amusement. 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 side of our river, though his heart never felt the triumph of beholding the dying struggles of a poor trout, or exulted in its writhing agony while tearing the barbed dart from its lacerated entrails, His mind sought for other objects of gratification. The study of Mineralogy and Botany, an exquisite relish for the beauties of Nature, refined by an acquaintance with the sister arts of Poetry and Painting, gave sufficient interest to the rural scenery, without any aid from the misery of inoffensive animals. To the amusemeuts 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 consult Emma, who will give you the best account of his taste."

Emma at that moment very suddenly recollected something she had left in her

own room, for which she went in great haste, and the old Gentleman proceeded. "At the time that our acquaintance with Mr. Darnley commenced, Emma was in her seventeenth year. He found her mind more cultivated than is common with girls of that age, and took delight in improving her already formed taste. His conversation was far superiour, in point of elegance and information, to that of any person she had ever met with: besides, it must be confess. ed, that there is a charm in the manners of a man who has seen something of the world, and been accustomed to move in the upper circles of life, which is very captivating to a delicate mind. I saw the impression that was made on my poor Emma's, and trembled for the peace of my sweet child. I feared, that by acquiring a taste for that sort of refinement of sentiment and manners, which is so rarely to be met with in the country, she might injure her future happiness. I know not if Darnley perceived my uneasiness, but he soon took an opportunity

of speaking to me on the subject. He told me, that his affection for my my daughter should 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 such an interest in her esteem, as might supply the place of that romantick passion, which, during the reign of fancy, is deemed essential to nuptial happiness. 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 consent to their entering into any engagement, before they had entered their twentieth year."

"Then you did not intend they should marry Nabobs," said my friend. "Why, we Indians never think of any thing beyond sixteen."

"Then you do not think of the blessing of mutual happiness," said his father. "Why not?" returned my friend. "We think of happiness in the possession of youth and

beauty; and our young wives think of it in the enjoyment of our fortunes. Is not this being mutually happy?" "Short-lived hap piness!" rejoined his father, "which is certainly extinguished by satiety, and probably succeeded by disgust.-The first sight sympathy of souls," continued Mr. Denbeigh, "is laughed at by any well educated girl; but such an union of minds as includes a similarity of taste and sentiment;-such a degree of esteem as is essential to mutual confidence, is, in my opinion, absolutely necessary between two people, who are to be bound in partnership for life. And is a girl of sixteen a proper judge of the qualities necessary for such an union ?”—“ But, if I mistake not," returned my friend, "the age of Mr. Darnley very nearly doubles that of sister." "True," replied the old Gentleman; "but Mr. Darnley does not marry Emma merely on account of her pretty face. Neither does she bestow her affections on his fortune. The tender friendship that already subsists between them, is cemented

my

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 witness the sacrifice of her future peace."

Here the good Gentleman was interrupted by the entrance of this very Mr. Darnley who had come to pay his compliments to the family, on the arrival of my friend. His noble aspect and graceful manner, apparently justified all that had been said in his favour; and the sweet blushes that spread themselves over the countenance of the fair maiden, on unexpectedly beholding him-told, that the old Gentleman had not been wrong in his conjectures, concerning the state of her heart.

But what does Maandaara think of the doctrine of Mr. Denbeigh? Not suffer a daughter to enter into an engagement of marriage before she is twenty-Twentywhy twenty is ok enough for a grandmother!-I fear the reasonings of Mr. Den