Such was the Rev. Mr. Jason Archer--a good man, but with his mind sadly warped through early prejudices, long confirmed. For years he had talked of a journey to the city where his niece, to whom he was much attached, resided. This purpose was finally carried out. It was the day before Christmas, when Mrs. Arlington received a letter from the old gentleman, announcing the fact that she might expect to see him in a few hours, as he was about starting to pay her and her family the long-intended visit. "Uncle Archer will be here to-morrow," said Mrs. Arlington to her husband, as soon as she met him after receiving her letter. "Indeed! And so the good old gentleman has made a move at last?" "Yes; he's going to eat his Christmas dinner with us, he says." "So much the better. The pleasure of meeting him will increase the joy of the occasion." "I am not so sure of that," replied Mrs. Arlington, looking a little serious. "It would have been more pleasant to have received this visit at almost any other time in the year." "Why so?" "You know his strong prejudices?" "Oh, against dancing, and all that?" "Yes; he thinks it a sin to dance." "Though I do not." "No; but it will take away half my pleasure to see him grieved at any thing that takes place in my house." "He'll not be so weak as that." "He thinks it sin, and will be sadly pained at its occurrence. Is it not possible to omit dancing for once?" "At the party to-morrow night?" "Yes." Mr. Arlington shook his head, as he replied-- "Don't think of such a thing. We will receive him with true kindness, because we feel it towards the good old man. But we must not cease to do what we know to be right, thus disappointing and marring the pleasure of many, out of deference to a mere prejudice of education in a single person. When we go to see him, we do not expect that any change will be made out of deference to our prejudices or peculiar opinions; and when he comes to see us, he must be willing to tolerate what takes place in our family, even if it does not meet his full approval. No, no; let us not think for a moment of any change in affairs on this account. Uncle Archer hasn't been present at a gay party nor seen dancing for almost half a century. It may do him good to witness it now. At any rate, I feel curious to see the experiment tried." Mrs. Arlington still argued for a little yielding in favour of the good parson's prejudices, but her husband would not listen to such a thing for a moment. Every thing, he said, must go on as usual.