death in an arm-chair: if he brings her a foot-stool, as he seems to delight in anticipating her wants, he must have seen that she was that moment going to lie upon the sofa: when he sends her a glass of champaigne at dinner, he does it to vex her; for he well knows it would downright kill her: if he happens to omit asking her, it is most unkind; for he as well knows she can sometimes venture to try it.”—“ Oh,” said Lucy, eagerly, “how heartily her husband must hate her!"—"That's a strong expression, my dear Lucy," Pneumanee said; "and though very fashionable, for in these days every thing is either detestable and to be hated, or angelic and to be loved with ardour; yet I could wish that a character so pliant and amiable as your's should never convey the idea of a fierce or violent woman, or even an ardent one; remember, 'For softness she and sweet attractive grace;' and when I hear a lady say, a dear man, a delightful man, and sometimes a charming man, I am as much pained at the energy of her character and manner, as if she, in the same fashionable style, used the expressions of inordinately frightful, fearfully disgusting, or hideously alarming: a young lady never studies her own interest so much, as when she corrects all her inclinations to express herself so strongly. Every thing from a young and pretty mouth should be gentle and graceful.".

"I am quite ashamed," said Lucy, blushing, " to have expressed myself so harshly. I am afraid," she added, "that the lady was not very fond of her husband, elegant and good as you describe him."-" She thought she was, I believe," said Pneumance; "for if he was going out in a warm day without his hat, she was sure he was

going to get cold; and tormented him extremely, by copying the solicitude of a real affectionate wife, who makes it her study to consult her husband's comfort in preference to her own."

"Are there many such wives to be found?" said Fanny, artlessly. "I hope not, my dear; but I assure you the picture I have drawn is from the life, and moderately coloured: for I have heard her call to her husband in company, by his Christian name, to snuff the candles, pick up her gloves, or fetch her shawl, in a tone and manner that left every body in doubt whether it was the husband or footman that was so peremptorily ordered."

A long letter from Charles was now a most interesting and joyous event, to the Parsonage, and enlivened the whole number of its inhabitants; it was often read, and lest it should wear by such constant folding, Lucy made a silk case in which it was to be preserved for ever. He described his feelings at the reception he met with, the formidable appearance of all the boys, rushing from absence as he entered the statue-yard; the solemn appearance of the masters in gowns; his own apprehensions of the examination that was to follow; and how instantly they were removed by the calm dignity and encouraging smiles of the head master, a tall majestic man, of grave deportment; who having several of his own sons around him, spoke to him as if he was added to the number; and he already felt that he should delight to obey him, as he appeared to govern by love rather than terror. He was a little worried by the number of times he was asked his name; but he considered every boy he met as a certain friend, and resolved never to be tired of re

peating it, and never felt before the comfort of not being ashamed of it. His chart was invaluable to him; for when home would rush into his head, with all its peace and all its blessings, he flew to his chart, and studied the shoals that lay in his way, now he had lost his skilful pilot. He read some every night before he went to bed; he felt then as if he was still at home, till he went to sleep. After inquiring for the arbour, the rabbits, and the bed of roses, he remembered to every individual by name, assured his old nurse that he had not wet his feet, made some facetious remarks upon the size of his study, reckoned the number of weeks till he should return; and if he was not yet reconciled to his change of scene, the fault was his own, for he met with no difficulties or hardships of any sort whatever.

Fanny, to whom this letter was directed, kept it in her hand most part of the day, and asked both Pneumanee and her mamma, if it was not the best letter they ever read? The mother's eye sparkled with joy, and Pneumanee said, she expected from Charles every thing that was right; she had always found his heart in the right place; she was sure he would make a great many friends; his cheerful candid manner expresses at once so much ease and liberality, that you are pleased with him before you know him; and to hear him laugh, is certainly to laugh yourself, though you know not the subject of his merriment.

"It is certainly true," she said, "that wisdom lies more in the heart than the head; it is not the want of knowledge, but the perverseness of the will, that makes people both disorderly and wicked.”

M

Lucy entered with some paste and a strip of paper, to ask Fanny's leave to paste it over the arbour in the garden. It was, "Let none enter this arbour, who do not love Charles as well as Fanny and I do." They all smiled, and asked Lucy how many she meant to exclude of the family? None, she believed, for they all loved him; but it would put him in their mind when they might not think of him else. "How came you to think of it, Lucy?"-"Oh mamma, don't you remember that Alexander Severus had a crier to say, 'Let none enter these walls, unless he is conscious of a pure and innocent mind;' and I have always determined to have that written over every house I may have." "And do you expect, my dear, to see a great deal of company?". "To be sure I do," she said; "for my furniture shall not be too good to use; and I mean to give consequence to my house, and not my house give dignity to me.""You need not have it very large, I believe, my dear," said Pneumanee. "Oh no," she said, unconscious of her meaning, "there is nothing so melancholy as a great house with two enormous wings, and a small family not half big enough to fill the centre; I heard Papa and Mr. Mowbray describe the folly of that so much, that I never should run into it; they said, your successor would like rather to add to a house to make it larger, than to have half of it to pull down, because it was too big for comfort. It was better to have a house too small for a day than too large for a year."

The Miss Volatiles came in almost breathless, with "Dear Fanny, what do you think? I am wild with joy, delightful joy; I declare I believe it is a dream. Is it a

dream, Mary?""Oh no; why you have the letter in your pocket, show it to Fanny."-" Yes, I will; Oh no, I can't show it, you know; some inferences may be drawn from it that I should not like-I will tell you as soon as I can speak-I am so tired, we came so fast, I can scarcely utter a word; do you know I have had a letter from Mortimer, the best fellow in the world, and he says-what do you think he says?"" I really cannot think at all upon a subject I do not know."-" He says I believe it would become Mary to tell it better than me." "No indeed," said Mary, "I don't understand it at all as you do; you must tell it yourself."—" It is very awkward," she said; "but do you know, he says, Lord R. is out of health and spirits, and he is ordered to Devonshire to get a fresh stock, and I am to get a house for him as near the sea as possible."-" And how can I possibly have any interest in that?"-" Why, my dear creature, he is a Lord.""That may be a very good thing for him," said Fanny, "but what is that to me?" "Oh, you will see him at church," she replied," and that will be something; you may meet him upon the beach, you know, and I will present you."-"Oh, by no means," said Fanny, "I would upon no account have that done. A country girl is by no means a fit acquaintance for a gay man of fashion; he could not know her merits, and she would be a very incompetent judge of his; and nothing is so annoying to an invalid as new and dull faces.”“Oh," said Miss Volatile, "he is so affable, you would like him vastly-but by the bye, I do not think he is much of an invalid; I suspect, though Mortimer does not hint so much, that he has some