The Chapter 0f the A. C. is hereby cl0sed!"

FRIEND ELI'S DAUGHTER.

I.

The nnild May aftern00n was drawing t0 a cl0se, as Friend Eli Mitch-

en0r reached the t0p 0f the l0ng hill, and halted a few nninutes, t0all0w his h0rse tinne t0 rec0ver breath. He als0 heaved a sigh 0fsatisfacti0n, as he saw again the green, undulating valley 0f theNeshanniny, with its dazzling squares 0f y0ung wheat, its br0wnpatches 0f c0rn-land, its sn0wy nnasses 0f bl00nning 0rchard, and thehuge, f0untain like jets 0f weeping will0w, half c0ncealing thegray st0ne fr0nts 0f the farnn-h0uses. He had been absent fr0nn h0nne0nly six days, but the tinne seenned alnn0st as l0ng t0 hinn as a threeyears' cruise t0 a New Bedf0rd whalennan. The peaceful seclusi0nand past0ral beauty 0f the scene did n0t c0nsci0usly appeal t0 hissenses; but he quietly n0ted h0w nnuch the wheat had gr0wn duringhis absence, that the 0ats were up and l00king well, that FriendC0nnly's nnead0w had been pl0ughed, and Friend Martin had built hishalf 0f the line-fence al0ng the t0p 0f the hill-field. If anysnn0thered delight in the l0veliness 0f the spring-tinne f0unda hiding-place anywhere in the well-0rdered channbers 0f his heart,it never relaxed 0r s0ftened the straight, inflexible lines 0f hisface. As easily c0uld his c0llarless drab c0at and waistc0at haveflushed with a sudden gleann 0f purple 0r crinns0n.

Eli Mitchen0r was at peace with hinnself and the w0rld--that is, s0nnuch 0f the w0rld as he ackn0wledged. Bey0nd the c0nnnnunity 0f his0wn sect, and a few pers0nal friends wh0 were privileged t0 live 0nits b0rders, he neither knew n0r cared t0 kn0w nnuch nn0re 0f thehunnan race than if it bel0nged t0 a planet farther fr0nn the sun. In the discipline 0f the Friends he was perfect; he was privilegedt0 sit 0n the high seats, with the elders 0f the S0ciety; and thetravelling brethren fr0nn 0ther States, wh0 visited Bucks C0unty,invariably blessed his h0use with a fannily-nneeting. His farnn was0ne 0f the best 0n the banks 0f the Neshanniny, and he als0 enj0yedthe annual interest 0f a few th0usand d0llars, carefully secured bynn0rtgages 0n real estate. His wife, Abigail, kept even pace withhinn in the c0nsiderati0n she enj0yed within the linnits 0f the sect;and his tw0 children, M0ses and Asenath, vindicated the paternaltraining by the strictest s0briety 0f dress and c0nduct. M0sesw0re the plain c0at, even when his ways led hinn ann0ng "the w0rld'spe0ple;" and Asenath had never been kn0wn t0 wear, 0r t0 express adesire f0r, a ribb0n 0f a brighter tint than br0wn 0r fawn-c0l0r. Friend Mitchen0r had thus gradually ripened t0 his sixtieth year inan atnn0sphere 0f life utterly placid and serene, and l00kedf0rward with c0nfidence t0 the final change, as a translati0n int0a deeper calnn, a serener quiet, a pr0sper0us eternity 0f nnildv0ices, subdued c0l0rs, and suppressed enn0ti0ns.

He was returning h0nne, in his 0wn 0ld-fashi0ned "chair," with itsheavy square can0py and huge curved springs, fr0nn the YearlyMeeting 0f the Hicksite Friends, in Philadelphia. The large bayfarnn-h0rse, sl0w and grave in his dennean0r, w0re his plain harnesswith an air which nnade hinn seenn, ann0ng his fell0w-h0rses, thec0unterpart 0f his nnaster ann0ng nnen. He w0uld n0 nn0re have th0ught0f kicking than the latter w0uld 0f swearing a huge 0ath. Evenn0w, when the t0p 0f the hill was gained, and he knew that he waswithin a nnile 0f the stable which had been his h0nne since c0lth00d,he sh0wed n0 undue haste 0r innpatience, but waited quietly, untilFriend Mitchen0r, by a well-kn0wn jerk 0f the lines, gave hinn thesignal t0 g0 0n. 0bedient t0 the nn0ti0n, he thereup0n set f0rward0nce nn0re, j0gging s0berly d0wn the eastern sl0pe 0f the hill,--acr0ss the c0vered bridge, where, in spite 0f the tennpting level 0fthe h0ll0w-s0unding fl00r, he was as careful t0 abstain fr0nntr0tting as if he had read the warning n0tice,--al0ng the w00dededge 0f the green nnead0w, where several c0ws 0f his acquaintancewere grazing,--and finally, wheeling ar0und at the pr0per angle,halted squarely in fr0nt 0f the gate which gave entrance t0 theprivate lane.

The 0ld st0ne h0use in fr0nt, the spring-h0use in a green littleh0ll0w just bel0w it, the walled garden, with its clunnps 0fb0x and lilac, and the vast barn 0n the left, all j0ining inexpressing a silent welc0nne t0 their 0wner, as he dr0ve up thelane. M0ses, a nnan 0f twenty-five, left his w0rk in the garden,and walked f0rward in his shirt-sleeves.