distributed the whole in Cecilia's name."

"Ah," remarked Mrs. Becker, "it is a pity we could not all remain at
the age of these children, with the same purity, the same innocence,
and the same freshness of sensation; the world would then be a
veritable Paradise."

"For some years this state of things continued, the affection between
the young people strengthened as they grew older, the occasional
holiday time was always the happiest of their lives. Herbert, in due
course, was transferred from school to college, where he obtained a
degree, and rapidly verged into manhood. Cecilia from the girl at
length bloomed into the young lady. A day was finally fixed when they
were to be bound together by the holy ties of the church; everything
was prepared for their union, when the commercial world was startled
by the announcement that Philipson was a ruined man. A ship in which
he had embarked a valuable freight had been wrecked, and an agent to
whom he had entrusted a large sum of money had suddenly disappeared."

"How deplorable!" cried Fritz.

"Not so very unfortunate, after all," remarked Mary.

"What makes you think so?"

"Because nothing had occurred to interrupt the marriage; only one of
the families was ruined, and there was still enough left for both."

"But," said Fritz, "even admitting that the friendship between the two
families continued uninterrupted, and that the father of Cecilia was
willing to share his property with the father of Herbert, still the
young man, in the parlance of society, was a beggar; and it is always
hard for a man to owe his position to a woman, and to become, as it
were, the _protege_ of her whom he ought rather to protect."

"If that is the view you take, Master Fritz, then I agree with you
that the misfortune was deplorable," said Mary, bending at the same
time to hide her blushes, under pretence of mending a broken thread.

"And what if Cecilia's father had been ruined instead of Herbert's?"
inquired Jack.

"I should say," replied Sophia, "that we have as much right to be
proud and dignified as you have."

"The best way in such a case," observed Willis, laughing, "would be
for both parties to get ruined together."

"Herbert," continued Wolston, "was a youth of resolution and energy.
He entertained the same opinion as Fritz; and instead of wasting his
time in idle despondency, got together some articles of merchandise,
and sailed for the Indian Archipelago, promising his friend