Four years more also had Colonel and Mrs. Baron to possess themselves in patience, before they could again set eyes on their boy, before they might once more clasp in their arms the little Molly, whom in 1803 they had quitted for one fortnight’s absence. Jack remained still at Verdun, and before him too stretched four years of unbroken captivity. But Jack, though often disposed to chafe, yet found something wherewith to pass his time. This became gradually clear to Polly and Molly, through letters received at long intervals. At length came one in which Jack gave particulars as to Colonel and Mrs. Baron, and as to the greatly improved condition of prisoners at Verdun, under the new French Commandant. After which he said— “If ever this gets to England, it is to inform you that I am proposing shortly to become a married man. Lucille has promised to be my wife.” Molly sat smiling over the notion for a long while. “Jack was sure to marry,” she remarked in a philosophic tone. “He is of the sort not to be content without. And you and Denham are exceeding happy married, dear Polly. But, as for me, I have no desire that way. Never shall I care for any man in the whole world as I care for Roy.” Then, in words once spoken before, and perhaps often repeated in her own mind since, she added, “And so that matter is for ever settled.” Whether the matter were finally settled or not, there can be no question that Molly honestly meant what she said. [THE END.] SELF-CULTURE FOR GIRLS. PART V. Since beginning this series of articles it has occurred to us that it may be well to prevent a possible misconception of the scope of the title. “Self-culture” is a very large subject, and includes a great deal more than the culture of the mind. For instance, there is moral self-culture—physical self-culture—æsthetic self-culture—which, with other kinds of self-culture, should be zealously sought. But these subjects are exhaustively dealt with from time to time by writers in THE GIRL’S OWN PAPER, so that our special work lies in the treatment of “culture” in its more usual acceptation—the cultivation of the intellect. And if our title seems rather like a vast floating garment, too voluminous for the slight form it enfolds, it must be remembered that culture is generally understood in the sense we have indicated. Indeed one can hardly separate the different parts of self-culture after all. It is by reading the best books that the moral nature is strengthened and cultivated, and that the æsthetic sense is cultivated also. The eye is opened to perceive the beauty of life and of art, for example, by such a writer as Ruskin. Then pictures cannot be properly comprehended by one who never reads. Take, as an illustration of this, a few of the pictures which have been from year to year, since 1890, lent to that splendid Guildhall exhibition, where, absolutely without payment, one can go to delight in modern and ancient art.