HALCYON DAYS.

said he to himself, I have been thinking df nothing
but my own pleasure to-day. They were so sorry that
I could not join their little party, and now shall I tell
them that they must do without the magic-lantern they
wished for so much ? I could fetch it myself, if I
could only make up my mind to give up going with
those fellows."
; A few minutes more, and William's eyes sparkled
as he pictured to himself the delight of his sisters when
they should know that he had made such a sacrifice
for them-another minute, and his mind was made
up, and he was running to the stables to order his
pony.
 It was meanwhile a morning of suspense to poor
 Minnie and Louisa. As William had not returned to
 inform them of the result of his application to Dick,
 they imagined that he had joined his friends on the
 river, and they waited as patiently as they could for
 the arrival of some tidings of the magic-lantern.
 Miss Forster sympathized heartily with them, and
 endeavoured to divert their thoughts; she suggested
 many arrangements for the evening, which occupied a
 portion of the slow hours, but at length .all seemed
 done that they could do, and Louisa had just seated
 herself on her favourite window-seat, when the door
 of the room burst open, and William, red with excite-
 ment and his long ride under the August sun, rushed
 in, bearing in his arms the wished-for magic-lantern I
 His sisters ran to take it from him with cries of glad
 surprise.
 S"W h o w e n t f o r it ? H o w d id y o u g e t it ? w a s
asked at the same moment by each.
 "Dick was away for the day," replied William,
" and I could not bear that you should be disappointed
again,