one so good, so amiable, and tenderly-reared as Sarah Grimsthorpe, who was then the very picture of our dear Harriet!"

I wished, devoutly, my excellent friend had not given me the last piece of information. Nothing is so terrible as to see a woman bending in age, unwieldy in person, and coarse in features, walking with a daughter, fair, slim, sylph-like and symmetrical, but who bears just sufficient resemblance to her Gorgon-like parent to convince one that when she comes to her age she will be her very counterpart. Mrs. Wells was, for her standing in life, a very respectable-looking lady, but to live for twenty, or five-and-twenty years, watching the progress of my pretty Harriet, till at last she should reach the maternal standard of age and size, seemed to me to be a dreadful anticipation. However, I believe I was wrong, constant, habitual association deprives these evils of their importance;-youth goes, and age comes so gradually and imperceptibly, that the change, so visible to other eyes, is not made evident to those who suffer it; else why should Mr. Wells himself have proposed that very day that his wife and daughter should have two dresses made of the same material and in the same fashion?-However, I listened to his adventures with attention, hoping to reap some instruction in the end. "Well," continued he, "having completed my metamorphosis, and become a deacon and a curate, I commenced doing duty. I confess I was a good deal alarmed at the sound of my own voice in reading; but when I came to preach, the recollection that there was no counsel on the other side to reply, put me somewhat at my ease-my good patron having lent me a sermon for the occasion, which turned out very effective, as I was told, although the omission of several pages in the middle of it, which I had unfortunately left at home by accident, rendered it not quite so connected as it might have been if I had had it all: the mishap, however, had the effect of shortening it, which perhaps contributed to please the parishioners, some of whom, as it were, " slept, or seemed to sleep," not much admiring the practice of parsons who treat their texts as Dido did the hide, and lengthen them out until they encompass a very Byrsa of time.

"With all decent speed," continued Wells, " my patron ordained me priest, and never shall I forget the kind manner in which he addressed me upon the evening after my admission to that rank. Mr. Wells,' said he, you are now placed-it now becomes your own affair to push yourself. I have given you my pledge that the first piece of preferment which falls in my gift shall be yours; but mark me I have observed in your character something like carelessness of your own interests, a dilatoriness,-a procrastination; recollect, that much of your success will depend upon your own activity. Very often vacancies occur in livings of which I do not hear for several days; other people are on the alert; and even before I have been made aware that I had the power to bestow the preferment, I have received applications from high quarters, which must be attended to, unless I have actually given away the benefice; therefore, be vigilant,-keep your eyes about you, and the moment you hear of a living dropping, start off directly to me; for I do assure you, seeing how much attached you and my niece are to each other, I am most anxious to put you in a situation to marry, although I entirely agree with her mother in the prudential postponement of your union until you have a home of your own, and are, in fact, established.

"I need not add," said Wells, "that I not only promised punctual obedience to his Lordship's instructions, but that I rigidly practised the course he recommended. I made a constant round of visits of inquiry after the health of all the most ancient incumbents in the diocese, and found, to my infinite dissatisfaction, that they were all uncommonly well; and this salubrious state of things continued for several months, during which period I was placed in the extremely unpleasant position of what is called waiting for dead men's shoes.' At last my suspense ended: one day in January-sharp frost- an eager and a nipping air'—I was on horseback, crossing Glanberry Hill-I heard the toll of a church bell, when casting my eye-as a fisherman would his bait, without the hope of a bite-into the valley below, there I saw-what-what do you. think?"

"I cannot guess," said I.

"A funeral, wending its way out of Glanberry Parsonage towards the church door; the effect of the black procession upon the white snow was most remarkable. Glanberry was worth 8007. a-year, and in the Bishop's gift. In an instant, all his Lordship's allegations against my activity and watchfulness flashed upon my mind-three weeks had elapsed since I had visited that neighbourhood, and then, The rector was quite well.' Still I did not know how to excuse myself to my patron for my palpable remissness, nor calculate the mischief the delay might have occasioned.

In order to ascertain the precise date of the event upon which so much depended, I pulled up at the corner of the deep-rutted lane which leads down to Glanberry village, and which looked, at the moment, like the top of a twelfth-cake considerably mangled about the sugar, and hailed one of the clods of the village.

“'I say,' cried I, how long is it since Mr. Simpkinson died?' "Last Monday, Sir,' said the man. "He wasn't ill long?' asked I. "Only three days, Sir,' said the man. here to-day, and gone to-morrow.'

'That's just it, Sir-we are

"Thank you, my friend,' said I, resolving at all events, for once, however much I admired and admitted the pith of his remark upon the uncertainty of life, to reverse the principle in my own case. I muttered it to myself, I shall be gone to-day, and here to-morrow,' and putting spurs to my nag, hurried home to my intended mother-in-law's; and, without further delay, took a post-chaise to the first inn on the high road, and thence per Comet transported myself to London, where my Right Reverend Patron had established himself, in order to attend his Parliamentary duties.

"I need not," said Wells," detain you with an account of the kind reception I met with. The Bishop took me cordially by the hand, expressed not only his great delight at the vacancy, and the opportunity it afforded him of securing my happiness with Sarah-approving, too, in strong terms, of my activity and vigilance in having got the start of any other applicant. He pressed my hand again at parting, and wrote an extremely warm note, of which I was the bearer, to Mrs. Grimsthorpe, introducing me formally as the rector of Glanberry.

"When I left his Lordship's house," continued my notable companion," I felt very differently from what I did when I arrived. I was

conscious of a responsibility which had never belonged to me before-I had the cure of souls-I felt the importance of my ministerial character, and resolved, now that I had really and positively assumed it, to act up to the expectations which I fancied my patron had formed.

"I hastened to my mother-in-law's, and was rewarded with a smile and a shake of the hand by the old lady, and a squeeze of the hand and something more agreeable by the young one. The day of happiness had dawned, and the next morning I was to proceed to Glanberry to communicate with the respected Mrs. Simpkinson, on the subject of taking possession, having previously bound Mrs. Grimsthorpe and Sarah to the most inviolable secresy, inasmuch as, after what the Bishop had told me of occasional applications from ministers, I felt that the thing, however near my lip the cup might be, was not perfectly safe till I was actually inducted.

"To Sarah, the prospect of a residence in that part of the country was very agreeable. Glanberry parsonage was beautifully situated-in the valley, it is true, but sheltered in a tuft of tall and noble trees-a clear trout-stream circumundulated the grounds, black as ink beneath their shade, and bright as silver in the sunshine-the place, too, might be improved and so on,-but it was all we wished for, all we wanted; and however much my happiness was alloyed by the reflection that a human being had died to make way for me, I could not help remembering that he had held the living five-and-twenty years, and came into possession of it under a similar contingency.

"No sooner had we breakfasted," continued Wells, " for with such credentials as the Bishop's presentation I was held presentable at the déjeuner of the dowager, I mounted my horse and rode off to Glanberry, resolving to take no servant with me, nor give any indication of the object of my visit. Instead of mounting the hill, I kept along the lower left-hand road, and when I approached the boundaries of my parish I pulled-up into a walk, fearful lest the very stones should prate of my whereabout;' and having as quietly and unostentatiously as possible reached the second-rate inn, I delivered my nag to the ostler, and, telling him I should not be long gone, set forward upon what, however advantageous to me the results, I could not but feel to be a delicate and disagreeable conversation with the late incumbent's family.

"I approached the rectory; but, I must confess, strong as I was in the zeal of my new calling, I saw in my way thither many moving sights,— girls of tender years, evidently without control, and boys still yet their juniors, using language which, however venial I might have thought it when I occupied other stations, convinced me that the strictest attention had not been paid to the morals of the population. This,' said I to myself, I will soon set to rights; and Sarah is so good and so devoted to works of charity and beneficence, that she will be a fitting helpmate in my labours.' Many other things I saw, scarce worth enumerating now, which cried aloud for correction; and drawing good from evil, I felt rather gratified than otherwise, that something was left me to do, in order to raise myself in the estimation of the well-disposed portion of the inhabitants of Glanberry.

"When I reached the rectory, I rang the bell-it sounded mournfully. How often had the late incumbent rang that bell, which, for nearly a quarter of a century, had announced to his watchful wife and children Dec.-VOL. XLII. NO. CLXVIII,

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his return to his peaceful fireside. How transient,' thought I, 'is everything of this world-the house in which he delighted-the grounds which he improved-the trees he planted-are now mine; and that study, through the windows of which the cheerful fire was wont to gleam at this time of the year, beside which he sat, and before which his favourite spaniel lay and slumbered-that, too, devolves on me-all his care--all his partiality were vain-and yet-so will it be with me, who am now so anxiously about to take possession of it.'

"A servant, in the deepest mourning, opened the gate. I asked, in a tone, and with an expression of countenance unassumed and natural while such thoughts were in my mind, If his mistress were at home ?' The man answered, Yes;' and as I followed him round the gravel sweep to the door of the house, I could scarcely refrain from a tear, that the hour was come when the quiet of an amiable family must be disturbed, and they cast upon the world, to seek another habitation and a home.

"The man ushered me into the drawing-room, where I found the amiable daughters of the late incumbent-their mother was yet absent; this, somehow, I did not regret, and I even felt a hope that she might not present herself: inasmuch as what I had to communicate might be told to the younger ladies with less painful effect, than it would be likely to produce upon their surviving parent. Upon hearing my name announced, the eldest of the group arose, and motioned me to take a seat; 'I said that the object of my visit was to say a few words to Mrs. Simpkinson, whom I had understood to be at home, but

"Mamma is at home,' said Miss Simpkinson, and will be here in a few minutes--pray be seated.'

"I sat down, and cast my eyes round the drawing-room, which looked extremely comfortable, and commanded an exceedingly pretty view of the grounds, which were very tastefully disposed in the valley; while the side of the hill whence I had viewed the funeral, well-studded with tall firs, afforded an evergreen back-ground to the clumps and clusters of laurels, laurustinas, and other immutable plants which graced the lawn.

"I assure you,' said I, 'that it is with no small degree of pain I pay Glanberry this visit; I am quite aware that, from long habit, it must have become a favourite residence with you all, and nothing is more disagreeable than displacing a family, to whose taste a house is so much indebted for improvement and comfort.'

"It will, indeed,' said Miss Simpkinson, 'be a dreadful sacrifice when we are forced to give it up; my two sisters were born here, and I came hither when I was but two years old.'

"When,' said I, tenderly, when does your amiable mother think of leaving this

"We propose,' said the young lady,' going to London in about ten days.'

"I trust,' said I, that your mother will not think of hurrying away on my account,-let her suit her own convenience, and take her own time. I need not explain further the nature of my visit-the more lightly such details are touched upon, the better for all our sakes; if I get in by Lady-day I shall be quite satisfied, because I see, by the state of this room, it must be new papered.'

"Yes, Sir,' said Miss Simpkinson, it is rather faded.'

"And I think,' said I, seeing how philosophically the orphans bore the subject, I shall knock down this end of the room, and throw out a bay-window; by doing which, and cutting through the wall, and making a pair of double folding-doors into the dining-room, we shall get a vista from one end of the house to the other.'

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'Papa once thought of doing that,' said the second daughter. "Poor dear man,' said I, 'those reflections are now of no use- -I mean, besides these alterations, to add a conservatory to the suite, which I think will have a good effect; will you allow me just to measure a little?' Saying which, I rose from my chair, and paced across the room. "Pray, Sir,' said Miss Simpkinson, after whispering with her sister, “might I ask, did Papa ever communicate to you his intentions?' "No,' said I, we never were personally acquainted; but of course none of these alterations will be begun till you have finally quitted the premises.'

"Finally,' said Miss Simpkinson, we are only going to London for six weeks.'

'Why,' said I, blending a little of the dictatorial with the pathetic and sympathetic, after you once leave the house, I think I must be compelled to take possession; because it will be a great object to me to be here early in the spring.'

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Pray, Sir,' said the young lady, may I inquire what you propose

doing here?'

"Living here altogether,' said I, I shall have no other house for the next year or two.'

"In what capacity?' said Miss Simpkinson.

"As rector of Glanberry,' said I. I feared I had not made myself sufficiently understood; but I was delicate in explaining. The bishop has presented me to the living, and with all proper consideration for your feelings and convenience, and those of your excellent parent, I think the period I have fixed is as distant as I can well name.'

"Dear me!' said Miss Simpkinson, 'how very strange!—would not you like to see Papa ?'

"Oh dear no,' said I, 'not for the world.'

"Ah!' said the young lady,' here he comes to explain for himself.' "I turned round, and beheld, to my infinite amazement, a most respectable rubicund divine and a lady, moving along a nice smooth gravelwalk, looking as plump as partridges, as loving as doves, and much better than I could possibly have expected.

"Our meeting was of a very curious nature; I was considerably embarrassed; I did not personally know my fat friend, but his eldest daughter, opening the glass-door which led to the garden, admitted the two personages, to whom she presented me, as her Pa and Ma.

'Sir,' said my clerical friend, unshovelling his head,' I am glad to see you.'

"You are very kind, Sir,' said I, ' I have only just called to take a look over the premises.'

Yes, Papa,' said Miss Simpkinson, who seemed rather angry, and sufficiently versed in church matters to see that there must be some mistake, the gentleman says the Bishop has presented him to this living.' "Indeed,' said Papa, as how, Sir, I

"Why, Sir, briefly thus,' said I, upon the death of our lamented