she gets a little money in hand, for the next demand, and thus is enabled to afford both next time."

trees.

As he finished speaking, we spied the lame gardener pruning and clearing the "Well, James," said the Doctor, "how does your nursery thrive?” “ "Why, Sir," said the poor man, "we are rather thin of stout trees at present. You know we had three weddings at Christmas, which took thirty-six of my best apple trees at a blow, besides half a dozen tall pear trees, and as many plumbs. But we shall soon fetch it up, for Miss Lucilla makes me plant two for every one that is removed, so that we are always provided for a wedding, come when it will.”

I now recollected that I had been pleased with observing so many young orchards and flourishing cottage-gardens in the village; little did I suspect the fair hand which could thus in a very few years dif fuse an air of smiling comfort around these humble habitations, and embellish poverty itself. She makes, they told me, her periodical

D 3

riodical visits of inspection to see that neatness and order do not degenerate.

Not to appear too eager, I asked the poor man some questions about his health, which seemed infirm. "I am but weak, Sir," said he, "for matter of that, but I should have been dead long ago but for the squire's family. He gives me the run of his kitchen, and Miss Lucilla allows me half a crown a week, for one day's work, and any odd hour I can spare; but she don't let me earn it, for she is always watching for fear it should be too hot or too cold, or too wet for me; and she brings me my dose of bark herself into this tool-house, that she may be sure. I take it; for she says servants and poor people like to have medicines provided for them, but don't care to take them. Then she watches that I don't throw my coat on the wet grass, which, she says, gives labouring men so much rheumatism; and she made me this nice flannel waistcoat, Sir, with her own hands. At Christmas they gave me a new suit from top to toe so that I want for nothing but a more

thank

thankful heart, for I never can be grateful enough to God and my benefactors."

I asked some further questions only to have the pleasure of hearing him talk longer about Lucilla. "But Sir," said he interrupting me, "I heard bad news, very bad news. Pray your honour for give me." "What do you mean, James ?" said I, seeing his eyes fill. "Why, Sir, all the servants at the Grove will have it that you are come to carry off Miss Lucilla. God bless her whenever she goes. Your Mr. Edwards, Sir, says you are one of the best of gentlemen, but indeed, indeed, I don't know who can deserve her. She will carry a blessing wherever she goes." The honest fellow put up the sleeve of his coat to brush away his tears, nor was I ashamed of those with which his honest affection filled my own eyes. While we were talking, a poor little girl, who I knew by her neat uniform belonged to Miss Stanley's school, passed us with a little basket in her hand. James called to her, and said, "make haste, Rachel, you are after

your

Ꭰ Ꮞ .

time."

"What,

"What this is market-day, James, is it," said Dr. Barlow, and Rachel is come for her nosegays?" "Yes Sir," said James; "I forgot to tell their honours, that every Saturday as soon as the school is over, the younger Misses give Rachel leave to come and fetch some flowers out of their garden, which she carries to the town to sell; she commonly gets a shilling, half of which they make her lay out to bring home a little tea, for her poor sick mother, and the other half she lays up to buy shoes and stockings for herself and her crippled sister. Every little is a help where there is nothing, Sir."

Sir John said nothing, but looked at Lady Belfield, whose eyes glistened while she softly said, "O how little do the rich ever think what the aggregate even of their own squandered shillings would do in the way of charity, were they systematically applied to it."

James now unlocked a little private door which opened into the pleasure ground. There at a distance, sitting in a circle on

the

the new-mown grass, under a tree, we beheld all the little Stanleys, with a basket of flowers between them, out of which they were earnestly employed in sorting and tying up nosegays. We stood some time admiring their little busy faces and active fingers without their perceiving us, and got up to them just as they were putting their prettily formed bouquets into Rachel's basket, with which she marched off, with many charges from the children to waste no time by the way, and to be sure to leave the nosegay that had the myrtle in it at Mrs. Williams's.

"How many nosegays have you given to Rachel to-day, Louisa ?" said Dr. Barlow to the eldest of the four. "Only three a-piece, Sir," replied she. "We think it a bad day when we can't make up our dozen. They are all our own; we seldom touch mamma's flowers, and we never suffer James to take ours, because Phoebe says it might be tempting him." Little Jane lamented that Lucilla had given them nothing to-day, except two or three sprigs of her best flower