you AVOUIC ! do me the favour—" ' ¦ ' Yes , yes , " replied Mis Prim , "

anything that is in my power I Avill gladly do . " "It came rather hard for me to ask you . " "It needn't , Mr . Fray , for you know I have ahvays entertained a great regard for you . "

" If it would not be too much trouble—" " Oh , no trouble at all , Pray ; I'll be ready any time . " ' ¦ ' You would not have to leave the house , for I could bring them over here—" " Yes , you can come right iu here ; or if you had ratherI will go over into your

, house . " " I thought it Avould be just as Avell as to Avait longer . " " Yes , just as well , " said Miss Prim , encouragingly . " But I thought if you Avould help me

a little—" " Yes , Mr . Pray—I Avould Avork all the time , and Ave Avould get along so nicely . " " You do not understand me , " said he , as the perspiration began to pour CIOAVU his face . " Yes I do , " replied she ; " you Avant me to be—"

"No , no , I don't , " replied he . " All I want of you is to help me make my plums into preserves . " The disappointment and rage of Miss Prim can better be imagined than described . All the sAveet visions of married life Avhich

flitted through her mind for the half-hour past , vanished . The air-castles Avhich she had so fondly cherished , with hopes of their being realized , were ruthlessly assailed by that cruel declaration— " All I Avant of you is to help me make my plums into

preserves . " She stopped a moment to let the storm thicken , and then it burst forth Avith all the fury that she was master of . " You insult me , Mr . Pray , I expected

better things than this of you . I took you to be a gentleman , but you are nothing more than a low , good-for-nothing brute . Mercy knoAvs I wouldn ' t have married you if you had asked me . When I stoop so IOAV as to marry an old bachelor forty years oldivhom no decent Avoman would

, have anything to say to , you may tell me of it . Me make your preserves ! " continued she , as she shook her long bony fingers disdainfully , in close connection with his face . " When I degrade myself so much as to become your servantmy name Avill

, not be Miss Sophia Prim . Me make your preserves ! There is no enduring your im- - pudence . So leave my house this instant , and don ' t let your hateful trunk darken my door again , you— "