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the benevolent purposes of providing instruction for their minds, and comfort for their families. Her walks of usefulness were often long and wearisome; but she was never deterred from administering to the wants of others by any considerations for herself. In doing good, she gathered the richest sweets of enjoyment; and, in promoting the happiness of the poor, she augmented her own. On one of these excursions, a gentleman, who was riding leisurely along the road, was seen to alight from his horse, and to give his arm to Miss Delaval, which she readily accepted; they visited several of the cottages together, and, at their parting, Louisa was observed to speak to him with peculiar earnestness, and to shed tears. These facts were communicated to the Rector, who lost no time in making Miss Elmer acquainted with them. It was agreed between them not to mention the circumstances to Miss Delaval, but to employ vigilant emissaries to watch the progress of what they did not doubt would prove to be a clandestine amour. Miss Elmer observing, very charitably, that she always suspected people who appeared to be so much better than their neighbours; she never knew a Saint that was not a Hypocrite. Religion was a cloak for every thing evil, and she should not wonder if this cavalier, who was unknown to every body, turned out to be some converted methodist mechanic, with whom her niece was anxious to take a trip to Gretna Green. But she would take good care to disappoint the minx of her projected excursion. She would let Sir George into the secret; that is, as soon as she was let into it her

self. Several days however passed, and it was still covered with an impenetrable veil. Louisa took her usual walks, and distributed her usual bounty without any thing occurring, either to awaken the suspicion, or to gratify the curiosity of her self-appointed Duenna. At length, towards the dusk of the evening of a fine day, the lady and her mysterious companion were engaged in very earnest conversation, in an avenue which led from the house to the road. Miss Elmer almost breathless with anxiety, placed herself in a convenient station to observe and to hear what passed. But she could only indistinctly catch the words-friendship, happiness, love, marriage, difficulties, and misfortunes. During part of his address, the stranger's voice faultered; he was speaking with passionate interest on a subject, which evidently awakened sympathy in the bosom of his companion; and she became greatly agitated. They both rested for a few moments on a rustic bench. Louisa then presented him with a small packet, and he departed. What can all this mean, said the impatient Miss Elmer, as she glided unperceived by Louisa to the mansion. This is most extraordinary, she muttered to herself; I hate all mystery, where there is mystery, there generally is imprudence, and something worse. Yet did she not, in her conscience, believe, that there could be the least impropriety in the conduct of her niece-and lest inquiry should explain away all that wore the appearance of suspicion, and thus deprive her of the pleasure of circulating scandal to the injury of her fair fame, she resolved not to mention the circumstances to

Louisa, but to detail them to her acquaintances, as they had come to her knowledge, interspersed with dark hints, and malignant inuendoes, which would not fail to produce the effect she desired, and at the same time exonerate her from all blame. What had taken place was enough to justify her apprehensions, and she had an undoubted right to put what construction upon it she pleased. Accordingly, while Louisa, happy in her innocence, was constantly emitting from her countenance the "soul's calm sunshine, and the heartfelt joy," her aunt was endeavoring to obscure that brightness, by throwing around her the mirky clouds of calumny; and so dense did these at last become, that many young ladies in the neighborhood were half afraid to approach her, lest they should be involved in the same darkness. The victims of scandal are generally the last to hear the reproaches under which their character suffers, and which alienate from them the smiles and confidence of friendship. This was the case with Miss Delaval-nor was she aware, that a whisper, unfriendly to her reputation, had ever been uttered, till she heard it in distant thunder. It burst upon her at last with a terrible explosion, in a violent letter from her father, who at the same time informed her of a very important change which he had thought proper to make in his family.

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WHEN a man becomes a widower on the wrong side of fifty, and resolves to marry again, he is in great danger of playing the fool; especially if his former marriage was the result of mercenary speculation, rather than of disinterested attachment. Thus it generally happens, that when the prudent calculators of fiveand-twenty turn gay and impassioned Lotharios at sixty, they present a most ludicrous exhibition of human weakness. A hoary headed, gouty lover, throwing off his flannel and surtout, and putting on the costume of a youthful beau, strutting, smiling, and even dancing with all the exhiliration of his boyhood, is viewed by the benevolent with pity and by the malicious with contempt. And when there is a marvellous disparity of years between the adorer and the goddess of his nauseous idolatry, the lady, if she accept his addresses, very justly becomes the object of universal derision.

In evil hour, Sir George Delaval persuaded himself, that a man ought to be in love once in his life; and as he had never been so fortunate, that it was now high time for him to indulge the tender passion. Accordingly he put himself upon a course of training, by reading pathetic love-tales, and storing his memory with exquisite passages from the amatory poets.

Lalla Rookh was his supreme favourite. The "Light of the Harem" dissolved his soul in tenderness, and he often repeated, with exstasy, to every listening fair one, with whom he could obtain a tête a tête,

"There's a bliss beyond all that the Minstrel has told,
When two that are link'd in one heavenly tie,

With hearts never changing, and love never cold,
Love on through ali ilis, and love on till they die ;
One hour of a passion so sacred is worth
Whole ages of heartless and wandering bliss ;
And, Oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,
It is this! it is this."

From these and other symptoms, equally unequivocal, it was soon whispered abroad, that Sir George Delaval, like another Colebs, was in search of a wife. This welcome intelligence reached the ears of a widow, who had long wished to doff her weeds. Her acquaintance with the Delavals was very slight, yet, with a little dextrous finesse, she hoped to improve it into intimacy. She was resolved on becoming Lady Delaval, and laid her plans accordingly. Though she had never been taught in the school of the Pathetics, and though a ray of poetry had never beamed from her fancy, yet now the fit was on him, she affected to Sir George a perfect congeniality of taste. Dear sensibility was her peculiar weakness; and yet it was a weakness she would not be deprived of for the world. All the poems she had read for the occasion, verses of which she repeated with enthusiasm, were "sweet," and "pretty." If she ever married again, a thing which she did not by any means contemplate, poetry should form the charm of

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