, 1877-01-26


the family. and readilv obtained per,
mission 10 renew his visits.
Nv wife thought this mecting a mos;
lucky hit. ami she declared she could
~,c no reason Why the two Miss Nrink.
, lcrs could marry great fortunes and her
children get none. Observing that
Olivia secretly admired the squire.
warned them heartily against dispropor-
toned friendships. hut the arrival Of a
side Of venison, with his compliments
dulled the edge Of my remonstrance.
That evening poor Mr.. Burchell made
MS a visit. and helped ms the next day in
the hay field, assisting Sophia with
much assiduiiy: but / had too good an
opinion Of her understanding to be un-
der any uneasineas from the attentions
of a man Of broken fortune.
Shortly after wo entertained our land
lord at dinner, and, though he talked
like fippant free-thinker, he made
himself highly agreeable to Olivia and
her mother, who began to speak exult-
antly of q match with the squire's fami-
ly. and defended him with warmth,
when declared:
II could have been better pleased
with one that was Door and honest than
this fine gentleman with his fortune and
infdelity."
The next morning Mr.. Burchell came
again, and though he was always cheer
full, amiable and even wise, began to
be displeased with the impression he
seemed to be making on Sophia. How
ever, he took himself away when the
squire sent word by his chaplain thath
intended giving a moonlight ball on the
grass before our door. Mr.. Thornhill
fetched two young ladies of fashion from
town; neighbor Flamborough's rosy
daughters were brought in, Haunting
with red top-knots, and we had a very
gay time of it, winding up with pray
ers.
My girls began now to pitch their
thoughts very high, and their pride was
not lowered by fortune telling gypsy
who promised Livy a squire and Sophy
a lord !-all for a shilling apiecei Then
the two fine ladies from town paid u
visit-Lady Blarney and Miss Caroline
-Wilhelmina Skeggsl-and though Mr..
Burchell turned his back and cried
-"Fudger at the end of each sentence,
we were vastly pleased with their high
life conversation; and my wife struck
up a notable plan of sending our two
daughters to town as their companions,
at stipends of thirty pounds and twen-
ty-fve guienas year. This they very
condescendingly approved, only requir-
ing as a mere form, Mr.. Thornhill's re-
commendation. This he readily gave,
and the expedition to town was speedi-
ly resolved upon, though Mr.. Burcheil
very presumptously sought to dissuade
us from it.
As we we're now rising in the world
we determined to sell our old colt,
which had no tail, and buy better one.
Ny son Moses went to the fair with him,
in waistcoat of goslin green, fell into
the hands of a prowling sharper, and
brought back only gross of green
spectaclesl Then 1 took our other
horse, Old Blackberry, and sold him
myself to avenerable-appearing gentle
man, who gave me an order on neigh
Dor Marlborough, for five pounds. But
when my honest neighbor saw the
'Ephriam Jenkinson," he ex-
claimed:
''The greatest rascal under heavenl
This is the very same rogue that sold
the spectaclesp
went home detected, but found my
wife and girls in tears over a greater
for the two fine ladies
having heard reports of us from somd
malicious person, had set out for Lon
don, leaving MS to wonder who could
have aspersed our characters thus base
". By chance, however, Mr.. Burchell
was detected in the villiany of having
sent q warning letter to the ladies at
Thornhill Castle, and, when reproached,
he showed such effrontery that could
govern my passion.
''Ungrateful wretchr' 1 cried, "be-.
gone and no longer pollute my dwelling
with thy basenessl"
He smiled and departed with the Mt
most composure, leaving us astonished
and enraged at his assurance.
Squire Thornhill continued his at
tentions, but all my wife's art could not
bring him to q proposal. At last it was
that Olivia should marry, at
the end of q month, Farmer Williams
(who was in easy circumstances, pru-
dent, sincere, and openly devoted to
herl provided the squire did not mean
time declare his intentions. Instead |
however, he discontinued his visits and |
Olivia seemed contented withthe change |
in her fate. Four days before her in
tended nuptials, little Dick came run
ming in crying:
oh, papa, she is gone-sister Livy
is gone from us foreverF
"Gone, childI"
"Yes-with two gentlemen in q post
chaise-and one kissed her-and she
he persuaded her-and she