Beatrice.

all concurrently draw of the degraded position of woman ; and then , veil we look back on dese eighteen hundred years , where a true religion has given grace , light , ancl hope , and peace , ancl purity to a whole world—all humanity , remember—we see at once that wherever woman has obtained her true position , there all de graces of the domestic life , all the virtues of the public life , flourish and abound . If to-day , anywherewoman is treated as a slavethe inmate

, , of de harem , the victim of the cruelty , de savagery , de lust of man—dere private vices are rampant—den dat people is going fast to decay ancl to de devil . Ah , vy vill we not render to voman de justice dat is her due ? V y vill we not confess , as confess we may with a clear conscience , that to woman we owe all that is ennobling , all dat is elevating , all dat is precious , all dat is sublimealike in de homede Heimathas in that national and public life

, , , about which we prate so much , and often talk such nonsense . So , though I do not deny dat dere are some incongruities ancl difficulties in marriage , as I told you , half in jest , half in earnest , this very morning , never let us laugh at matrimony , my friends ' an serieux ; ' de man is a fool , a rascal a ' vaurien ' wdio does so . " I do not know whether my good friend ' s words will have the same effect

on my readers they had on us , but , as all the young men seemed deeply affected ( which is something for our young men ) by Brummer ' s eloquent tirade , I felt pretty sure myself they had all made up their minds to " follow suit . " At this moment who should walk in but the " doctor , " and , as lie was greeted with " Doctor , how are you ; ancl what's your opinion of marriage ? here ' s Brummer been laying clown the law in the most dogmatic way , " the doctor delivered himself incontinentl y of the following neat little speech .

" Marriage , said the doctor , " hum , ha , gentlemen , I hardl y know wdiat to say about it . On the whole I think I am an advocate for it , though I am quite aware of its ' pains ancl penalties . ' Some of my best patients are ' married people ; ' some excellent patients of mine are ' old maids ancl old bachelors . ' Indeed , on the whole , I think the chances are pretty nearly even , ancl as I heard a great many years ago as a medical student at Epsom , ' heads / wintails you lose . ' I thinkas I said beforeit is all about prettnearl

, , , y y ' even ' in this best of worlds , and I do not think it matters much ( except for society ancl the census returns ) whether people are married or unmarried . It ' s all a matter of convenience , arrangement , comfort , compatibility , family consideration , and the like . I have no sentiment myself , and I don ' t believe anyone else has ; and as for marriages of pure affection , they are nonsense ; love ancl all that sort of rubbish may suit poets and such sorb of fellowsbut it

, does not "run" in practical life . Give me another cigar ancl a glass of ¦ ' B . and S . ' Let ' s have a rubber at whist . " We all protested against the doctor ' s views , but , being a man of independent mind , he did not care , ancl , for the matter of that , I should not wonder much if he spoke literally as he thought . And here I must stop today .

Can I introduce any more serious subject , my dear boy ? Can I treat properly any less important matter , my fair young woman ? Certainly not ; and , therefore , feeling as I do myself , awe-struck , when I draw near this most " important phase of social and domestic life '—as Prodder says , the " question , sir , of the ' our , "—I leave to another chapter the developement and elucidation of those manoeuvres and mysteries which so seriously affected for a short space of time the peaceful progress of Gayley , and our little happy circle . ( To be continued . )