The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-09-11

she was firmly resolved to pursue the same
course that he did, and put her fingers in
her ears, that the might not hear. She had
her misgivings certainly, as to the propriety
of leaving home hut then she thought Mr..
Roberts had so distinctly recommended her
Journey, that her aunts could not blame her
very much, particularly as it had not escaped
her observation how cordially they had
agreed with him as TO the necessity OF it;
and they had 30 often on Sunday evening
exhorted her to do during the week all that
MIR. Roberts had enforced in his sermons,
that she thought, or tried to think, that for
once they would have no cause to com.
plain. She scrambled over or through
several hedges, without seeing any thing at
all like path through the fields; still she
fancied she was gaining upon the hill, and
she thought if she reached the Palace, they
would allow her to sleep there. although
she had not come in by the Wicket Gate,
since she really wished to go through it and
she amused herself by wondering whether
she should sleep in the same room where
Christian had slept, and whether they would
give her any armour, or whether it was worn
by men pilgrims. She was interrupted in
;aer revere by seeing number Of cows rum
ming, as she feared, towards her; so she be-
gan to nun too, and it was not till she had
climbed gate into the next field. that she
missed one of her shoes, which had fallen
off in her rapid fight-that same shoe which
caused 50 much lamentation at home. She
burst not 20 back to look for it, as dog
was still chasing the cows but she thought
she could manage to walk without it, as the
grass was so very soft, and she was sure
either Prudence, Piety, or Charity, would
give her q new one. At last she reached
the high road, and began to ascend the hill.
} By this time she was very tired, very sleepy,
} and very hungry, but she remembered Chris
) tan had felt sleepy here also; and she re-
J solved, however tired, not to sleep in the a.
!, bour, for which, however, she looked in
vain, and concluded it had been pulled
down; she could not help feeling very glad
of it. as with her tired little limbs it Ger
tainly would have been very difficult to re-
; sist the temptation. She was very much
shocked to see how many people were com.
, ing down the hill, and that no one but her.
| self was ascending it. At length she saw
TWO tall big men apparently running race
down, and her little heart beat more rapidly
as she thought how very awful the lions must
; look for if these were not Humorous and
Mistrust themselves, she did not for a mo-
ment doubt that they Were terrified in the
| Gla la
the day they passed in the carriage, and
/ she had sometimes almost ventured to hope
that they no longer existed but how the
poor little thing uembled, when, on reach
, ing the bend of the road, when il swept of
, to the lodge she had before seen, there ap,
peared, reposing under the shade Of two
fine beeclLtrees, two enormous lions -
Maria was no great naturalist, or she would
have perceived at once that they were made
of stone, but she never for momen,
doubted that they were really the lions -
, She stood gazing and trembling for some
} time, continually repeating: 'Thr lions
} were chained, but he saw not the chains -
and then, summoning up all her courage,
: she ran swiftly between them, passed
through the gate, and knocked with all her
little might at the door Of the lodge 1t
was opened by tall good humored- looking
man and Maria, awe-struck at beholding
at length one of the individuals of whom
she had thought so much, dropped a curt
sey, and said, eff you please, sir, are you
Wstchful ~ "Why. Miss, as to that, -
said the man, smiling good humoredly. 81
hope | be; what did you please to want p
81 want Discretion, if YOU please, SIT, re-
piled Maria. 81 say, Missis,' said the
man, looking over his shoulder at his wife,
''didst ever hear the like of that here a
little maiden says as how she wants discre-
ton" s'Well, I've seed many a one as
wanted il afore, but never one as owned to
it," A sharp-featured vinegar looking wo
man now appeared, looking very unlike
any thing Maria expected to see so near the
house Beautiful 80 you want discretion
Miss. do you Well, wonder if there S
any thing else you want ?" 81 thought, I"
said Mara, trying TO look brave, 81 might
perhaps be allowed to sleep either here or
at the palace"
A private consolidation now took place
between the husband and wife. in which it
was agreed he should take Maria to the
quality at the great house, as may be they
would make something of her. Maria felt
very proud when she found herself with her
hand in that of Mr.. Watchful, and actually
on the way to the palace. Her guide lett
her outside, while he asked to speak to Mrs.
Adams, to whom he said that the little lady's
intellects seemed all Of heap together, it
was such queer thing to hear child like
her talk OF want Of discretion, though no
doubt it was all very true. Mrs. Adams
told him to get horse ready that she might
send him off to the friends OF the little girl,
as soon as she had ascertained who they
were and she came and led Maria by the
hand into the drawing room so tenderly, and
looked so very kindly, that Maria began to
feel quite treasured. She was delighted to
sos thrso y-ous,.; loaor in tho roam, whn, Of
course, were Piety, Prudence, and Charity.
Mrs. Adams as soon as she had given her
large slice of bread and butter and some
new milk, said, "Now, my dear, you'll tell
us what your name is. and who your papa
and mamma are" "My name, ma am, is
Maria Walker, bu. never had either a
papa or mamma, replied Maria, with the
utmost simplicity. Sand where do you live,
dear!' "At Oldtown, with my grand
mamma" 'And where were you going,
my love = 81 did not want to 90 farther
IL al. III. L 4