was plotting against her.

The screams of the terrified women drew the attention of the son of
the old lady, who had just discovered her absence, and was hastening in
search of her. At once suspecting the truth, he rushed without ceremony
into his neighbour's house, and speedily rescued Mrs. Morris from her
unpleasant and somewhat dangerous situation. After conveying his mother
to her own room, and consigning her to strict custody, he returned, and
respectfully apologized to Mrs. Freeman for what had taken place.

"His poor mother," he said, "had for several years been subject to
occasional fits of insanity. Generally she had appeared harmless,
excepting as regarded herself. Unless prevented by force, she would
sometimes beat her own flesh in a shocking manner, uttering at the same
time loud cries and complaints of the abuse of those whom she supposed
to be tormenting her.

"In her lucid intervals she had so earnestly besought them not to place
her in the asylum for the insane, but to continue to bear with her under
their own roof, that they had found it impossible to refuse their solemn
promise to comply with her wishes.

"For themselves, their love for her rendered them willing to bear
with her infirmities, but it should be their earnest care that their
neighbours should not again be disturbed."

Mrs. Freeman kindly expressed her sympathy and forgiveness for the alarm
which she had experienced, and the gentleman took leave.

Poor Mrs. Morris had remained perfectly silent since her release; but
as the door closed on their visiter, and her friend kindly turned to
inquire how she found herself, she recovered her speech, and exclaimed,
energetically,

"I will never, never say again that there are not two sides to a story.
If I am ever tempted to believe one side without waiting to hear the
other, I shall surely feel again the hands of that old witch upon my
throat."

"Old witch!" repeated Mrs. Freeman. "Surely she demands our sympathy as
much as when we thought her suffering under ill-treatment. It is indeed
a sad thing to be bereft of reason. But this will be a useful lesson to
both of us: for I will readily acknowledge that in this instance I
was sometimes tempted to forget that there are always 'two sides to a
story.'"

LITTLE KINDNESSES.

NOT long since, it was announced that a large fortune had been left to a
citizen of the United States by a foreigner, who, some years before, had
"become ill"