FROM HrArus nook OF BEAUTY FOR 1888.

rur .Tonv or THE BAoK-RooM WINDOW
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We live in a world OF busy passioh1'


and hate, sorrow and Joy, IN thousanu siaP1' rP,I
are forever near us. Death is al our .i'iooNo. .,i
life snrings ND almost at our feet Our neigh-
bors are Exultations, Agonies! Anu ~ ~
seem to live on, ignorant OF all.


Could we but unroof the houses which, DAY
ofer dav. present towards us so Insenslbie an as
meet. what marvels might we not disclose! What
fruitful thoughts, what radiant VISIONS, would
throno into our brain! The mystery of human
conduct would lie unveiled. We should see and
know all men truly. We should see the mlser,
the spendthrit, the scholar the tong artisan, the
happy bride, and the girl deserted, all conirbu-
ting their share to the unknown romance, winch
time is forever weaving round us. As IL Is, eaeh
of them spins out its little thread and dies; almost
unknown, and soon forgotten; unless some curious
accident should arise, to extend his influence III
another region, or to hold his fame III suspen-
sion, twenty years after his coihn had oeeh ~"
cred into the dust.


1t was some such change as have Just advert
ed to, that threw into our knowledge certain acts
regarding a neighboring family, which else hau
probably slipped very quietly into oblivion. You
will observe that what | am now about to relate
is, almost literally, A FACT.


Some years ago, we lived, you know, in --
SQUARE. The room in which we usually dwelt
was at the back of the house. 1t was spacious,
and not without some pretension to the graceful;
the marble chimney-piece being distinguished by
painting by Cipriani, whilst on the ceiling were
scattered some of the conventional eegancies of
Angelica Kaufman. From the windows, which
occupied the northern extremity of the room, we
looked Ito the left of large oriental plane) upon
the bank of crescent of houses-the points Of
the arc recedmg from us.


In the centre of this crescent, was house
which had for long time been untenanted.
Whilst its neighbor dwellings were all busy with
life and motion, this only was, for some reason,
deserted We were beginning to speculate on
the causes Of this accident, and to pity the unhap
py landlord, whose pockets were lanenting the
lack of rent, when suddenly-itw was on an April
morning-we perceived for the first time, signs of
change. The windows of the deserted mansion
were opened, and workmen were seen bustllng
about its different rooms. There was an air OF
preparation, evidently, which announced an in
coming tenant.


sWell,' said -, at last that unhappy man
has discovered some one bold enough to take his
haunted house; or, perhaps, after ALL he is merely
endeavoring to decoy the unwary passenger. We
shall see!


A few weeks determined the questions: for, after
having the house duly cleansed and beautfied
and the odor of the paint suffered to fade away
various articles of furniture were brought into the
rooms. These were of moderate price, and ex
planned to us that the new tenant was person o
respectable station, but not rich. We began to
feel wish to know what manner of man. he
was. Our interest in the empty house has
received new impulse; and we looked out day
after day, for the strangers arrival.


At last, a young man, of lively and agreeable
presence, morning seen giving directions
to female servant, about the disposition Of the
furniture. This was evidently the master of the
mansion. He stayed for half an hour, then de.
parted; and repeated his short visit daily. He was
probably clerk in some public office-a mer-
chant or professional man-whose time was re-
auired elsewhere. But, why did he not reside
there? That was problem we strove to solve
in vain. In the end, he went away altogether
aEach morn we missed him in tn accustomed room -


And now no one, except the solitary maid, was
seen. Throwing open the windows at morning,
to let in the vernal May; closing them at night;
rubbing with deliberate hand the new furniture;
gazing at the unknown neighborhood; or sitting
stlessly in the afternoon imparadised' in rustic
dreams, she appeared to be the sole spirit of the
spot Our imaginations were not satisfied, and
we looked forward to another conner.


We were not disappointed. After the lapse of
fortnight from the young mans departure, our
inauistive eyes discovered him again. He was
sitting at breakfast, with alady by his side. Pret-
ty, young neat, and attired from head to foot in
white, she was evidently bride. We rushed
at once upon this conjecture; and certain tender
manifestations on the husbands leave taking, con-
frmed us III our opinion.


He went away; and she, left to herself, explo-
red, as far as we could observe, all the rooms oi
the house. Every thing was surveyed with pa
tient admiration; every drawer opened; the little
bookcase contemplated and its slender rows OF
books all, one by one, examined. Finally, the
maid was called up some inquiries made, and the
survey recommended. The lady had now some
one to encourage her open expressions ofdelight.
We could almost fancy that we heard her words:
How beautiful this is! Whata comfortable sofa!
What charming screen How kind, how good,
how considerate of y


1t was altogether pretty scene.


Letus pass over the autumn and winter months.
During portion Of this time, we ourselves were
absent in the country; and when at home we re-
member but little of what happened There was
l.tle or variety 10 remark upon; or possibly
o,,r c,lriosity had become somewhat ab.tad