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The stranger drew his sword and wounded him; blows followed the stranger fell by the arm he had provoked. The news arrives to Earl Eustace; he and his kinsmen spur to the spot; they murder the Englishman on his hearth-stone. Here a groan, half-stifled and wrathful, broke from the ceorls at the end of the hall. Godwin held up his hand in rebuke of the interruption, and resumed.

The hope of Lincoln is finding its late fulfillment: "The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field and patriot grave" Northern and Southern graves alike "to every living heart and hearth-stone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."

Years before the disease had raged with fearful violence in the town, and many a fresh mound was reared in the graveyard, and many a hearth-stone desolated. This it was which struck a panic to the hearts of the inhabitants when they knew the scourge was again in their midst, and save the inmates of the house, and Edith Hastings, none came to Dr. Griswold's aid.

There was something uncanny about the way Tony talked to himself, and, brave though he was, a strange feeling crept through Stephen's body, making him long to be away from the spot. And still the digging went on, down through the yielding soil. "Should be here purty close," Tony remarked. "Under the hearth-stone, well to the right. I ought to be near Hello! what's this?"

Whose hand above this blaze is lifted Shall be with touch of magic gifted, To warm the hearts of chilly mortals Who stand without these open portals. The touch shall draw them to this fire, Nigher, nigher, By desire. Whoso shall stand on this hearth-stone, Flame-fanned, Shall never, never stand alone. Whose home is dark and drear and old, Whose hearth is cold, This is his own.

"Man" Holmes argued with Satan for the possession of the hearth-stone "when it rains in this country, it rains. A branch of your creek down there is almost over the road " "Bayou, not creek," corrected Charity acidly. Lately she had shown a marked preference for Holmes' absence rather than his company. "I stand corrected," he laughed; "a branch of your bayou."

You've driven our Sammul out of the country; and you'll be the death of our Betty, and of me too, afore you've done." "Death of you!" shouted her husband, in a voice as loud as her own. "And what odds then? No conduct in my drink! And what have you had in yourn? What's there to make a man tarry by the hearth-stone in such a house as this, where there's nothing to look at but waste and want?

Those daughters of heaven were in times past my lovely mistresses, now they are only my ancient friends. At evening they kept me company by the fireside, but they soon depart; for I go to bed early, and then they hasten to take their places around the hearth-stone of Madame Sand.

A little farther search showed him that there was a large supply of these, so that, in fact, sufficient support might have been obtained for a whole ship's company. By the time that he had found a half dozen of these, and had brought them back to his hearth-stone, it had grown too dark to search for any more.

"Hush, hush, there's a good bairn," said her mother, though the tears were all the while running down her own cheeks as she spoke; "don't take on so; you'll drive your fayther clean crazy. He's down in the mouth enough already. Come, don't fret in that fashion, Thomas; Sammul'll come back afore long: you've been crouching down by the hearth-stone long enough.