ent and unintelligible, it was evident he was laboring under
mental aberration. He continued moody through the day, and the next
morning was found dead in his bed. He had severed an artery.

At this time Joel was in his twenty-second year. Already displaying
extraordinary capacity in affairs, this event served to call out all his
resources.

I ought to have mentioned, before this, what every body will guess, that
Joel was desperately in love with Ellen Bellows, without, however,
giving her the least reason to believe so, beyond that silent,
unobtrusive devotion which girls, after all, are not very apt to
mistake. Joel felt that in his situation he had no right to attempt to
win Ellen's affection; but he unconsciously took the very best way to
win it. In his intercourse with her he was reserved, almost formal, and,
I may say, apparently indifferent. Ellen, when she came home from school
to spend her vacations, used to feel a good deal piqued that Joel was
not more demonstrative in his welcome. I can not believe she did not
comprehend pretty well how Joel really felt; but his manner annoyed her,
nevertheless. For example, he would frequently step aside and permit
another to wait on Miss Bellows, when Miss Bellows would much prefer
Joel had not been so accommodating. In fact, she was vexed with him half
the time for what she called his stupidity, and half the time tantalized
by his 'studious reserve.' Meanwhile, Joel pursued his career of
self-martyrdom, honest and true-hearted.

Now the scene had changed, and Joel was no longer the diffident youth,
but a man, competent and energetic. He took the direction of every
thing; nothing was overlooked. Of course the relatives were sent for. It
was the old story: they had paid great respect to their rich cousin, but
they did not seem to care much for the memory of the broken-down
insolvent.

The day of the funeral arrived--a dreary November day. It was just
eleven years from the day Joel's mother was buried and he himself taken
to the house of Mr. Bellows. Joel did not forget it, and it gave
additional strength to carry out what devolved on him. There was a very
large attendance at the house. The circumstances of the failure and
subsequent suicide, the situation of the only daughter, and the many
petty incidents which were now the town talk, excited the curiosity of
the good people, and there was an opportunity to gratify it by attending
the funeral. They wanted to see how the