persons to be. The winning and sanguine receptivity of his early
life developed by degrees a moody nervousness, and when not
picturing prospects drawn from baseless hope he was the victim of
indescribable depression. The practical issue of such a condition
was improvidence, originally almost an unconscious improvidence, for
every debt incurred had been mentally paid off with a religious
exactness from the treasures of expectation before mentioned. But
as years revolved, the same course was continued from the lack of
spirit sufficient for shifting out of an old groove when it has been
found to lead to disaster.

In the year 1861 his wife died, leaving him a widower with two
children. The elder, a son named Owen, now just turned seventeen,
was taken from school, and initiated as pupil to the profession of
architect in his father's office. The remaining child was a
daughter, and Owen's junior by a year.

Her christian name was Cytherea, and it is easy to guess why.

3. OCTOBER THE TWELFTH, 1863

We pass over two years in order to reach the next cardinal event of
these persons' lives. The scene is still the Grayes' native town of
Hocbridge, but as it appeared on a Monday afternoon in the month of
October.

The weather was sunny and dry, but the ancient borough was to be
seen wearing one of its least attractive aspects. First on account
of the time. It was that stagnant hour of the twenty-four when the
practical garishness of Day, having escaped from the fresh long