of those which had already silvered my head, found me the solitary inmate of the same dwelling: time, however, did not hang so heavily as it had done, nor was sorrow so oppressive, because I had employments and consolations better calculated to alleviate the one, and occupy the other: yet," in whatever state I was, therewith to be thoroughly content," was an art which I was far from having yet completely attained; for it had been a fatality ever attending me, to be so continually regretting lest opportunities of happiness, as to neglect those immediately within reach. My distempered imagination was ever pourtraying past seasons, and the individuals connected with them, in the brightest colours; while the recollection of my own misconduct, which should only have been reverted to for future benefit, frequently produced little more than vain regrets, and unprofitable self-reproach. CHAPTER X. THERE was a house on the opposite side of the road, which had long been uninhabited, and, from this circumstance, bore evident marks of decay. The wind had occasioned many apertures in the roof, and the plaister in various places had crumbled down; the clustering vine had forsaken the wall, and trailed on the littered path beneath; the flower beds were overgrown with weeds, and nefarious hands had despoiled the neat white railing which used to enclose them: even the board, announcing "This house to be let; inquire, &c. &c." hung by one nail, and was so reversed, as to be scarcely legible to the inquiring passenger. was regretted by every body, that a house so pleasantly situated, capable of being made an agreeable, if not an elegant residence, should be left thus as a It disfigurement to the village; for, however a ruined abbey or castle may embellish a scene, it is certain a ruined house can have no such pretensions. But at length the advertising board was taken down, the shutters thrown open, and the appearance of busy workmen announced an approaching inhabitant. ` Curiosity was on the alert to obtain information respecting such an important event; but, in the circle of my acquaintance, little could be ascertained, except that it was a widow lady of the name of Parsons, who was coming. During the time that the house was under repair, I had occasionally observed an elderly gentleman superintending the workmen, and I wondered who he could be, whether a friend or relation or whether he, too, was coming to be an inhabitant. At length I was informed by one of my servants, that a waggon-load of goods had just passed my door: it was unfortunate that I should be a moment too late at the window, to catch a sight of it; nor could I obtain any accurate information whereby I might judge from the appearance of the furniture, to what sort of a person it belonged; that is to say, whether she was somebody, or nobody. Shortly, however, her arrival was announced, and I believe I was one of the first to pay my respects to her. I was ushered into a parlour, too plainly neat to bespeak opulent circumstances; for where an attempt is apparent (and an allowable attempt it is) to supply the place of costly furniture, by skill and contrivance, it usually indicates the moderate means of the contriver. Such was the case in the present instance. As the old lady was at the further end of the orchard when I called, I had an opportunity of taking a somewhat leisurely survey of the apartment—a species of curiosity which, though I cannot defend it, I believe, at that time of day, was not peculiar to myself. In one corner was a beaufet, with glass folding doors, through which, a fair show of china bowls and basins, ancient jugs and cups, madetheir motley appearance. One set of these particularly arrested my attention, and excited an indistinct recollection, which I could not immediately trace to its source; but presently the farm, and its once loved inhabitants, were as vividly presented to my imagination, as the bright colours of the china were to my eye. I dreaded lest I should be caught in this act of impertinent curiosity; yet I ventured to count the cups; there were eleven! I felt an indescribable sensation of pleasure and pain. Ah! thought I, to whomsoever they now belong, their number would have been complete, but for my girlish imprudence : but a feeble and tottering step in the hall warned me to desist. An aged female entered, stooping and leaning on her crook stick for a moment I gazed- : હું |