emed attracted by the young Englishman, whose education and
intelligence rendered him an agreeable companion to any educated and
intelligent person. It was pleasant for Ashburner to find a young lady
who could talk about something else than the polka or the last
party,--who, in short, had read his favorite authors, and could join in
admiring them without affectation; and he felt quite annoyed when Karl
Benson interrupted the _tete-a-tete_. As they all rose, the Judge
approached Ashburner and said, "I shall be happy to see you again, Mr.
Ashburner; if you stay at Mr. Benson's, and have nothing better to do,
come over whenever you please; you must excuse my calling on you, for we
old fellows are privileged, you know." Ashburner said he would be very
happy to do so, and was "desirous of learning something more about
American jurisprudence, if Judge Edwards would allow the trouble it
would occasion him." The Judge of course said he would bestow all the
information in his power, and added, that he had a high regard for
England and Englishmen. "I like a great many of your customs," said the
Judge, "much better than I do our own. Your girls have a physical
education which preserves their health and freshness, while ours sit
still and waste their time and ruin their health. Now here's Mary, who
is a country girl, and yet hardly exercises from one week's end to
another." The Judge said this in a reproving sort of way, but he looked
down on his daughter with a smile as he said it; and she smiled back in
the same way as she said, "Oh no, father, you forget that _now_ I ride
to the post-office every day." It was plain that such reproofs as this
was all that Mary ever knew (and as Ashburner marked the affectionate
look that passed between father and daughter, he thought all that she
ever needed). "How pretty she looks (he thought to himself) standing
there by her rough old father, looking up to him with that pleased,
confiding look; how much prettier than a fashionable belle who is
ashamed of her father because he is plain, and shows it whenever there
is some one by, I think"--

"It is time we were over the river," said Karl, interrupting Mr.
Ashburner in his contemplations.

"I think," said Mr. Ashburner to himself, as they were crossing the
water on their way home, "I think I will call to-morrow and see if she
really is as artless as she seems;" and a moment after to his
companions, "I believe I will practice rowing a few hours a