to her age and situation. Maurice was often with him, but he never allowed him to be familiar; and, indeed, Maurice was exceedingly careful of what he said before Henry, because he knew that Henry did not even hide his own faults from Mr. Dalben; and he was well assured that nothing would be concealed from that gentleman respecting himself, with which he ought to be made acquainted.

In the mean time Henry was grown very tall, and though he was not a stout-looking boy, he was very active and strong; but his countenance and his fine manners were what chiefly drew the attention of all strangers for a fine manner and a beaming countenance-a countenance beaming from a renewed heart,—are the most glorious ornaments of the human creature.

We do not venture to assert that Henry was a converted character at this time, we will leave our readers to judge for themselves in this matter, and when they recollect that a tree is known by its fruits, they will be able to clear up this point without my help.

The winter of that year in which Henry Milner was fourteen years of age set in particularly severely, and in the early part of the season Mr. Dalben's usual cough became very troublesome: towards Christmas it suddenly increased, with a violent pain on the chest and other severe symptoms, which inspired Mrs. Kitty with unusual alarm; when the symptoms of inflammation appeared, she lost no time in sending for an eminent medical man from Worcester, and the poor old gentleman was abundantly bled and blistered, which reduced him to such a state that he could scarcely move.

It was at this period that Henry Milner and little Maurice showed their affection in the most decided manner; for Henry sat all day at the foot of his uncle's bed, commonly hid by the curtain, in order that his paternal friend might not be sensible of the fatigue he went through; while Maurice placed himself on the outside of the door, and then, as the boy himself said, he was ready to run for any thing that was wanted. Thus the good old gentleman found the benefit of not having lived for himself; for, though a bachelor, he had two children who would willingly have given up their lives for him, and a servant who was as careful of his property as if it had been her own. Such services were therefore at his command as no money could purchase, and

that without his care or bidding; and there was not a poor person for five miles round who did not pray for his life.

Mr. Dalben had no near relations living; but there was a certain nobleman, who had been his pupil at college, who was so greatly attached to him that, when he heard of his illness, he came over to see him with his lady; and, taking lodgings at Malvern, this worthy couple visited him every day; and it was agreed among them, that as soon as he could be moved, they should remove with him for some months to a warmer climate. The lady proposed the south of France; and, as the medical man highly approved of the plan, it was agreed that Mrs. Kitty should take charge of the house and of Maurice during his master's absence, and Henry be sent to school, as his time was precious, and Mr. Dalben in no state to attend to him. The great difficulty was to reconcile Henry to the idea of this separation; and Lady H, in consequence, undertook to break the matter to him.

As it had been expected, Henry suffered much when he heard of the proposed plan; the tears came into his eyes, and he even asked if it could not be managed for him to go with Mr. Dalben; but when Lady H- stated to him that it was necessary for his uncle to be kept perfectly quiet, and not exposed to any anxiety, he sub, mitted without another word; and said, "Lady H— please to tell my uncle that I am ready to do all he wishes. I will go to any school which he points out, and I will endeavour to obey cheerfully; so please, madam, not to tell him that-" and he burst into an agony of tears, which he could not restrain.

"That you have shed any tears on the occasion, my dear boy?" said the lady; "well, I will be sure to be careful on that head; but we shall all hope to meet again in this place within the year; and then how happy shall we be, my dear Master Milner, and you will rejoice that you have submitted so nobly to your uncle's wishes." "A year!" repeated Henry; "and must I not see my uncle for a whole year!"

"I said within the year," said Lady H

"And poor Maurice ?" said Henry.

"Mrs. Kitty will take care of Maurice," said Lady H

"Mrs. Kitty!" repeated Henry; "I hope she will be

kind to him, but I don't doubt it; yet I know he will be unhappy, I am sure of it. And, Lady H-, will you please, when you return to Malvern, to buy me a dozen of small combs, and I will give you the money: they must be all the same."

"Combs!" said Lady H, laughing; "what can they possibly have to do with our present conversation ?"

"A great deal," said Henry; "much more than you think, madam; for Mrs. Kitty never quarrels with Maurice but when he loses his comb, and I will take care there shall be no disputes on that head, for I will supply him well, and when one is lost he shall have another to produce."

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"But I should much fear that this high degree of prosperity in which you mean to leave him in the article of combs," replied Lady H- may make him careless you will know, Master Milner, that his country people are proverbially extravagant."

"Oh," said Henry, "but should he lose his comb when I am not here to help him to look for it, it would be such a pity."

"Help him to look for it," said Lady H- ; "why, have you often been engaged in that service?" "Sometimes, ma'am,” said Henry, smiling; “I have done as much sometimes."

"And pray where have your researches been made ?" asked Lady H

"Oh, everywhere, and anywhere," replied Henry. It was in Lion's den that we found it at last. He generally carries it in his pocket, and he had taken it out to comb Lion's tail, and had left it there."

"And will Lion allow him to take such liberties ?" said Lady H

"He now will," returned Henry, "though formerly he hated Maurice. But oh, uncle! uncle! Maurice! Lion!" added the boy, bursting afresh into tears, "must I go and leave you all!" and he turned to the window to hide his tears.

1

"Dear, dear boy," said Lady H, "in this world separations must take place; it is only in the world to come that we shall never know the pain of parting."

"What a long, long happy dream am I just awakened from," said Henry, sobbing; "but don't tell my uncle, ma'am, how very unhappy I am, pray don't."

VOL. I.-I

"But you may like school better than you expect, my dear Henry," said Lady H

"I dare say that I shall love my master and the boys when I know them; for why should I not, Lady H—?" asked Henry; " but then I do not know them yet; and I do love all the people here, and the places, and even the dumb creatures, so very, very much. Oh! I never, never shall love any place like this. There is not a tree that does not bring some old pleasant thought to my mind."

"Old!" said Lady H-; "why the most ancient remembrance you can have cannot be ten years old."

"No," said Henry," not really ten years: but to me the things that I did when I wore a frock seem so very far away, that perhaps they seem a thousand years removed; and then with these remembrances my uncle is united, and all the little kind things he used to do for me when I was very small, and the stories he used to tell me when I first began to know any thing: so that there is scarcely a field, or a hill, or a brook, or a tree which does not seem to talk to me about former days, and my dear uncle."

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Well, but you are only going away for a few months," said Lady H

"But you must remember, Lady H-," replied Henry, "that to a boy, like me, to whom ten years is so very long to look back, a few months to look forward is a long time and yet my uncle says that time runs faster as we get older."

In this manner Lady Hand Henry conversed till somewhat of the bitterness of the boy's feelings were passed; after which preparations were made for the intended separation, and the last day of February was at length fixed upon for the departure of Mr. Dalben and Lady Hto London. Lord H-having undertaken to take Henry to school, and proposing to follow Mr. Dalben and his lady as soon as the little boy should be settled in his new situation.

CHAPTER XIII.

Henry's Arrival at School.

UNLESS my reader is more fond of scenes of parting than I am, he will not be sorry that I have resolved to give no account of the separation of Henry from Mr. Dalben, Mrs. Kitty, and poor little Maurice. It was a severe trial to all parties; but by the time that Henry had lost sight of all his usual haunts he was become more composed, and began to consider how he should best conceal his feelings from the persons he expected to see in a few hours.

The school which had been chosen for Henry was one kept by a Dr. Matthews, at a place called Clent Green, about fifty miles from Worcester; a seminary which was highly celebrated throughout the neighbourhood, as it was said to have produced several first-rate scholars.

It happened that Henry knew only one boy at Clent Green, namely, Master Wellings; and it was his knowledge of this boy which made him more averse to this school than he would otherwise have been.

In some little town through which the travellers passed, Lord H- alighted, went to a shop, and bought Henry a top, a bat and ball, a skipping-rope, and some other articles of the same kind.

While Henry was in the shop, he did not suspect that these articles were intended for himself: he therefore helped Lord Hto choose the best of every kind, supposing that the things were for his lordship's nephew, of whom he had heard him often speak; and he was therefore the more ashamed when they got again into the carriage, and Lord H-requested him to accept the whole parcel.

"I must not receive presents, my lord," said he, blushing.

"As a general rule, my dear boy," returned Lord H," you cannot have a better; and though I now request you to receive these things, because I consider myself as your uncle's particular friend, yet I perfectly approve of the sentiment, as a general rule of conduct.