ust such delicate matters? Have you
not seen, a thousand times, that what might be resented as an
impertinent interference on the part of a man, comes to us as a
flattering expression of interest from the lips of a woman?"

"Well, but, cousin, what would you have me do? How would you have me do
it?" said Florence, earnestly.

"You know that Fashion, which makes so many wrong turns, and so many
absurd ones, has at last made one good one, and it is now a fashionable
thing to sign the temperance pledge. Elliot himself would be glad to do
it, but he foolishly committed himself against it in the outset, and now
feels bound to stand to his opinion. He has, too, been rather rudely
assailed by some of the apostles of the new state of things, who did not
understand the peculiar points of his character; in short, I am afraid
that he will feel bound to go to destruction for the sake of supporting
his own opinion. Now, if I should undertake with him, he might shoot me;
but I hardly think there is any thing of the sort to be apprehended in
your case. Just try your enchantments; you have bewitched wise men into
doing foolish things before now; try, now, if you can't bewitch a
foolish man into doing a wise thing."

Florence smiled archly, but instantly grew more thoughtful.

"Well, cousin," she said, "I will try. Though you are liberal in your
ascriptions of power, yet I can put the matter to the test of
experiment."

* * * * *

Florence Elmore was, at the time we speak of, in her twentieth year.
Born of one of the wealthiest families in ----, highly educated and
accomplished, idolized by her parents and brothers, she had entered the
world as one born to command. With much native nobleness and magnanimity
of character, with warm and impulsive feelings, and a capability of
every thing high or great, she had hitherto lived solely for her own
amusement, and looked on the whole brilliant circle by which she was
surrounded, with all its various actors, as something got up for her
special diversion. The idea of influencing any one, for better or worse,
by any thing she ever said or did, had never occurred to her. The crowd
of admirers of the other sex, who, as a matter of course, were always
about her, she regarded as so many sources of diversion; but the idea of
feeling any sympathy with them as human beings, or of making use of her
power over them for their improvement, was one that had never entered