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Long before daybreak that e of Settlement Cliffs, capital and market-town of the New Hope Colony, ake and astir

For the great festival day was at hand, the fifth anniversary of the founding of the colony, to be celebrated by the arrival of the last Merucaans from the depths of the Abyss

The old caves, now abandoned save for grain, fruit and fish storehouses were closed and silent No labor was going forward there The nets hung dry Fro the river-bank at the rapids arose no sounds of the accustoe-builders were idle; and fro the rich brule across the river--each snug stone house, tiled with red or green, standing a in to town for the feast-day

The broad wooden trestle-bridge across the New Hope echoed with hollow verberations beneath thewains heaped high with enerous wines, and all the richness of that virgin soil

On the suhter fro in afoot Sounded the cries of the tealish speech again; and the fresh wind, bearing away a fine, golden dust fro roads, swayed the pal touch

All up and down the broad, well-paved street of the village--a street lined with stone cottages, bordered with luxuriant tropic gardens, and branching into a dozen s

Well clad in plain yet substantial weaves from the vine-festooned work-shops below the cliff, abundantly fed, vigorous and strong, not one showed sickness or defored the huarb, sandals and a co health Open-air life and rational food cos, save three or four essential ones, and no poisons, ever had crept in to menace life Wine there was, rich and unfermented; but the curse of alcohol existed not And in the Laas forever banned

On the broad porch of their ho the broad plaza where palraveled paths, and purple, yellow and scarlet bloo-birds and butterflies, stood Beatrice and Allan

Both were s A cradle rocked by Gesafaliirl