"At Mrs. Grange's," the lady answered, looking again at little bewildered Nan. "My name is Miss Rolf, and I live at Beverley." The name made Mrs. Rupert's heart jump. Beverley was the town in which Nan's grandfather had lived and died. Surely this meant something; just what, Mrs. Rupert hardly knew.
"Well, Nan Rolf!" she said, as soon as the lady had departed. "There's fortune in the wind for you; just you wait and see."
"Oh, Aunt Lydia!" exclaimed Nan. "I wonder what it can be?" But Mrs. Rupert could say no more; she could only look wise and shake her head, while Nan darted away to give Marian and Philip her wonderful piece of news.
[to be continued.]
[THE SLIGHTED STRANGER.]
A STORY FROM PLUTARCH.
BY LILLIE E. BARR.
Athens was keeping holiday; with song and rose
Her fair youths lounged beneath her porticoes
Discussing Sophocles, or Cæsar, or the place
Sparta and Corinth took in the last race.
The circus held a crowd of idlers bright and gay
With expectation eager, as to-day
Each had his favorite horse or wrestler, each was wise,
And knew exactly who would win the prize.
The proud Athenians, with insolent disdain,
Sat by themselves; the Spartans, poor and plain,
Took lower places; they but came to see
The races run, or hear some tragedy.
Each waited for the moment, some with jest and gibe,
And some, like the Athenians, with still pride,
As sure of nothing wonderful, but quite content
To pass all blunders with a calm contempt.
Just then into the crowded circus slowly came
An aged Lydian, with long wandering lame.
He bowed to the Athenian youths; they surely knew
He was their guest, and what to him was due.
But no one said, "Be seated," and all coolly saw
The slighted stranger to the Spartans go;
They rose with one assent the aged man to meet,
And every youth cried, "Stranger, take my seat!"
Then with the dignity that years and wisdom give,
The old man answered, "Long may Sparta live
To teach Athenian youths 'tis not enough to say,
"Give place to age, honor the head that's gray"—
"'Tis not enough to know what it is right to do,
Unless the action make the precept true;
Old Athens to young Athens nobly preaches,
But Sparta practices what Athens teaches."