" know how long I looked, but I had, apparently, no power, as I had no will, to remove the spectacles What wonderful island must Nevis be, thought I, if people carry such pictures in their pockets, only by buying pair of spectacles ! What wonder that my dear grandmother Titbottom has lived such placid life, and has blessed us all with her sunny temper, when she has lived surrounded by such images of peace

"My grandfather died But still, warm morning sunshine piazza, his placid presence, and as I crawled into his great chair, and drifted on in reverie still, tropical day, his soft, dreamy eye had passed into my soul My grandmother cherished his memory with tender regret violent passion of grief loss was no more possible than pensive decay year no portrait of him, but always, when I remember him, that peaceful and luxuriant palm And that known one good old man--one man who, chances and rubs of long life, has carried his heart hand, like palm branch, waving all discords into peace, helps our faith in God, in ourselves, and in , more than many sermons I hardly know whether grateful to my grandfather spectacles; and yet when I remember I owe the pleasant image of him which I cherish, I seem to myself sadly ungrateful

"Madam," said Titbottom to Prue, solemnly, "my memory is long and gloomy gallery, and only remotely, at its further end, do the glimmer of soft sunshine, and only the pleasant pictures hung They seem very happy along whose gallery the sunlight streams very feet, striking all the pictured walls into unfading splendor "

Prue had laid her work in her lap, and as Titbottom paused moment, and I turned towards her, her mild eyes fastened upon my face, and glistening with happy tears

"Misfortunes of many kinds came heavily family head was gone The great house was relinquished My parents were both dead, and my grandmother had entire charge of me But moment that I received the gift spectacles, resist their fascination, and I withdrew into myself, and became solitary boy There many companions own age, gradually left me, or, , hearty sympathy with me; for teased me I pulled out my spectacles and surveyed them so seriously acquired kind of awe of me, and evidently regarded my grandfather's gift as concealed magical weapon which dangerously drawn upon them at any moment Whenever, games, there were quarrels and high words, and I began dress and to wear grave look, they all took the alarm, and shouted, 'Look out for Titbottom's spectacles,' and scattered like flock of scared sheep

"Nor could I wonder at it For, at first, took the alarm, strange sights when I looked at them glasses If two were quarrelling about marble or ball, I had only behind tree where concealed and look at them leisurely Then the scene changed, and no longer green meadow with boys playing, but spot which recognize, and forms that made me shudder or smile not big boy bullying little one, but young wolf with glistening teeth and lamb cowering before him; or, dog faithful and famishing--or star going slowly into eclipse--or rainbow fading--or flower blooming--or sun rising--or waning moon The revelations spectacles determined my feeling boys, and for all whom through them No shyness, nor awkwardness, nor silence, could separate me from those who looked lovely as lilies to my illuminated eyes If myself warmly drawn to I struggled fierce desire of seeing him spectacles I longed to enjoy the luxury of ignorant feeling, to love without knowing, to float like leaf eddies of life, drifted now to sunny point, now to solemn shade--now over glittering ripples, now over gleaming calms,--and not to determined ports, trim vessel with an inexorable rudder

"But, sometimes, mastered after long struggles, I seized my spectacles and sauntered little town Putting them to my eyes I peered houses and people who passed me Here sat family at breakfast, and I stood window looking in O motley meal ! fantastic vision ! The good mother saw her lord sitting opposite, grave, respectable being, eating muffins But only bank-bill, more or less crumpled and tattered, marked with larger or lesser figure If sharp wind blew suddenly, it tremble and flutter; thin, flat, impalpable I removed my glasses, and looked with my eyes wife smiled the humid tenderness she regarded her strange vis-a-vis Is life only game of blind-man's-buff ? of droll cross-purposes ?

"Or I put them on again, and looked wife stout trees ,-- tender flowers,-- placid pools; yes, and little streams winding out of sight, shrinking large, hard, round eyes opposite, and slipping off into solitude and shade, with low, inner song for their own solace And in many houses angels, nymphs, or , women, and could only find broomsticks, mops, or kettles, hurrying about, rattling, tinkling, in state of shrill activity calls upon elegant ladies, and after I had enjoyed the gloss of silk delicacy of lace, flash of jewels, I slipped on my spectacles, and saw peacock's feather, flounced and furbelowed and fluttering; or an iron rod, thin, sharp, and hard; nor could I possibly mistake the movement drapery for any flexibility thing draped,--or, mysteriously chilled, statue of perfect form, or flowing movement, it alabaster, or bronze, or marble,--but sadly often ice; and that after it had shone little, and frozen few eyes with its despairing perfection, it put away niches of palaces for ornament and proud family tradition, like the alabaster, or bronze, or marble statues, but would melt, and shrink, and fall coldly away in colorless and useless water, be absorbed earth and utterly forgotten

"But the true sadness was rather in seeing those who, not having the spectacles, thought iron rod was flexible, ice statue warm many gallant heart, which seemed brave and loyal crusaders sent by genuine and noble faith to Syria sepulchre, pursuing, through days and nights, and long life of devotion, the hope of lighting smile cold eyes, fire icy heart I watched the earnest, enthusiastic sacrifice the pure resolve, the generous faith, the fine scorn of doubt, the impatience of suspicion I watched the grace, the ardor, the glory of devotion Through those strange spectacles how often the noblest heart renouncing all other hope, all other ambition, all other life, possible love of some one statues Ah ! me, terrible, but they the love The Parian face was so polished and smooth, because no sorrow heart,--and, drearily often, no heart touched wonder noble heart of devotion was broken, had dashed itself against stone I wept, until my spectacles were dimmed hopeless sorrow; but pang beyond tears icy statues

"Still boy, thus man in knowledge,-- comprehend the sights compelled I used to tear my glasses away from my eyes, and, frightened at myself, run to escape my own consciousness Reaching the small house where we then lived, I plunged into my grandmother's room and, throwing myself floor, buried my face in her lap; and sobbed myself to sleep with premature grief But when I awakened, and felt her cool hand upon my hot forehead, and heard the low, sweet song, or the gentle story, or the tenderly told parable Bible, she tried to soothe me, resist the mystic fascination that lured me, as I lay in her lap, to steal glance at her spectacles

"Pictures Madonna her rare and pensive beauty tranquil little islands her life eventless, and all the fine possibilities of her nature were like flowers that never bloomed Placid were all her years; yet read of no heroine, of no woman great in sudden crises, seem she The wife and widow of man who loved his own home better homes of others, yet heard of no queen, no belle, no imperial beauty, whom in grace, and brilliancy, and persuasive courtesy, she have surpassed

"Madam," said Titbottom to my wife, whose heart hung upon his story; "your husband's young friend, Aurelia, wears sometimes camelia in her hair, and no diamond ball-room seems so costly perfect flower, which women envy, and for whose least and withered petal men sigh; yet, tropical solitudes of Brazil, camelia bud drops from bush that no eye has ever seen, which, had it flowered and been noticed, gilded all hearts with its memory

"When I stole these furtive glances at my grandmother, half fearing were wrong, only calm lake, whose shores were low, and over which the sky hung unbroken, so least star was clearly reflected It had an atmosphere of solemn twilight tranquillity, and so completely did its unruffled surface blend cloudless, star-studded sky, that, when I looked through my spectacles at my grandmother, the vision seemed all heaven and stars Yet, as I gazed and gazed, what stately cities might well built upon those shores, flashed prosperity over the calm, like coruscations of pearls

"I dreamed of gorgeous fleets, silken sailed and blown by perfumed winds, drifting over those depthless waters and through those spacious skies I gazed twilight, the inscrutable silence, like God-fearing discoverer upon new, and vast, and dim sea, bursting upon him through forest glooms, and fervor of whose impassioned gaze, millennial and poetic world arises, and man need no longer die happy