:

tention he had received from every one on his return to Sandhurst; and full of expressions of generous and manly affection towards his mother. One of the most painful of her duties remained to be done it was to inform the servants, most of whom had lived with them for years, of their altered circumstances, and the necessity of parting with them. But this trial was also rendered much lighter by her being enabled to inform them, that they might still, if they wished it—with two or three exceptions only,―remain at the Grange, and enter the service of its new master. It had been purchased by a gentleman only recently returned from India, and whose family were still travelling on the Continent, previous to settling in a permanent home. He was thankful to retain all those servants recommended to him by Mrs. Rivers. The cook, therefore, and her assistant, the coachman, the gardener, the housemaids, and the footman, were all to remain. Her own

maid was engaged by another lady; but the

faithful nurse of the children, and John, declared that nothing but her positively turning them away should induce them to leave Mrs. Rivers. Miller had been engaged as nursemaid before the birth of Annie; and when the nurse, who had had charge of the nursery for the first three years after their settling at the Grange, left to be married, Miller had succeeded her, and Frederick and Alice, had been her charges from their birth. How could she leave them?-In vain Mrs. Rivers pointed out to her that she could not for the future keep more than two servants; and that as John was equally resolved to stay, and having been the faithful follower of her husband in all his campaigns, and his patient and devoted attendant during the long period of suffering consequent on the wound he received at Waterloo, she felt she ought to make every possible sacrifice to keep him so long as he wished to remain with her; therefore, the other servant must not only cook, but be what is called "servant of all

work."

Miller said, she and John had

talked it all over; "For, indeed Ma'am, ill news always travels fast, and we were soon told of all that had happened; so we planned how we could do every thing between us; and you don't know what a useful creature John is. He says,—' an old soldier can do every thing;' and so, if you please, my dear, dear lady, do let us try-it will break my heart to leave Miss Alice; any thing is better than that.”

The services of these two attached and faithful attendants were, therefore, thankfully retained; and again all the children declared their willingness to aid all in their power, by giving as little trouble as possible, and learning to do every thing they could for themselves and for each other; while, by habits of neatness and order, and carefulness, they would prevent more work than was absolutely necessary being thrown upon Miller.

CHAPTER IV.

There's beauty all around our paths, if but
Our watchful eyes

Can trace it 'midst familiar things, and

Through their lowly guise.

FELICIA HEMANS.

We need not dwell any longer on trifling details. All the arrangements were satisfactorily completed. The weather continued lovely; and late in the evening of a day at the commencement of July Mrs. Rivers and her family moved into the new house. The same refinement and taste had presided over the arrangements of the smaller abode as over the larger; and everything looked so cheerful, so clean,— nay, even so elegant, that poor Aunt Susanwho now, for the first time, saw her future residence, and all the kind care which had been

bestowed upon the room appropriated to her, the various contrivances by which all that could contribute to her comfort had been made, to suit the diminished accommodation-could not refrain from bursting into tears, and exclaiming:

"Oh! my dear, dear sister, may we not still say, 'The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places; yea, we have a goodly heritage.'

Mrs. Rivers, though fatigued with all the various emotions and trials of the day, smiled gratefully, and replied, with a cheerful voice:

"We have, indeed, cause to be thankful to God for all his mercies; we will ask him to continue to bless us."-And summoning together her little household, she implored a blessing upon their new abode, and that they might all be enabled to serve Him there, in all their ways and works, and praise him with "joyful lips.” They then retired to rest.

In the morning, as she was preparing to attend on the little Alice-now her own more especial charge-nurse entered, just the same as usual,