ter it. It was safe in our hands. He
reconsidered his purpose. We came safe to port and did--nothing.

Only on the first quarter-day which followed, I obtained leave of
absence, and visited the Bank of England, to see what happened. At the
door was this placard,--"Applicants for dividends will file a written
application, with name and amount, at desk A, and proceed in turn to the
Paying Teller's Office." I saw their ingenuity. They were making out new
books, certain that none would apply but those who were accustomed to.
So skilfully do men of Government study human nature.

I stepped lightly to one of the public desks. I took one of the blanks.
I filled it out, "John Blatchford, L1747 6_s._ 8_d._," and handed it in
at the open trap. I took my place in the queue in the teller's room.
After an agreeable hour, a pile, not thick, of Bank of England notes was
given to me; and since that day I have quarterly drawn that amount from
the maternal government of that country. As I left the teller's room, I
observed the captain in the queue. He was the seventh man from the
window, and I have never seen him more.

We then asked Hosanna for her story.

THE N. E. HISTORICAL GENEALOGIST'S STORY.

"My story," said she, "will take us far back into the past. It will be
necessary for me to dwell on some incidents in the first settlement of
this country, and I propose that we first prepare and enjoy the
Christmas-tree. After this, if your courage holds, you shall hear an
over-true tale." Pretty creature, how little she knew what was before
us!

As we had sat listening to the stories, we had been preparing for the
tree. Shopping being out of the question, we were fain from our own
stores to make up our presents, while the women were arranging nuts, and
blown egg-shells, and pop-corn strings from the stores of the "Eagle and
Star." The popping of corn in two corn-poppers had gone on through the
whole of the story-telling. All being so nearly ready, I called the
drowsy boy again, and, showing him a very large stick in the wood-box,
asked him to bring me a hatchet. To my great joy he brought the axe of
the establishment, and I bade him farewell. How little did he think what
was before him! So soon as he had gone I went stealthily down the
stairs, and stepping out into the deep snow, in front of the hotel,
looked up into the lovely night. The storm had ceased, and I could see
far back into the heavens. In the still evening my strokes mi