the good master who had sent us with directions of his own that we had not deemed them sufficient that we had listened to those who were themselves bewildered and thus had lost our way but i entreat you to pardon me i am actually preaching a sermon when i had meant only to show you my drawings the fair speaker then rose and after ringing the bell pressed me to partake of her usually solitary tea from this time i found in all i could desire in a and many were the hours of social enjoyment that i spent in what she first called her little den and where i soon found it possible to forget except the high tone of feeling which influenced her character the noble generosity ever warming her heart and the happiness which a close and familiar intercourse with refined and elevated minds never did i see this admirable woman distressed by paltry cares and though few could have more to contend with nor weighed down by the of vanity though few had experienced a more total change of fortune she had not made the world her idol even in the day of prosperity when its smile was upon her and therefore her spirit was not by its nor her feelings by its s pictures of private life chapter v not many evenings after the first i ever spent with i joined a mixed party where a gentleman was present who struck me forcibly by his resemblance not only to the portrait i have mentioned but to my friend herself who is that gentleman with dark hair i asked of a lady who sat near mc oh that she lowering her voice and her brow at the same time as if the fact was not fit to be spoken aloud that is young have you never heard of of lodge no what is there to hear of him nothing good i assure you the has wasted his father s property some say broken his heart and now do you know he drinks dreadfully indeed i am surprised that any one should think of inviting him to an evening party i understand he is a delightful companion when quite himself observed another lady but is such an odious vice one never can forget it my cousin jane who liked nothing better than a conference h d upon the follies and vices of mankind now joined and with bitter expressed her horror that so shocking a creature should be asked to meet us who was an extremely handsome man had now risen and joined a group of ladies who whatever they might say or think of him when absent looked evidently well pleased with his presence from them he arrived by a chain of communication at the part of the room where we were seated he had the most independent yet most manner of pleasing i ever remember to have seen so that while you were actually by his conversation you felt almost that be had taken so little pains to render it flattering or agreeable and while many were severe upon his character all the young and not a few of the old were won by his address now thought i my cousin jane will show her just of his conduct and when he took a vacant place between us i turned to observe the indignation of her countenance and listened for the well which i felt convinced she would bestow upon him it is a long time said he since i had the happiness of seeing miss my cousin bowed not and said it was indeed a long time since they had met the last time he continued was on the day of that romantic excursion when the storm overtook us up the mountain and you were the only woman who had the courage to stand with me upon that tremendous precipice and watch the lightning playing at our feet when i borrowed a cloak of the shepherd s wife and put on the shepherd s hat and j as you ought to look � the genius of the valley below protecting it from the fury of the tempest do you not it is worth all the tame pleasures of domestic life now and then to spend a day like this amongst the hills with nothing but the purple beneath our feet and the blue heavens above our heads � i do then why are we so of an enjoyment which may at any time be ours what say you to a party on the river to grove where i understand the woods are delightful will you go with all my heart and thus the conversation went on to my litter amazement until interrupted by some common place remark from me which seemed to break the charm for immediately turned and addressing me in a grave and earnest manner said i have not ihe pleasure of having been introduced to you but as you are the lady who has kindly visited my poor sister i know you will pa don me when i say that i have made my way from the farthest extremity of the room by slow advances and march for the purpose of thanking you what i have done for my own gratification i replied cannot surely me to your thanks but i have heard of such a thing as being thankful for yet to come and i am living in the hope that your first visit may not be your last poor was once the idol of that society from which she is now excluded � and for what because she teaches to the children of these people the accomplishments by which society is and adorned what a marked difference is by the world in its treatment of men and wo i men your remark is but too just miss only think of me for one moment i ask no more 