by his side.
Mr. Archer would have received her with becoming gravity, had it
been in his power to, do so; but the smile on her face was so
innocent, and she bent towards him so kindly and affectionately,
that he could not find it in his heart to meet her with even a
silent reproof. This young lady was really charming his ear, when a
gentleman came up to her, and said--

"Anna, I want you to dance with me."

"With pleasure," replied the girl. "You will excuse me for a while,
Mr. Archer," said she, and she was about rising as she spoke, but
the old man placed his hand upon her arm, and gently detained her.

"You're not going to leave me?"

"No, not if my company will give you any pleasure," replied the
young girl, with a gentle smile. "Please excuse me." This she
addressed to the person who had asked her to dance. He bowed, and
turned away.

"I am glad to keep you by my side," said Mr. Archer, with some
seriousness in his manner.

"And I am glad to stay here," was promptly answered, "if my company
will give you any pleasure. It does me good to contribute to others'
happiness."

The old man was touched by this reply, for he felt that it was from
the heart. It sounded strangely to his ears from the lips of one who
had just been whirling in the mazy dance.

"There is no real pleasure in any thing selfish," he remarked. "Yes,
you say truly, it does us good to contribute to the happiness of
others."

"For this reason," said Anna, "I like dancing as a social
recreation. It is a mutual pleasure. We give and receive enjoyment."

The old minister's face grew serious.

"I have been to three or four parties," continued the young girl,
"where dancing was excluded, under some strange idea that it was
wrong; and I must say that so much evil-speaking and censoriousness
it has never been my lot to encounter in any company. The time,
instead of being improved as a season of mental and bodily
recreation, was worse than wasted. I know that I was worse instead
of better on returning from each of these companies, for I
insensibly fell into the prevailing spirit."

"That was very bad, certainly," remarked Mr. Archer, before whose
mind arose some pictures of social gatherings, in which had
prevailed the very spirit condemned by his young companion. "But I
don't see how you are going to make dancing a sovereign remedy for
the evil."

"It is not a sovereign remedy," was answered, "but it is a concert
of feeling and action, i