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of our little public-house, where he was looked up to as an oracle. One may truly say, he lived upon the husks of his past adventures; for nothing new could arise. He got old and infirm; and the extent of his travels was from his own fire-side, to that of mine host,' and I believe sincere tears were dropped on his grave, by the landlord and his wife. This boy was the only child of his parents. His abilities were not great; and his father being accustomed to a constant recital, thought more of shining himself, than of making his son a brilliant character. I believe the village schoolmistress's stock of knowledge, with a couple of years at a very moderate boarding-school, finished his education. He married very young, and very imprudently; and being now a widower, without children, very tired of his wife's relations, who have preyed upon him for many years, seems desirous to begin life anew, and to try the humours of the Court, having been greatly disappointed in the village. I told him 'I really had no interest.' He seemed surprised; and said, 'he thought your uncle was a Lord, and he had always understood that Lords could do any thing.' I told him laughingly, that as soon as your uncle had made me a Bishop, he should have all my interest; but, as I did not expect that, I

thought we had better try to make ourselves happy in that state of life in which it had pleased God to call us.' He seemed to attribute that to my want of will, which you well know my limited power forbids; but he is too weak a man to talk with rationality, and I did not wish to pain him, by placing his absurdity in the right light; so I withdrew, assuring him he must apply elsewhere for Court favour. "It is astonishing," said Mrs. Lascelles, "how minds of a certain cast expect the most preposterous advancement; and ask as coolly for £200 a year, as a child would for a bit of bread and butter, when he was hungry. I have heard my uncle say, he had taken the pains to note every application which had been made to him; and he believed, that were it possible to balance the account, there were not places in the kingdom to satisfy the demands.'

We left Miss Jennings and her sisters in the uneasy state of persons compelled to work against their will, with an angry father and a fatigued mother, a giddy harebrained brother, as unfit to provide for himself as his sisters, and on the following morning the father was in the same state of determination that something they should do, without pointing to any thing. They really were to be pitied more than blamed,

for the only destination to which their education had pointed was marriage, and of that there seemed no probability of their being called on to fill. Their heads were crammed with romantic notions, their persons decorated beyond their station, their conversation consisted mostly of weak, short sentences, delivered in a decisive tone, only intercepted by a vacant laugh, sometimes very good, sometimes abominable, shocking, horrid, equally inapplicable, so that they were unfit to teach and unwilling to learn, not an uncommon state. The heart of Mrs. Lascelles might be said to yearn over them; she felt that the blame was with their parents, and thought it hard that they should thus suddenly be thrust into the world without a hand to guide or direct them. After supper, as she sat in converse with her husband, but these Miss Jennings', my dear, if you do not think them competent to the care of boys, what can they do?" "That must be your concern, my love; I have not the most remote idea how to provide for ignorance and indolence."

The following morning Esther Humphries brought home some dresses for the Misses Lascelles. As she was leaving the room she said, "Madam, two young ladies called on me to look at dresses, but I did

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not take the liberty of showing Miss Lascelles' without your leave." "Oh, my good girl, that was all very right and proper, but I give you leave to show any thing of mine or my daughters, if it can be of the slightest service to you; but I did not know there were any young ladies in this village." "Ma'am, their name was Jennings." "Did they give you any orders?" "They desired to see some dresses.' Very extraordinary; when was this pray?" "Yesterday morning, ma'am." "Very extraordinary," said Mrs. Lascelles musing. Poor Esther was afraid she was making mischief, and repeated that she did not shew them. My good girl, if you had I should not have had the slightest objection. But I cannot understand how young women in the situation of the Misses Jennings could have any orders to give you." The matter grew visibly worse, and poor Esther fearing she was doing some one an injury, begged Mrs. Lascelles to take no notice of what she had said. The young ladies perhaps had only called for curiosity; she hoped she should not do them any injury in her good opinion by what she said; in short, every word she uttered deepened Mrs. Lascelles's view of her innocence and benevolence, and we may say she never lost that good opinion which Mrs. L. formed of her during this short interview.

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As the innocent girl returned home Fanny Meredith met her: she had the tears in her eyes, and Fanny said, "Well, Esther, what's the matter?" She curtsied and replied, Nothing of any consequence.' "Oh, but my good girl, do tell me; remember you speak to a friend." "I really do believe its not of the least consequence." "You believe, you don't know?" I really don't;" and she smiled through her tears. "Well, you know we women are very curious, and I must know what is the matter." The simple girl related her tale, and said she feared she had done hurt to those ladies by telling Mrs. Lascelles.. ". You should have asked her not to mention it." 'I did, ma'am, and she promised she would not. I certainly intended no wrong, but I saw madam did not approve." My good girl, Mrs. Lascelles feels as a mother towards us all; if you were to do wrong, if I were to do wrong, she would be grieved; but she has no anger against us, Esther. As for the Miss Jennings's, I don't think she knows much of them, for they are not religious girls; but would it ease your mind if I were to go and tell her you were grieved you had prejudiced her against them?" "Oh, yes, it would." "Well then I'll go, and do you take the little girl." Esther took the child, and waited the return of her mediating friend.

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