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ton and Lucy were aware, and under existing circumstances, the latter may claim forbearance, if instead of adhering to her habitual custom of striving to veil her friend's deficiencies, she on the present occasion, by the suggestion of her mother, took no pains to make them less apparent. But the day had passed rapidly away, and she had ever been ready with her quiet "yes," or "no," in their appropriate places. "My mother expects too much of me," thought Edward, when at its close, he and Lucy prepared to "I can never accompany Hannah home. conquer my attachment;" and he was half resolved to confess his love, and plead to be allowed to cherish the hope of a return.

It was one of the loveliest of lovely evenings, and after for some time slowly pursuing their way through the green-wood path, they emerged into the open country, and ascended a hill, which commanded a most enchanting prospect, Lucy lingered on the summit. She had recently been reading the "Merchant of Venice," which, together with several other of Shakspeare's plays, had belonged to her grandmother, and which, although her religious scruples prevented her from reading them, Mrs. Northington had carefully preserved, partly because they had been her mother's, and partly from a certain veneration that she felt for a printed book. They had for some time stood in silence, which Lucy was the first to break, by repeating the following passage from the play alluded to, which had struck her as being very beautiful:

"Look how the floor of heaven

Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold:
There's not the smallest orb, which thou behold'st,
But in his motion like an angel sings,

Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubims;
Such harmony is in immortal souls;
But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Doth grossly close"-

Lucy had proceeded thus far, when Han nah, interrupting her, said, "Now while I think of it, I want to tell you how tractable little Lizzy is, about learning to knit: she can already widen, and narrow, and turn the

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Edward, whose mind was as much absorbed in thinking of Lorenzo and Jessica, as in listening to the poetry, and who, as was natural to a person who, never having realized the discomfort of being obliged to dispense with stockings, did not duly appreciate the art of knitting, ere he was aware, cast an indignant look towards the unconscious Hannah. All this, however, was soon forgotten, and when, in a few minutes afterwards, they found themselves by the margin of a beautiful sheet of water, and Hannah, throwing back her bonnet, revealed her features in the bright moonlight, he again gazed upon her with a lover's heart and eye.

"Yonder are some pond-lilies," said Lucy; "do, Edward, go out on those rocks and gather us some of them."

Edward obeyed, and succeeded in procuring a few, from which selecting the most beautiful one, he presented it to Hannah. He said something about her accepting it as his farewell gift, and of her preserving it for a while for his sake, but his agitation rendered his words unintelligible. She took the lily, bent her head to inspire its rich perfume, and then, carelessly winding the long stem round her hand, swung it by her side as she walked, without thinking more about it. Not so, Edward. "My mother is wrong in her judgment," thought he. "Hannah is no coquette, and yet she accepted the lily after what I had said,” and he mused upon this trifling circumstance, until, in his estimation, it was magnified into one of much importance.

They had now arrived within sight of Hannah's home, as well as that of Mr. Loveland, their minister, who, with his family, were just singing their evening hymn of worship. The sounds, as the breeze varied, stole to the ear in faint, half-broken tones, or swelled into wild and solemn strains of harmony, producing an effect on the mind, that heightened the charm of the subjoined passage, from "Paradise Lost," which Edward, who had forgotten Shakspeare and the knitting-work, could not forbear repeating: "How often, from the steep

Of echoing hill, or thicket, have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole or responsive, each to other's note,
Singing their great Creator! Oft in bands
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk
With heavenly touch of instrumental sounds,
In full harmonic number joined, their songs
Divide the night, and lift the thoughts to heaven."

"I believe," said he, when he had finished, "that for the sake of being able to write poetry like this, I should be almost willing to endure the loss of sight. Do you not love Milton's poetry, Hannah?"

"It is very pretty, certainly," she replied, "and I had no thought that he could write such. Yet I think there is no occasion for your envying him, for if he can compose such good lines, you can certainly compose much better, for I have heard our minister say, that you were a great deal better scholar than Milton Watson."

It would have been difficult for Edward to have given an analysis of his feelings, produced by this reply. All the fine enthusiasm, which a moment before was thrilling every nerve, and almost lifting him from earth to heaven, recoiled so fully, so suddenly, that the effect wrought was absolutely paralyzing.

Just at this crisis, a little dog bounded towards them, and began to play caressingly about its young mistress.

"Ranger," said she, patting its head with her small hand, "you seem glad to see me." She then took the lily given her by Edward, and entwining the stem round its neck, stood smiling to see the efforts of the little animal to free itself from the unacceptable ornament. A feeling of indignation, yet half allied to pity, pervaded the bosom of Edward, as he saw the beautiful lily draggling in the dirt, and beheld the earnestness with which Hannah witnessed, what to her, was evidently a most delightful pastime.

"She has neither heart, delicacy, or even decency," thought he, when at length the lily dropped to the ground, and she unheedingly pressed it into the soil with her own pretty feet, as she continued to play with her favourite.

"Come, Lucy," said Edward, "shall we

go?"

“Oh, no,” said Hannah, "don't go yet; but step into the house and see father, and mother, and little Lizzy, a few minutes."

"No," replied Edward, coldly, "our parents will be waiting for us to join them in family duties-I fear we have tarried too long already."

"Well, good night, then. I hope you will have a pleasant journey to-morrow. I shall, as I promised you, write you a line in Lucy's letter."

Certainly," said Edward, "I shall hold you to your promise," and extending to her his hand, he and Lucy bade her good night, and departed.

We will pass over an interval of three years. At the time we resume our story, summer, though almost past its prime, was still affluent in a thousand beauties. A day of uncommon loveliness was near its close. The golden glory which had pervaded the noontide atmosphere, was now mellowed to a soft, floating haze, that wrapped the distant mountains in a robe of azure, only a few shades deeper than the sky itself. There had been changes at Woodville, but most of them were for the better. Improvements had taken place in various parts of the town. The farm of Mr. Northington, in an especial manner, presented a very attractive appearance; and if he and Mrs. Northington began to feel the hand of time, it was but lightly, while Lucy, who, when we left her was only hovering on the verge of womanhood, was changed both in person and mind. Her somewhat exuberant vivacity had given place to a deep and earnest, yet healthful tone of feeling; and if a shade of melancholy enthusiasm at any time stole over her spirits, it was only like the flitting cloud, which might for a moment darken the sunshine that rested on the flowers she loved to tend. She listened with delighted attention to the communings of her father with kindred spirits.

Their high-toned principles of liberty, their religious faith, sincere, fervent, and solemn, appeared to her under a new aspect, and she found in her own bosom, a chord that yielded a deep and thrilling response.

She had wandered out upon the lawn in front of the house, and was bending over a favourite plant, from which she was removing a few leaves that had withered prematurely. So intent was she upon her employment, that she was not aware of the approach of a young man of graceful mien and singularly handsome person, until he addressed her. She hastily rose and threw back the rich, curling clusters of golden hair from her brow, which had spurned the confinement of the close lawn cap, beneath which it was her father's pleasure to have them hid, and it was some time afterwards ere the young man could bring himself to believe that the eyes that flashed upon him so brilliantly at the sound of his voice, were blue as the heavens above them, instead of being of that dark hue, which he had always professed to admire. He informed her that his sister had been thrown from her horse, a short distance from the lane which led to the house, and had so severely sprained her ancle, that she found it would be impossible for her to pursue her journey. Lucy immediately replied, that it would afford pleasure to the family as well as herself to offer her such assistance and accommodations as they were able; and in a few minutes, proper aid being rendered, the young lady was conveyed into the parlour, and placed in a posture that promised to make her the most comfortable. By the judicious and skilful management of Mrs. Northington, who, as well as many other matrons of that period, from the difficulty of obtaining professional assistance, found it convenient to acquire some practical knowledge of the healing art, the pain was soon alleviated.

Naturally imagining that their young guests would wish to know what family they had thus unexpectedly been introduced into, Mrs. Northington had just informed them, and had in return learned that their name was Andros, and that Sir Edmund Andros, recently appointed governor-general of the New-England colonies, was their uncle; when Edward Northington, it being now the college vacation, made his appearance, with several fine pickerel, for which he had been angling in an adjacent brook. He was now twenty-one years old; and had he been dressed as fashionably as Percival Andros, he certainly would have been his superior in point of personal appearance. Mr. Northington, who had been on a journey to the Old Colony, arrived soon afterwards, accompanied by a Mr. Ellsworth, an elderly gentleman, and a young man by the name of Warner. Miss Andros imagined that Lucy

looked embarrassed and unhappy at sight of the latter; and she afterwards learned that, contrary to her own inclination, her father wished her to receive him as a lover.

The person of Warner was slight, his countenance pale and melancholy. He wore his hair cut short, in the manner that had procured for the independents the appellation of Roundheads; while his apparel, which was of coarse material, and of that hue which has been called "sad colour," was fashioned according to the most primitive style of his sect.

When Mrs. Northington introduced their young guests to her husband and his friends, Mr. Ellsworth and Warner exchanged significant glances at the name of Andros, while it evidently had the effect to damp the cordiality with which Mr. Northington was accustomed to welcome strangers to his home. A degree of painful constraint was realized by all present. Julia Andros, for the first time in her life, felt awkward and uncomfortable in her costly and fashionable attire, when she saw the eyes of Mr. Northington, Mr. Ellsworth, and, above all, those of the melancholy Warner, directed towards her, with, as she imagined, looks of strong disapprobation. Yet, little as she felt at ease both in body and mind, she could not refrain from regarding Mr. Northington with a degree of admiration. His figure was tall and commanding, his large masculine features well formed, and his dark penetrating eyes retained all the pristine fire of youth. A set of fine teeth, as yet untouched by decay, preserved his mouth in all its original beauty of formation. Certain lines around it, how ever, denoting decision and sternness of character, were deeply indented; while the hand of care and anxiety had implanted others on his brow, that showed he had buffeted with hardships, which can lie in the path of none but a pioneer of the wilderness.

For the better accommodation of Miss Andros, the supper-table was laid in the parlour, and added to the customary fare were the fish, nicely cooked, which had been caught by Edward.

Mr. Ellsworth, who by the request of the host said grace, desired that while they might be enabled with thankful hearts to partake of the creature comforts before them, consisting of the treasures of the earth and the running stream, and of the milk of the herd, that they might be restrained from following the example of some of their rulers, who received their food from the lordly dish, as Sisera of old took the butter offered by the hand of Jael, which was meant as a snare.Forgetting in his zeal that supper was cooling, he proceeded to request that their young maidens might not be enticed by the delectation they afforded to the eyes, to wear earrings of gold and precious stones, such as

were worn by the Ishmaelites, who fell before the sword of Israel, and which were given as a gift to Gideon.

Miss Andros wished her own ear-rings at the bottom of the Red Sea; and her brother involuntarily brushed down his fine lace ruf fles over a superb finger-ring.

After all were seated at table, Mr. Ells-. worth, addressing Edward Northington, in-quired if he had yet seen the new governor, Sir Edmund Andros. Edward replied that he had not.

"For my part," said Mr. Ellsworth, "I think it behoves us individually to make diligent inquiry why the King of England has been permitted to harden his heart against us, and to take away the governors chosen by the people, and, in their stead, set over the provinces one, whose administration begins already to be arbitrary and oppressive."

Lucy, excessively annoyed and agitated at the turn which she suspected Mr. Ellsworth had intentionally given the conversation, made an attempt to engage the attention of Miss Andros, who sat next to her, by addressing her in a low tone of voice; but her confusion soon defeated her kind intention, by rendering her unable to command either ideas or language.

Samuel Warner, speaking almost for the first time since his arrival, replied to Mr. Ellsworth:

"I should hardly think," said he, "that it was needful to inquire concerning what must be pain to all, who are not wilfully blinded; inasmuch as every person who is not must perceive that there are provoking sins in the midst of us: among the chief of which I would mention pride, which reveals itself in the vanities of dress, in fine equipages, and in costly furniture, and plate of silver, which begin mightily to prevail in our larger towns, and have even begun to creep into our peaceful hamlets."

"It is even so," replied Mr. Ellsworth; "and as, in the days of old, Eglon, King of Moab, was strengthened by the Lord against Israel, so is King James strengthened against for the self-same cause." "and as

us,

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Ay," said Samuel Warner, when the hand of Midian prevailed against the children of Israel, they made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds, so it will be no marvel if we are put to the same straits."

"And if we be," said Mr. Ellsworth, "it will be no more than our brethren of Scotland have been forced to do. But, after that, there was one raised up, who had dominion over the nobles, among the people; and though the blessed Oliver, and Harry Vane, and others, have fallen asleep, the hand that raised them up in the hour of need will raise up those in the midst of the American wilderness, who will burst asunder the cords of

despotism, as if they were burnt flax, and free themselves from the power of the king, and his nobles, and his governors."

"Your faith is lofty and cheering," said Mr. Northington, "and will, I trust, should such ealamity as you have hinted at befall us, prove to be well grounded."

"You speak of Oliver Cromwell," said young Andros, "but even he had not the virtue and nobleness of soul to hold inviolate those principles of liberty that he professed

to venerate."'"

"Young man," said Mr. Elsworth, with much warmth, "is this a fitting time and place for such as you to cast reproach on the blessed Oliver?"

"If," said Mr. Northington, "we are obliged to admit that Cromwell, firm and temperate as he naturally was, became swayed by the love of power, it is certain that he never became dazzled and intoxicated with it."

"Who dares say," said Mr. Ellsworth, "that Oliver was swayed by the love of power? Did I not serve in the first troop that he raised, though I was then only a youth of sixteen? And can I not bear testimony that each of us, and he above the rest, was ready to hazard not only his worldly possessions, but his life, for the sake of liberty, and above all, for that of religion?"

"Ay," said Samuel Warner, "and when he and those under him, as I have heard you relate, at the time they occupied Cambridge, seized the University plate, was it to set forth on his own table, that he might see the choice wines of the vintage sparkle in the silver cup, and costly viands smoke in the silver dish? No, they seized it that they might defray the expenses of a war, waged in a righteous cause, against an ill-judging and arbitrary king, who, beyond all precedent, expended the treasure of the nation in adorning his palaces with images cunningly carved, and a multitude of unprofitable pic. tures of curious device, to please the eye."

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"Were Cromwell with his crafty policy," said Mr. Northingtou, without noticing the remarks of Warner, "Harry Vane with his wise and cool head, together with other patriots, whom I might name, now alive, I would set neither of them as a ruler over the people. Edmund Ludlow, now an exile at Vevay in Switzerland, proved himself to be the truest and honestest of them all. He was incorruptible-he could not be bribed, and being such, was alone worthy to rule."

Mrs. Northington, perceiving that Mr.Ellsworth was in danger of losing his temper, and as all present had finished supper, just as he was about to reply, made the signal for rising from table; the noise and bustle attendant on which, so overpowered the speaker's voice, that if he was guilty of using any intemperate expression, it could not be heard.

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The young people, with the exception of Warner, having seated themselves apart from the rest of the company, Edward inquired of Lucy, if she had called on Hannah Farley since she was married. Lucy replied that she had, and that she bade fair to make an excellent wife.

"No doubt," said Edward," she and Hartley, I think, are exceedingly well matched. She is handsome, sweet-tempered, industrious, and a good economist, all of which her husband is fully capable of appreciating, which is more than can be said of many men, whose pretensions are much higher. I am glad Hannah has married so well."

"It appears to me, that you do not speak that glad, very heartily," said Percival Andros, smiling. "I am half inclined to think that you would be still more glad if she were not married at all."

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"By no means," replied Edward, "for although I should require all the qualities in a wife, that I have attributed to her, there are others, which I should consider indispensable, to which she has no claim, and which if she had, would be lost upon Hartley."

"And will you not enumerate them?" said Julia, "for your sister's benefit snd mine?”

"Were I disposed to enlighten you on the subject," he replied, "I should be prevented for the present," and he looked towards his father, who was preparing to read a portion of the scriptures.

The reading

Mr. Northington selected one of the psalms, in the reading of which, his voice, with its clear and justly modulated tones, his distinct enunciation, and above all, the earnest solemnity of his manner, enhanced the effect of the beautiful and sublime language of the writer. was succeeded by the singing of a hymn, in which all joined except Percival Andros and his sister. The deep and solemn notes of Mr. Northington, of Mr. Ellsworth, and, above all, of Samuel Warner, which seemed expressive of the gloom of his character, while they nearly overpowered the quiet unpretending voice of Mrs. Northington, and the sweet flute-like tones of Lucy, blended finely with the full, clear tenor of Edward. Mr. Northington closed the devotions with a prayer, fervent and appropriate, and marked by none of that irreverent familiarity in addressing the Supreme Being, with which some of his brethren too often marred their religious exercises, especially in the apprehension of those still adhering to the forms of the established church.

Mr. Ellsworth departed the following morning, and a few hours afterwards, Percival Andros took his leave of the family and of Julia, with a promise to return to accompany her home, as soon as she was able to perform the journey.

(To be continued.)

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ALFRED, THE GIPSY. By the Author of "LAFITTE," "BURTON," "CAPTAIN KYD," etc.

CHAPTER I.

"THERE, then, lies Rome!" The setting sun was pouring his golden beams throngh rifts in a gorgeous cloud that hung low in the west, flinging them in many a level arrow of crimson light, far across the Campana, that, like a lap, holds the eternal city, and lighting up the summits of the hundred towers of the "mistress of the world," as if a spire of flame blazed on each lofty pinnacle.

"There, then, lies Rome!" repeated the speaker, who, having at length reached the top of the ridges that shut in the Campana from the rest of the world, and which command a wide prospect of the magnificent plain outstretched beneath, stood leaning on his staff, gazing, with enchanted vision, on the scene which, at all times beautiful, now under the reflection of the sunset glory of an Italian sky, was invested with surpassing loveliness. He was a mere youth, scarcely having entered his nineteenth year; his skin brown as a berry, but glowing with the rich blood of health. His hair was of a dark chestnut

VOL. I.

colour, and, parted on his forehead, fell down on either side about his shoulders, in shining waves. His features were very fine, of an intellectual and manly cast, and seemed eloquent with the inspiration of genius. He was a traveller, as his soiled dress, the staff in his hand, and the little bundle strapped at his shoulders, indicated. He was of humble degree, also, for he not only travelled on foot, which, of itself, in Europe, might not always prove lowliness of condition, but his garments were coarse, though very neat He was dressed in a closely-fitted jacket of green stuff, and calico-trowsers, and a dust-worn, black velvet cap, covered his head; while, in his hand, doubtless as much for economy's sake as to relieve his swollen feet, he carried a pair of well-worn shoes, of the rudest fabric. To the bundle at his back was swung a painter's palette, and from one of the pockets of his jacket protruded the ends of a bundle of painter's brushes; while the staff on which he leaned, bore some resemblance to the

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rest," with which artists support the wrist when at work. It was apparent that he was a young painter going to Rome to study.

"Yonder, then, is the mother of nations, with her throne upon the seven hills-the mistress of the world-the eternal city! Won

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