forgotten, for the rest of the day, that there were such persons present as the three Misses Sockets, had they not judged it convenient to draw me to them

once more.

Oh; how delightful, in the days of unsophisticated youth, is a breakfast eaten on the grass. How refreshing the air which blows over green fields! how sweet the music of birds! and falling waters! how fragrant the breath of the flowers, that still grow and flourish in the open air. How congenial are all these things to the minds of infancy; and how innocent are pleasures of the kind I am describing! yet these simple pleasures lose their relish, or change their nature, when the passions being awakened, begin to mingle their poison with the simple desires of childhood and yet they recover their attractions in that higher, nobler, more assured state, in which the mind, in advanced life, has been brought through the indwelling of the Lord the Spirit, to desire to be freed from earthly passions, and to be once again such as that of a little child, depending on the love of a tender father.

'You shall imagine, dear lady,' continued the venerable mother, 'our breakfastings, and our amusement after breakfast-though by my aunt's directions these last were to be quiet, not violent-for at a certain hour we were to walk round the grounds, and see the house. I had, however, got by Elvira, and we were trying to weave baskets from some rushes we had gathered from the margin of the pool, when I saw my eldest aunt beckoning to me from the steps of the cottage. I sprang up from the grass where I had been sitting, throwing down all my rushes at the same time, and running to her, she led me aside.

My dear,' she said, 'in a low tone, you are terribly negligent of our friends, after they have done us the honour'--and she hemmed slightly, and proceeded on, to give me a somewhat severe lecture for my want of respect and gratitude to these young ladies, who had particularized me so much, in preference to the rest of the young people then present, &c. &c. My poor aunt,' continued the venerable mother, 'how was her mind at that time entirely darkened through the love of the world!

'I was very humble under this reproof, I sought out the three young ladies, whom I found walking arm and arm in the front of the pool, and my apologies for having forsaken them were received so graciously, that Miss Socket dropped her sisters arm, and caused me to parade with her along the walk at the edge of the pool, whilst she applied some of those little blandishments which she knew so well how to use when it suited her to try to please me. I was also not entirely without something like a consciousness of satisfaction, in thinking that all my school-fellows were witnesses of the high favour in which I stood with these great young ladies; and I was even so set up, that when Elvira, with one or two others, of the little people, happened to cross my path, as they were going down to the pool to get more rushes for their baskets, I begged them to keep out of our way, and asked Elvira, in a very cool and lofty manner, if there were no other place about the pool of water, where rushes might be had as conveniently as just were I was walking with my friends.'

6

In this place, the old lady seeing a smile on my lip, began also to smile herself, saying, was I not going on in a good train, my dear lady? just pre

pared for a downfall: but you shall hear. I had paraded it about three times in the front of my companions, when Miss Etty, who was walking behind us, with her sister Kitty, suddenly whispered, 'there they are, Bell, on the terrace walk there, above the wood, across the lake.'

'So they are,' replied Miss Socket; 'well, now, that's good; and they are beckoning us over: come, let us lose no time,' and they turned short round, and passing my aunt, hastily, Mrs. Coliton,' they said, there are the Miss Richards's on the terrace above, we are just going to cross over to speak with them, you will let Miss Annie come with us.'

To be sure, my dear,' replied my aunt, surely, my dears. Annie will be proud to attend you; and away we all set, crossing the wooden bridge at the end of the pool, and winding up the wood-walk, till suddenly coming out upon the top of the eminence, we saw before us two great girls, stouter than any of us, with broad rosy cheeks, and all the airs of spoilt country romps. The two parties rushed into each others arms immediately, after which I heard these words whispered-who is she?' whilst the speaker, who was Miss Nancy Richards, looked hard at me. I did not hear the answer. 'Well, but you will come! won't you?' were the next words I heard; and the answer,' I don't know what Miss Coliton will say, but we will walk back with you, a little way, and then we can think of it.' So saying, Miss Kitty and Miss Etty took one of the Miss Richards's between them, and Miss Bell inserted her arm within that of the other, and thus they started off, whilst I followed, or rather ran, by the side of the pair last-mentioned: but not one whole sentence could I gather of any

thing that was said; only here and there a word like this-la! no! surely you don't tell me-now if that is not-well, but you will-now, I declare-that is queer,' with frequent bursts of mirth.

We were got into a thick wood, at the top of the hill, and were beginning to descend, and the path was so narrow, that I was obliged to fall behind. However, although I felt myself very uncomfortable, I could not be otherwise than delighted, first, by the various beautiful groupings of the trees, and afterwards by a most lovely park scene, which opened to my view when we had cleared the wood. We were descending into a valley covered with a velvet turf, from which branched two ravines of admirable beauty, the one of which terminated after having taken a circuitous course, on the side of the pool so often spoken of, whilst the other took a nearly opposite direction: in the place from whence these vallies branched, on a green and beautiful eminence, stood a temple of a circular form, and entirely open on all sides. In the very centre of this temple was a sculpture of the Diana so often seen, at this time, on medallions and in plaster of paris. This figure, which was larger than life, had a bow and quiver; a greyhound, in the attitude of swift motion, was at the foot of the larger figure, which also conveyed the idea of rapid motion. Several groups of tall cypress trees which grew near this edifice, though of much older date, happily and tastefully blended themselves in every point of view from which the temple was seen. 'Oh! la!' said Miss Socket, that's the New Temple; we must go to it;' and we all immediately set off to run down one slope, and up the other, to the temple.

'We were presently within the open columns, and gathered round the statue, which stood high above us, upon a pediment, and there I observed that both the vallies, spoken of above, were seen from the temple. I could not help crying out in admiration at the beauties that presented themselves every where; on which Miss Richards informed me that the two vallies which I saw from where I stood, had each its name; one being called the valley of the grotto, and the other the valley of the echo; and now whilst I was engaged at looking at these various beauties, my young companions had began to whisper and laugh again; and in that same tittering mood they went out of the building, calling me to follow them, which I did in a very ill mood: for I began to suspect that all the pretended civilities to me, during the last two days, had only been practised in order, that through me, they might induce my aunt to let them join her party, to a place where they hoped to meet their dear Miss Richards's: for Mrs. Socket, I found in the sequel, considered Mr. Richards a very great man, and had her own reasons for wishing her daughters to be intimate with the family; and again I afterwards learnt, that old Mr. Richards was not very fond of this intimacy, though his children were rather in favour of it; and now, as I say, I was beginning to suspect something, though I did not know what; and therefore I followed as they led, with no very good will: but on we went, till we came to another grove, in the midst of which my companions suddenly stopped; and Miss Socket, coming back towards me, for I was a little behind the rest, said, My dear Miss Annie, Miss Richards has just told me that--Oh!-that there is some very