at is."

"Ah," said the stranger, turning upon her a pair of bright dark eyes,
pleased and rather struck by the communication; "and how came she to
give it to you, my little girl?"

"O, because we are poor, and mother is sick, and we never can have any
thing pretty. We used to have a garden once; and we loved flowers so
much, and Miss Florence found it out, and so she gave us this."

"Florence!" echoed the stranger.

"Yes, Miss Florence L'Estrange--a beautiful lady. They say she was from
foreign parts; but she speaks English just like other ladies, only
sweeter."

"Is she here now? is she in this city?" said the gentleman, eagerly.

"No; she left some months ago," said the widow, noticing the shade of
disappointment on his face. "But," said she, "you can find out all about
her at her aunt's, Mrs. Carlysle's, No. 10 ---- Street."

A short time after Florence received a letter in a handwriting that made
her tremble. During the many early years of her life spent in France she
had well learned to know that writing--had loved as a woman like her
loves only once; but there had been obstacles of parents and friends,
long separation, long suspense, till, after anxious years, she had
believed the ocean had closed over that hand and heart; and it was this
that had touched with such pensive sorrow the lines in her lovely face.

But this letter told that he was living--that he had traced her, even as
a hidden streamlet may be traced, by the freshness, the verdure of
heart, which her deeds of kindness had left wherever she had passed.
Thus much said, our readers need no help in finishing my story for
themselves.

TRIALS OF A HOUSEKEEPER.

I have a detail of very homely grievances to present; but such as they
are, many a heart will feel them to be heavy--_the trials of a
housekeeper_.

"Poh!" says one of the lords of creation, taking his cigar out of his
mouth, and twirling it between his two first fingers, "what a fuss these
women do make of this simple matter of _managing a family_! I can't see
for my life as there is any thing so extraordinary to be done in this
matter of housekeeping: only three meals a day to be got and cleared
off--and it really seems to take up the whole of their mind from morning
till night. _I_ could keep house without so much of a flurry, I know."

Now, prithee, good brother, listen to my story, and see how much you
know about it. I came to this enlightened West about a year since, and