Mildred: An Autumn Romance.

Avho Avas an apt pupil , and whom , the father delighted to teach Avith Marmaduke . He was a simple , good soul , and thought no harm of leaving the young people together , never dreaming that the boy of seventeen would wake up some clay and find himself a man , with a warm heart and affectionate nature , infirm of purpose , ancl yet meaning to do well ; or that the girl was even now almost'a woman , ancl a beautiful one too , with a guileless nature , ancl an untouched heart . Untouched , but for how long ?

The widower never thought of a possible attachment between those two , or he would have kept them wide as the poles asunder ; for the General he knew was a proud man , ancl had high notions for his son . The General , being himself a parvenu , as he very well knew , was anxious for his youngest son to marry into a good family . The eldest son John had committed himself by marrying the daughter of the woman who kept his chambers ; but the poor soul had died in giving birth to her still-bornancl John vowed he would

, never marry again . So his only hope was Marmaduke . The poor artist's daughter marry his son ! The General would have foamed at tho mouth at the very idea . Ancl the poor artist himself—well , he was a proud man , too , poor and proud ; and the name of Bethune was as good , aye better than Mathew , a long , long way , and he would scorn

to let the rich man think he wanted his son for Ins own loved daughter . But , as I said before , he did not think of possibilities ; why should he ? A mother would have clone so , no doubt , but fathers rarely do . So-when the young man left Sandhurst ancl got his commission in the Guards , lie came down to St . Benet's to see his old friends , amongst whom he numbered the artist a ' nd his daughter . Ancl the former never dreamed that they could ever bo more than friends , these two young people , and never

saw the clanger of the sort of friendship ivhich had so evidently sprung up between them . And then another year went by , ancl George Bethune , the poor artist whom all loved , died , and Mildred went to live with her aunts . But no word had been spoken of love , though the gossips of St . Benet ' s , you may be sure , had often noticed the young officer when home on furlough calling at the house in the Great Whyte—oftener than mere friendshi p for Mr . Bethune seemed to warrant—and then when the artist died

and Marmaduke came down for a clay or two from Colchester , where his regiment was stationed , and sought out Mildred at her new home in the Abbey Buildings to tell her that he sympathised with and pitied her in her great loss , the gossips talked , wondered , ancl said there must be somethhte in it .

July and the fair . The agricultural show for the county was to be held this year at St . Benet ' s , and the General ' s youngest son had just come of age . Great was the excitement in the old town in the Fens , and universal the desire of everybody to make the meeting a success . The Abbey grounds were to be opened to the public ; a great marquee close to the house was erected where the dinner was to be held , and at which the General was to

preside . The field adjoining the Abbey stables was to be the show ground , where the horses were to be tried and the cattle ancl poultry were to-be exhibited , and the day ivas to be observed as a general holiday . It ivas whispered that the opportunity woidd then be taken of introducing Mr . Mathew to the public as the future MP . —but some of the old quidnuncs thought that it would be wiser to let it alone . " The young fellow hasn ' t sown his ivild oats yet , " said Dr . May , the old

practitioner ; " he ' s young , too young , to think of such things . " "Right you are , sir , " answered his querist , Mr . Grice , the leading butcher , " right you are ; want ' s bottom , sir ; want ' s ballast—that ' s what I say . " Grice was a great politician , and had a nice little freehold property , ancl took part in the penny readings , and was altogether an important man ; at least he thought so . The fair comes off on the 5 th Julyso does the showivhich is most successful .

, , The farmers from the Fens forty miles round come in to I bo meeting , and bring their wives and pretty daughters . Every one is there , and the dinner is attended by some three or four hundred , -the ladies sitting down with the rest and " illuminating the proceedings by their presence , " as a young and gushing reporter in the Peterborough Advertiser says . " The General is pompously loquacious , and presides with his usual dignity . He is supported by the