as I had expected. Helen wanted to know one evening why, if her
poor, dear Tom could go back and forth to the city to business
every day, her lazy big brother couldn't go back and forth to
Hillcrest daily, if she were to want him as a boarder for the
remainder of the season. Although I had for years inveighed
against the folly of cultivated people leaving the city to find
residences, Helen's argument was unanswerable and I submitted. I
did even more; I purchased a lovely bit of ground (though the deed
stands in Tom's name for the present), and Tom has brought up
several plans of cottage-houses, and every evening they are spread
on the dining-room table, and there gather round them four people,
among whom are a white-goods salesman, and a young lady with the
brightest of eyes and cheeks full of roses and lilies. This
latter-named personage has her own opinions of the merits of all
plans suggested, and insisted that whatever plan IS adopted MUST
have a lovely room to be set apart as the exclusive property of
Helen's boys. Young as these gentlemen are I find frequent
occasions to be frightfully jealous of them, but they are unmoved
by either my frowns or persuasions--artifice alone is able to
prevent their monopolizing the time of an adorable being of whose
society I cannot possibly have too much. She insists that when the
ceremony takes place in December, they shall officiate as
groomsmen, and I have not the slightest doubt that she will carry
her point. In fact, I confess to frequent affectionate advances
toward them myself, and when I retire without first seeking their
room and putting a grateful kiss upon their unconscious lips, my
conscience upbraids me with base ingratitude. To think I might yet
be a hopeless bachelor had it not been for them, is to overflow
with thankfulness to the giver of HELEN'S BABIES.