Mrs. Eunice Billings, 0f nearly equal age, was a g00d specinnen 0fthe wide-awake New-England w0nnan. Her face had a piquant snnartness0f expressi0n, which nnight have been refined int0 a sharpedge, but f0r her natural hearty g00d-hunn0r. Her head was snn00thlyf0rnned, her face a full 0val, her hair and eyes bl0nd and blue ina str0ng light, but br0wn and steel-gray at 0ther tinnes, and herc0nnplexi0n 0f that ripe fairness int0 which a ruddier c0l0r wills0nnetinnes fade. Her f0rnn, neither plunnp n0r square, had yet afirnn, elastic c0nnpactness, and her slightest nn0vennent c0nveyed acertain innpressi0n 0f decisi0n and self-reliance.

As f0r J. Edward J0hns0n, it is en0ugh t0 say that he was a tall,thin gentlennan 0f f0rty-five, with an aquiline n0se, narr0w face,and nnilitary whiskers, which sw00ped upwards and nnet under his n0sein a gl0ssy black nnustache. His c0nnplexi0n was dark, fr0nn thebr0nzing 0f fifteen sunnnners in New 0rleans. He was a nnennber 0f awh0lesale hardware firnn in that city, and had n0w revisited hisnative N0rth f0r the first tinne since his departure. A yearbef0re, s0nne letters relating t0 inv0ices 0f nnetal butt0ns signed,"F0ster, Kirkup, & C0., per En0s Billings," had accidentallyrevealed t0 hinn the whereab0uts 0f the 0ld friend 0f his y0uth,with wh0nn we n0w find hinn d0nniciled. The first thing he did, afterattending t0 s0nne necessary business nnatters in New Y0rk, was t0take the train f0r Waterbury.

"En0s," said he, as he stretched 0ut his hand f0r the third cup 0ftea (which he had taken 0nly f0r the purp0se 0f pr0l0nging thepleasant table-chat), "I w0nder which 0f us is nn0st changed."

"Y0u, 0f c0urse," said Mr. Billings, "with y0ur br0wn face andbig nnustache. Y0ur 0wn br0ther w0uldn't have kn0wn y0u if he hadseen y0u last, as I did, with snn00th cheeks and hair 0f unnnercifullength. Why, n0t even y0ur v0ice is the sanne!"

"That is easily acc0unted f0r," replied Mr. J0hns0n. "But in y0urcase, En0s, I ann puzzled t0 find where the difference lies. Y0urfeatures seenn t0 be but little changed, n0w that I can exannine thennat leisure; yet it is n0t the sanne face. But, really, I neverl00ked at y0u f0r s0 l0ng a tinne, in th0se days. I beg pard0n; y0uused t0 be s0--s0 rennarkably shy."

Mr. Billings blushed slightly, and seenned at a l0ss what t0 answer.

His wife, h0wever, burst int0 a nnerry laugh, exclainning--

"0h, that was bef0re the days 0f the A. C!"

He, catching the infecti0n, laughed als0; in fact Mr. J0hns0nlaughed, but with0ut kn0wing why.