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been working from hand to mouth, now fcrambling to get out of debt, and then falling back into poverty-what it is to be at once, as I may fay, fet above the world!

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The eyes of Emma gliftened with delight, and the fweet tint of the opening rofe-bud again mantled over her lovely cheek. The peafant continued

Well, Sir, we were scarcely come to our fenfes, as I may fay, when Farmer Stubble's cart came to the door, with old Martha Grub, who kept the penny-school on the Green Common, and who broke her leg laft year on going up to the henrooft. We had every one of us forgotten old Martha, but were all willing to club her fhare. No, no,' faid the 'Squire;' you muft all keep what you have got, it was my fault, for not being better informed; but Martha fhall be no lofer, faid he; I will give her five guineas out of my own pocket!'-Who would have thought he would have behaved in fuch a manner?" "It was indeed acting very handfomely," faid Mr. Denbeigh.

"Noble, generous Darnley!" faid. Emma." It is just what I would have expected from him;"

The old man took his leave." And pray," fays my friend, as foon as he was gone, "who is Mr. Darnley? Is it he

whom I well remember breaking down your fences, in following his fox hounds?"

No, no," returned Mr. Denbeigh," that was the elder brother of this Darnley, who was then, in obedience to the will of his father preparing for the Bar. He was, as you have just heard, too fond of Juftice, to be very partial to the practice of the Law; and on the death of that elder brother, who broke his neck one morning in hunting, he came down to DarnleyLodge, where he has ever fince refided.

"He was foon difcovered to be a very ftrange, whimsical fort of a creature, by the neighbouring 'Squires.-The fufferings of a poor timorous animal, harraffed by fatigue, and tortured by the agonizing fenfations of exceffive fear, were not neceffary for his amufement. He could enjoy much pleasure in walking over a fine country, without being the butcher of either hare or partridge and take delight in rambling by the fide of our river, though his heart never felt the triumph of beholding the dying ftruggles of a poor trout, or exulted in its writhing agony while tearing the barbed dart from its lacerated entrails. His mind fought for other objects of gratification. The ftudy of Mineralogy and Botany, an exquifite relifh for the beau

ties of Nature, refined by an acquaintance with the fifter arts of Poetry and Painting, gave fufficient intereft to the rural fcenery, without any aid from the misery of inoffenfive animals. To the amufements of elegant Literature, he has added those of Agricultural improvement. He comes here to take my advice about the latter; and on the former, I believe, he comes to confult Emma, who will give you the best account of his taste."

Emma at that moment very fuddenly recollected fomething fhe had left in her own room, for which fhe went in great: hafte, and the old Gentleman proceeded. "At the time that our acquaintance with Mr. Darnley commenced, Emma was in her feventeenth year. He found her mind more cultivated than is common with girls of that age, and took delight in improving her already formed tafte. His converfation was far fuperior, in point of elegance and information, to that of any perfon fhe had ever met with: befides, it must be confeffed, that there is a charm in the manners of a man who has seen fomething of the world, and been accuftomed to move in the upper circles of life, which is very captivating to a delicate mind. I faw the impreffion that was made upon my poor Emma's, and trembled for the peace of my fweet child.

I feared, that by acquiring a tafte for that fort of refinement of fentiment and manners, which is fo rarely to be met with in the country, fhe might injure her future happiness. I know not if Darnley perceived my uneafinefs, but he foon took an opportunity of fpeaking to me on the fubject. He told me, that his affection for my daughter fhould long ago have led him to make proposals to me on her account, but that the disparity of their ages had rendered him anxious. to make fuch an intereft in her esteem, as might supply the place of that romantic paffion, which, during the reign of fancy, is deemed effential to nuptial happinefs. I approved of his conduct, and told him, that in regard to my daughters, I had laid down a rule to which I had invariably adhered, and that was, never to give my confent to their entering into any engagement, before they had entered their twentieth year."

"Then you did not intend they should marry Nabobs," faid my friend. Why, we Indians, never think of any thing be yond fixteen."

"Then you did not think of the bleffing of mutual happiness," said his father. Why not?" returned my friend. "We think of happiness in the poffeffion of youth and beauty; and our young wives

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think of it in the enjoyment of our fortunes. Is not this being mutually happy?" "Short-lived happiness!" rejoined his father, which is certainly extinguifhed by fatiety,, and probably fucceeded by difguft.-The first fight fympathy of fouls," continued Mr. Denbeigh, is laughed at by any well edu-. cated girl; but fuch an union of minds as includes a fimilarity of tafte and fentiment;-fuch a degree of efteem' as is effential to mutual confidence, is, in my opinion, abfolutely neceffary between two people, who are to be bound in partnerfhip for life. And is a girl of fixteen a proper judge of the qualities neceffary for fuch an union ?" But, if I mistake not,"-returned my friend" the age of Mr. Darnley very nearly doubles that of my fifter." True," replied the old Gentleman; " but Mr. Darnley does not marry Emma merely on account of her pretty face. Neither does the bestow her affections on his fortune. The tender friendship that already fubfifts between them, is cemented by esteem for real virtues. If it had been otherwise, it is not Mr. Darnley's fortune (though far beyond what a child of mine is by any means entitled to) that should have tempted me to witnefs the facrifice of her future peace."

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