What arc they ?' said Merivale, cut
ting a piece out of the whitest pie. The
next instant his brow clowded, and he
pushed the plate away. Ellen looked
very embarrassed.
'Sour as aqua-foriis.
Try the other piece, dear; it's sweet
er,' she said, coaxingly.-
Al'iera moment he complied.
'Ry George here's a piece of lemon
skin as big as a shilling, and tough as a
shark-skin, ' he exclaimed, putting ihe
plate angrily away.
'My dear, I really thought ihey were
good.'
What, in Heaven's name, are they ?'
Lemon pies; they are very cheap,'
said Ellen, deprecatingly.
Confound cheap eatables ! Is there
nothing else ?'
There was nothing else, to Ellen's
great sorrow ; and her husband rose from
the table and went out in a pet. She.
poor thing, flew to her chamber and cried
heartily. It was the first limo Merivale
had ever used angry words lo her.
A more than usually excellent evening
meal awaited Merivale when he relumed ;
so he was once more in a good humor.
No allusion was made lo the past, tin t
lemon pies were forever after banished
from the young wife's kitchen. She had
to turn to oilier quarters to retrench.
The first year's expenses exceeded by
several hundred dollars Merivale's re
ceipts; and, lo make tip the deficiency,
he was forced lo sell out some stock
which he held, and which formed part of
a little capital that he had religiously re
solved never lo touch. Ry this time, he
and his wife had talked over the necessi
ty of economy more than once; and now
they had again a seiious conversation on
the subject.
'Suppose wo move into a smaller
house,' said Ellen.
