CHAPTER XXIV.

WINGS CLIPPED THAT HAD COMMENCED TO SOAR.

Madeline is in a new atmosphere; silken fetters bind her feet, and amid the novelty of scenes so different from those at home, gradually the world acquires an ascendancy over her young heart, which almost ceases to converse with itself.

Her journal has long been laid aside; but one very rainy day she opens its pages, and contrasts her present state with the past. Madeline is humbled; taking up her pen, she resumes a record of past events and emotions. She made her entries for only a few weeks after her arrival.

"London, May 10th.--What a new world surrounds me! Ah, so novel, so different from New York! I am in a constant whirl of excitement, with scarcely time for thought. We have brought letters of introduction from Mr. Leighton and Mr. Trevor to the American minister, which bring us at once within the pale of London life among the haut-ton. Aunt Matilda is delighted; quite in her element; papa pleased because we are, but he looks very pale and languid.

* * * * * * *

"Yesterday was the great day; I was presented to the Queen by the American minister. I wanted to see Queen Victoria, because she is a rare example of a good wife and mother in a royal circle. It was a magnificent scene; such a crowd of well-developed, rosy young ladies; such splendid dressing, high-breeding, and courtly grace, I have never before seen! I understand now something about the rich glow of English beauty; but the Queen interested me most. She is not handsome, but there was a benevolent glow upon her face when she addressed me personally, and said some kind things about my country. I could have kissed her hand, but I suppose that would not have been courtly etiquette, and so I had to content myself with performing the difficult ceremony of bowing out backwards; I did not fall, and that is all I can say about the manner.

* * * * * * *

"I am busy in returning calls, visiting dress-makers, &c., for we are invited to a ball at the Duke of D----'s. I wonder if I ought to go, and leave papa; Aunt Matilda insists, and papa wishes it; it will take place next week.

* * * * * * *

"Well! I have been to the grand ball; a great crowd, magnificent rooms, superb dressing, a train of admirers, scarcely room to dance, but unable to accept all the invitations; introduced to the Earl of N----, a refined and courtly English nobleman; his wife, the Countess, is peculiarly pleasing; and his daughter, the Lady Alice, charming; a sweet, artless English girl, just making her first appearance in gay life. I don't believe that she relishes it much. Lord N----, the son, is the most pleasing gentleman that I have yet met in London; modest, unassuming, gentlemanly, and intelligent, and sufficiently good-looking to captivate the majority of young ladies. His attentions are acceptable, because they are so perfectly respectful, so unobtrusive.

"This family pleases me more than any I have seen; they must be among the best specimens of English nobility.

"Aunt Matilda is so intoxicated, by moving among nobles, that I cannot help laughing; and I fear that she will make the impression that she is really not accustomed to good society; there is so much fuss and folly about her movements. I ought not to write this of Aunt Matilda, for she is so good and kind to me; only too anxious about the number of conquests, and I shrewdly suspect that she is meditating one herself.

"Dined yesterday at the Earl of N----'s, in company with papa and Aunt Matilda; quite a family dinner, as dear papa avoids much company. I think it is a Christian family, for the good earl asked a blessing at the table so reverently. It is the perfection of a refined household; all so easy, so quiet, and in such exquisite taste; and the conversation was so improving; no frivolity, but a high-toned intelligence, that made it really a privilege to be one of the party. I find that they do not mingle much with the gay world, but as pilgrims and strangers, they are 'in the world, but not of the world.' I am thankful that we have made such an acquaintance.

"After dinner, Lady Alice led the way to the drawing-room, and, in company with her brother, entertained us with some delightful music, and showed us some very fine engravings of English scenery.

"I have been to an English opera; the music was fine, the company brilliant, and the scene altogether fascinating. In the course of the evening the Queen of England entered; when the whole audience arose, and the orchestra played with great spirit 'God save the Queen.' Her Majesty acknowledged the compliment by a gracious bow, and a warm, benevolent smile; no wonder that her subjects love her so truly. These late hours are killing to devotion; I come home so tired, that my prayers are lifeless and formal. I wonder if papa is lonely when I am away; he says not, for he is very fond of reading. I think that he reads the Bible habitually now. When I ask him anything about himself he smiles, and says that 'he will be better soon.'

"Lady Alice is very kind; their carriage is always at our disposal; she has taken us to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, the Parks, the Zoological Gardens, the British Museum, and the Picture Galleries; I could spend days at the latter.

"My good aunt has taken great pains to let it be known that we are really related to the Duke of Hamilton; poh! poh! that is so foolish! We are truly altogether American, and what care we for noble birth!

"Last Sunday, in company with Lady Alice, I visited one of the Ragged Schools in M---- Lane. I had no conception before of the place. A very large room, crowded with children; some clad in rags and filth, others were civilized; but there was a look of sensuality among them that was so revolting. It was a pleasant sight to see so many of the higher classes, filled with the spirit of the loving Master, seeking these degraded children. I was surprised to see the Lady Alice take her seat so humbly among a company of such rough, half-clad girls; and pleased to see the look of grateful respect that rested upon the face of more than one, as they listened to the instructions of their gentle teacher.

"'Do you teach here weekly, Lady Alice?' I asked as soon as she had done. 'That is my privilege, Miss Hamilton, when I am in London,' was the modest reply.

"'Could you not find a position among some not quite so degraded?'

"'Yes; but then so few comparatively are willing to come here; and then you know, Miss Hamilton, that our Master did not scorn the lowest sinner.'

"I was silent, for Lady Alice had set me to thinking.

"Suddenly, I was surprised by the sight of a familiar form; at first, only the back; but I could not be mistaken--he turned, and it was indeed Roland Bruce! How did he ever come here?

"He advanced, and extended his warm, strong hand; the touch was magnetic--how it revived the dear old days around Woodcliff! How strong it seemed! Just like the staff of my childhood; not only the staff, but the sceptre to which I willingly bowed. He inquired how I came here, and I told him.

"'Did I not promise you that I would visit such places?'

"He looked so pleased, and then told me why he was in England, and that he expected, ere he returned, to visit Scotland.

"The earl's family attend the church under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. B----, not for its grandeur, but purely for the simple evangelical preaching of its earnest pastor; but my aunt goes with the Duke of D---- to a more fashionable church, where the elite attend, but where there is little but the form of piety.

"It is a great privilege to attend upon such a ministry as Mr. B----'s, for it draws my thoughts away from earth.

The earl's family are all members of the Church of England. Last Sunday, all four partook of the communion. I felt so lonely, so conscience-stricken when they all arose and left me in the pew. After church, Lord N---- said to me with such real concern upon his fine face--

"'I am sorry, Miss Hamilton, to find that you are not a follower of the Redeemer; why is it so?'

"I could not answer for one minute, but at last replied--

"'I ought to be, I know; but I am so unworthy, so worldly!'

"'So am I unworthy, Miss Hamilton; but Jesus is all my righteousness. I cannot bear to see you, one so'--and he stopped; 'I cannot bear to see you any thing but a Christian.'

"'Thank you, Lord N----; how is it that, surrounded by so much to draw the heart from God, your family are all so different from the rest of the world?'

"'In the world, but not of the world, Miss Hamilton, is my answer; and all the difference consists in this--that by the grace of God only, we are what you see.'

"What a lovely specimen of piety in high life is here! 'Tis true, that not many of the great ones of the earth are called to be children of the kingdom; but there are some.

"Lord N----'s remark has led me back to the days of former seriousness. Am I grieving the Spirit of God by my worldliness? 'Ye cannot serve God and mammon' is the Saviour's teaching; may I feel its power.

"The earl's family are going down to Parkhurst Manor, their country-seat, and have invited us to accompany them. Aunt Matilda would rather stay amid the dissipation of London life; but I am weary of it, and so glad to go into the country; and then it will be better for papa, dear papa! I wonder if he is any better.

* * * * * *

"Parkhurst Manor.--What a charming home! The entrance to the mansion is through a splendid park of trees of ancient growth, and the grounds most beautifully kept; the smooth green grass, the branching elms meeting over the avenue which leads to the house, forming such a cool, green arbor; the sporting deer meeting us everywhere, some looking at us with a startled look in their soft, brown eyes, and others so docile that they walked close by the side of the carriage; but the smile of the honest gatekeeper at the Lodge was the best welcome, as he opened the gate, taking off his hat, and saying--

"'You are welcome back to the manor, my Lord.'

"'Thank you, James; I hope you are all well at the Lodge.'

"In another minute, two rosy little girls ran across the road, and, dropping a courtesy before the carriage, said--

"'Welcome back, my Lady, we are so glad to see you; is Lady Alice there?'

"The young lady smiled upon the little things, and replied--

"'Come up to the Hall to-morrow, I have something for you, my little girls,' and the carriage drove on.

"The house is a large and elegant mansion; I scarcely know of what style of architecture, but much of it is ancient; the wings are of more modern style, the windows all opening out on to the lawn. From the second story, verandahs surround the mansion, filled with most rare and exquisite flowers. The grounds are laid out with the utmost taste in winding paths; at the back of the house is a calm lake, on which float a number of graceful swans; pavilions, rustic seats, and rural bridges over several small streams which flow through the grounds, and shrubbery of the choicest kind adorn the walks; in fine, nothing is wanting to make this another Eden of delight. I revelled in the sights and sounds around me with inexpressible pleasure; but the sweetest sight of all was the meeting between the parents and their dear children, who came running to greet them; two sons, the one nineteen, the other seventeen, with two younger girls, so artless! so simple hearted!

"'Dear papa! dear mamma! you have come at last! Now, it is dear old Parkhurst! You have come to stay, have you not, mamma?' and the little Ladies Julia and Mary seized their dear mother's hands, as if afraid that she would run away again. Sweet, precious picture of domestic bliss!

"The children were not in the habit of sitting at the table; but this was a holiday, and all assembled that evening around the family board, as a great treat, in company with their tutor.

"But, although brimful of joy, the little girls knew how to be quiet, and contented themselves with looking at their beloved parents and dear brother and sister; and the young men joined very modestly, but seldom, in the general conversation. I sat near the little girls, and once I heard them whisper to each other about the books which mamma had promised, and the dolls from Lady Alice.

"The countess glanced kindly, but reprovingly, at the children, as she said--

"'My little girls are forgetting mamma's rules at the table; there must be no whispering.'

"'Excuse us, dear mamma,' replied the Lady Julia, 'we were wondering about the books and dolls.'

"After supper, a bell summoned us to evening worship in the chapel, whither the countess led the way, and the tutor, who is a young clergyman, conducted the devotions, while Lady Alice presided at the organ. Thanks for the return of the parents were included in the service, and, at the close, the dear children were dismissed with a loving kiss from both parents.

"Happy household! trained thus from infancy for Heaven, what a calm and holy atmosphere prevails everywhere at Parkhurst! The echoes of sweet Sabbath chimes ever softly ringing, and sanctifying the simpler acts of its daily life. I am so glad to be here; such a contrast to many of the gay and worldly families of London, where all seem bent upon ignoring entirely their immortality.

"The next morning after our arrival, the family carriage and three fine horses were drawn up before the door.

"'We want to show you some of the beauties around Parkhurst,' said the earl, 'and concluded that the young people would prefer the saddle. I presume that you ride, Miss Hamilton; we English people are famous riders.'

"Lord N----, Lady Alice, and I mounted; papa and Aunt Matilda occupied the landau with the earl and countess. We had a most delightful excursion among the green lanes of 'old England,' breathing the cool morning air. It is, indeed, a garden of sweets; the high cultivation everywhere, the country residences, the rural cottages, all with their flowers and trees, and the reverence with which the family of the earl was everywhere greeted, made this ride highly gratifying. I find a most regular, systematic household, the heads of the family each having especial hours of retirement; the children their periods of study, recreation, and out-door exercise. After morning worship, the family scattered to their several avocations.

"'You are at home, Miss Hamilton,' said Lady Alice, leading the way to the library; 'I read two hours daily, a course laid down by my former tutor, and I presume that you would like to do the same. Mamma visits the school-room daily, and makes inquiries of the tutor about the children, but she does not interfere; she has one in whom she places perfect confidence, and she aids, not thwarts, his plans for their improvement; the exercises of the school-room are no more disturbed than if they were all away at school. Mamma is too sensible for that.'

"We chose our books, took our seats at separate tables, and enjoyed two delightfully private hours--'tis true that Lord N---- knocked at the door, and just peeped in once.

"'No admission, brother,' said the Lady Alice, with an arch smile; 'we are very busy now; you know that we all read at this hour; go get your books, like a good boy,' and springing from her seat, she opened the door wide, threw her arms around her brother's neck, and kissed him, saying, 'now go, Alfred.'

"'This is the way she rules me, Miss Hamilton; I dare not disobey my precise little sister; so adieu, ladies!'

"Two hours at the piano closed the studies of the Lady Alice. I observed a harp in the drawing-room, and while she was occupied in the music-room, I took advantage of the time, to refresh my almost forgotten pieces. I had brought some new music with me, and was glad to find that I had so much leisure.

"'I suppose that I may venture to intrude,' said Lord N----, at the close of my practice; and another hour was spent in entertaining my young host, who is a passionate lover of music, and who accompanied me with the flute.

"Out on the verandah, Lady Alice observed, 'There come my little girls from the Lodge,' and running to her room, she brought out several books, and a new dress for each. Little Mary and Bessie Bond were modest children, and as they dropped a courtesy to their young lady, she handed them the gifts which she had brought.

"'Thank you, Lady Alice, you are very good,' said the elder.

"Dinner at five, where a select number of friends joined our party. The breakfast costume is simple lawn or muslin wrappers, with a pretty cap for the countess; but the dress for dinner was more elegant--rich silk dresses, with low neck and short sleeves, hair handsomely arranged, with rich head-dresses for the elder ladies, simpler for the young, and a moderate addition of fine jewelry.

"There was much more ceremony at this meal, though nothing was oppressive; it was felt to be the etiquette of high-bred English life. The conversation was general, improving, entertaining; personalities were strictly avoided, and it was evident that the earl had gathered around him a party of pleasing, intelligent, refined English people; even two or three frivolous young ladies were held in check by the general tone of sentiment.

"We walked in the Park after dinner, and the game-keeper amused us highly by a summons to his feathered charge. Making a certain call, in a moment crowds of rooks were seen emerging from their own domicile, which was quite a large building for birds only. They clustered around him, on his head, his shoulders, his hands, and wherever they could obtain a footing, while crowds congregated around his feet, making their own peculiarly coarse, unpleasant cawing; indeed, there seemed to be quite a familiar intimacy between him and his dark-feathered favorites.

"At another call, the deer came bounding towards him; it was such a pretty picture of the power of kindness over the dumb creation; it pleased me especially, for I do so love the world of animals. I found that I might pat the gentle fawns, and by a few kind words draw them towards me, rubbing their pretty heads against my hands, and looking up in my face with their confiding, soft brown eyes. I thought of the time when 'the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.' Happy period of millennial blessedness! for then the fiercest will have parted with their savage nature. This day was a pretty general picture of the daily life at Parkhurst Manor--so domestic! so purifying! so elevating! Then the sweet worship of the chapel! By what holy ties does this family seem bound together! thus privileged to worship God as one family. It has its soothing effect upon my spirit--everything here draws one upward, even surrounded as we are by wealth and elegance. God is in all, and over all. This is the perfection of human life.

* * * * * *

"Yesterday was Sunday at Parkhurst--what a holy day! The children take their meals with us on that day. No late hours on that sacred morning--so quiet, so refreshing was the sweet early morning hour!

"The earl paused after the blessing was asked--

"'Now, my children, for our texts.' The father and mother reverently repeated theirs; Lord N----, and Lady Alice followed, then each of the children repeated seriously the Sunday text. It was a touching lesson; this reverence for God's holy word! This was practical obedience to the command which says,

"'And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.'

"As I listened, I could easily understand how much they must learn in a whole year.

"'Our children are very anxious to remember all these texts, Miss Hamilton,' said the earl; 'they also learn a daily text with their instructors, and once a month repeat all to me; all who remember them perfectly, are rewarded with a handsome book; you have no idea how their library grows in this way, and what a stock of Scripture knowledge they obtain.'

"Soon upon the quiet Sabbath air, stole the sweet chimes of the village-bells; and when we started, in every direction might be seen the villagers in their best attire, crowding to the house of God. It was a pleasant picture to see the dear children of the Manor in their simple white dresses, straw-hats, and white ribbon, with the daintiest little rosebuds for face trimmings; and the lowly, gentle reverence with which they all joined in the service of the Church of England, did touch my heart so deeply. Then so many of the earl's tenants were there, and all his domestics excepting such as were positively necessary at home, who took their turn at the afternoon-service. The services were delightful in that quiet country church, and the sermon earnest, faithful, Christlike. After church, the family of the earl remained a short time; many of the parishioners received his friendly greetings, and the kind salutations of the good countess; but it was not for this that they remained. The earl took my hand, and led me to that part of the church where a marble slab pointed out the final resting-place of the earl's family.

"Among other inscriptions, I read: 'Sacred to the memory of Augusta, eldest daughter of the Earl and Countess of N----, aged eighteen--Asleep in Jesus.'

"The parents stood awhile in silence by the vault; the mother wiped a silent tear, and the earl, turning to me said,--

"'My dear Miss Hamilton, I brought you here to impress the lessons of mortality; there is much around you, my dear young lady, to draw your thoughts to earth; but here you see the young, the gifted, the rich, the beautiful must lie down at last in the silent grave; let this moderate your estimate of the things of time and sense, and teach you to set your young affections chiefly on things above. The dear one who lies there had early learned the lesson; she was a Christian, she died in the Lord, and we shall meet her again.'

"We turned away; I can never forget that impressive lesson. We returned with serious thoughts to the carriage, and I felt 'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'

"The conversation at dinner turned upon the subject of the sermon; it was cheerful, subdued, befitting the sacred day. No Sunday rides, no Sunday visiting, but all breathed of holiness and heaven.

"After dinner, we all assembled in the drawing-room, and before evening worship, all joined in singing hymns, and other sacred music.

"Lady Alice played, Lord N---- accompanied with the flute; and all, old and young, father, mother, tutor, governess, and children joined in the sweet hymns.

"As we sang, I thought--what memories are here for these dear children! Even though they may lose these precious parents--will they not follow them always 'to keep their souls from blight?'

"Sweet Christian Sabbath! I never spent such before.

"It had added another step to the family-ladder, and hung another link to the golden chain; by one mounting upward, and by the other united, to the family of the redeemed in Heaven. Its holy chants, heavenly hymns, and solemn prayer seem here to go with us through the cares and trials of the Mondays and Tuesdays of this mortal state; until blotting out all earthly days, the earthly and heavenly Sabbath glideth into one--one eternal day of holy rest.

"And thus it seems at Parkhurst--the spirit of the Sabbath is with us all the week.

"On Monday, I observed an unusual number of persons coming up the avenue, generally of the poorer classes.

"Curiosity led me to ask Lady Alice, 'What brings so many to-day.' 'If you will come with me, I will show you, Miss Hamilton,' and she led me to her mother's small room, where, seated at a table, she seemed awaiting her visitors.

"On the table stood a writing-desk, and by her side a pocket-book, evidently containing money.

"'Sit down, Miss Hamilton,' said the countess.

"Each one had her tale to tell, of sorrow, difficulty, or poverty. The countess listened patiently, kindly to all, gave judicious Christian advice, and bestowed upon a certain number her weekly allowance for the aged, the sick, the struggling with life's cares and toils.

"I could not describe the deep respect which I felt for this lady in high rank, so surrounded by temptations to selfishness; turning aside so humbly, so gently, to listen to the tales of sorrow and privation, from the humble poor. They evidently regarded her as a superior being, and I could but say 'What has grace wrought!'

"Upon inquiry, I find that this is the habit of the countess, on every Monday morning, to meet the women of the neighborhood, while her husband appoints another day to meet the men for the same purpose.

"What an influence must this exert for good! I find that even the children have their Saving Fund from which to draw for their charities; for during the interview, Lady Julia entered modestly, and said,

"'Dear mamma, here is our money for the little girls,' and the good countess smiled upon her daughter, as she replied,

"'Mrs. McBride and Mrs. Rhyle want Sunday dresses for their little girls, that they may go to Sunday-school, and this is just enough, Julia.'

"The child looked very happy as she tripped away, and Mrs. Rhyle said, 'What a sweet young lady she is!'

* * * * * * *

"Yesterday, the good pastor dined with us; the conversation was all about plans for good among the people; and it could scarcely be seen which was most interested, the good pastor, or the noble earl, in their benevolent schemes.

"The wife was an interesting English lady, and much of the side talk between the mothers, was about the dear children of the Parsonage; for the good countess loved the gentle wife of the humble pastor, and knew that this was the subject that pleased her most.

* * * * * * *

"I have such a pleasant room adjoining the Lady Alice, both opening to a verandah, where we spend much of our time among the flowers. My room is daily supplied with the most exquisite, which Betty, my English maid, brings every morning, with 'the compliments of Lord N----.' She always seems amused; but it is just politeness, and as such, I receive them.

"But lately, I have been a little disturbed; Lady Alice sometimes throws out gentle hints, and Lord N---- is more than polite, I fear; I should be so sorry, for I do esteem him so highly.

"This morning he was passing under the verandah; looking up, he said, smiling, 'May I join you, sister?' and receiving permission, he came up through a back staircase, and joined us on the verandah.

"'You look very much like Flora, Miss Hamilton, among these flowers; they are so bright, and you so much like their queen.'

"This was the first direct compliment that Lord N---- ever paid me, and I know that I blushed. I did not reply, for I am awkward at answering compliments. I simply turned the subject, but he selected a moss rose-bud.

"'Will you wear my flower, Miss Hamilton?' he whispered, in a lower tone.

"I knew not what to say.

"'With pleasure,' was my reply, 'if you will give the same to Lady Alice.'

"'Then you will seem like _sisters_; thank you, Miss Hamilton.'

"I had not perceived the use that he might make of my answer, and I was therefore silent.

"Lady Alice was greatly pleased when she placed her bouquet in the bosom of her dress; I was rather annoyed when I looked at mine--she whispered,

"'Would, dear Madeline, that it were so.'

"I must be circumspect; not for worlds would I wound the hearts of these dear friends.

"They are dear as valued friends, for they have been a great blessing to me; I must pay them with truth and candor; and yet this passing fancy of mine may only be the result of personal vanity; I will banish the whole from my memory, ashamed that it ever entered my foolish brain. Aunt Matilda does annoy me, she says so many silly things when I am alone with her; if she continues to talk so about Lord N----, it will destroy all our friendly intercourse, and I shall have to go back to London. I am so afraid that she will make her fancies plain to the family, and that would be more than I could endure.

"Yesterday we had company to dinner; the conversation turned upon England and America. One gentleman was evidently prejudiced, and spoke disparagingly of our country. I felt the blood rise to my face, for he did not speak the truth. The good earl came to the rescue.

"'Have you ever been in America, Sir Edward, or met many of its people?'

"'I have not,' was the reply, with some embarrassment.

"'Then, I think, sir, that you should withhold your judgment with regard to our American cousins; some of the most intelligent, frank, and gentlemanly persons that I have ever met, have come from that country.'

"'I have read travels, my lord, and have received my impressions from such writers as Dickens, Mrs. Trollope, &c.'

"'Indeed, Sir Edward, I never was more heartily ashamed than when I read Dickens's book; after receiving so many hospitalities, to return them with such prejudiced accounts of his sojourn,--I for one do not believe them; I have met some of the American clergy, and authors, and other distinguished men, and, as a true and loyal Englishman, I can say that I have never met more refinement, intelligence, or sterling worth, than among the Americans.'

"'Thank you, my lord,' I replied, for I could no longer keep silent; 'it has always seemed so strange that there should be any rivalries between us, for are we not the same people? the same language, the same descent, and the same religious faith? For my part, I am willing to acknowledge the great debt we owe to England. From her, we have our finest authors, the very gems of literature; from her, the noblest specimens of philanthropy and genius; and from her, our Christian faith, and the very formulas in which we worship God.' I blushed, and drew back, for I had not been aware how long a speech I was making, until I saw the look of approbation in the earl's countenance, and the warm glow upon Lord N----'s.

"'These are noble sentiments, Miss Hamilton,' said the good earl. 'I was always sorry for the obstinacy of George the Third; for through him we lost those colonies which are now merged into so great a nation.'

"'But perhaps,' remarked my father, 'we might not have been what we are, if we were still under monarchical rule; our free institutions have spurred on enterprise of every kind, and started us as a nation far ahead in many things.'

"'I am a true, staunch Englishman,' replied the earl, 'and am not willing to own that anything can be better than the mild and beneficent rule of our gracious Queen Victoria, under the good constitution of old England. I think you Americans are too fast, and are growing to be so large, as almost to become unwieldy; this is what I fear for America; her very freedom may be abused.'

"'We are a driving people, my lord, fast in every way; in enterprise, in business, in habits of living; in fine, I fear, with you, too fast; too reckless in modes of making money; and in many quarters I see signs of corruption, which must bring upon us God's judgments; I fear, my lord, sometimes for the future of my beloved country, for God rules among the nations, as well as among individuals.'

"'May God preserve America to be a bright example of a fine, intelligent, and virtuous people,' said the good earl; 'and now, Mr. Hamilton, let me give you a toast--

"'America, the stalwart child of Old England--may they go side by side, in all that is good, and great, and glorious!'

"And then my father responded,

"'Queen Victoria, and the realm of Great Britain--may she long be spared to bless her great dominions.'

"Both toasts were drunk standing.

"Sir Edward sat rather silent for the rest of the meal, and the good earl patted me kindly on the head in the drawing-room, and said,

"'Yours is a warm and noble heart, Miss Hamilton; may it find its mate in good old England.'

"What does the earl mean? I hope nothing with reference to his son; I should be truly distressed.

"Another bunch of flowers from Lord N----; they are very, very sweet; but I laid them by the side of the old withered sea-weed, and their charm was gone.

"Ah, Roland! do you cherish the little shoe and the child's picture yet!

* * * * * * *

"My father is worse, I see it daily; he is losing his spirits, and the earl seems distressed.

"Am I to lose my father, my dearest earthly tie? He sent for me to-day to come to his room. He looked so sad, sitting in his large easy chair. He took me on his lap, as when I was wild little Mad-cap. 'Madeline, my daughter, I sent for you, because I have much to say. I am not so well, my child; indeed, the signs in my case warn me that I have not much longer to live. I have arranged everything for you; you are left independent, with none to trammel you, and the power to choose your own guardian. I can trust you, Madeline, in all things; I could have wished to leave you under the care of a wise and faithful companion, worthy of my daughter; but that is a subject in which I shall not bind you; you are free to choose there wholly for yourself. I shall not live, Madeline, to cross the ocean.' O, how my heart sank! I bowed my head on his dear shoulder, and wept convulsively. 'Do not speak so, dear papa, I cannot bear it,' was my answer.

"He smoothed my hair, impressed warm kisses on my cheek, and soothed my troubled spirit with kind and loving words. 'And now, Madeline, with regard to higher subjects, I would say that my residence in this holy family has not been in vain. I have long been in the habit of reading the Scriptures; the good earl has manifested the deepest interest in my spiritual welfare; he visits me every evening in my room; and it is owing to his influence that I have been led to consider the need of preparation for another world. I have renounced all dependence upon my moral life, and look only to the Blessed Saviour for salvation in the world to come. It is my desire, Madeline, to testify my faith in His atoning sacrifice next Sunday, in the village church, at the table of our Lord; are you not ready, my darling, to accompany me in the solemn act?' I could not answer my father, for mingled feelings of joy and sorrow filled my heart; floods of happiness at the humble declaration of his faith, and unspeakable sorrow at the thought of parting from one so beloved. I promised my dear parent to think upon the subject, for I had lately longed for the blessed privilege.

"I sought the room of the countess, and confided to her the subject of our conversation.

"'Would you like to see our pastor, Miss Hamilton?' was the kind suggestion, and the good lady sent for her faithful guide.

"He was so good, so gentle, so Christ-like that I could easily tell him the whole history of my inner life.

"'Are you resting _wholly_, my dear Miss Hamilton, upon the merits of the Redeemer for salvation?'

"'Wholly, entirely, my dear sir, from the bottom of my heart I can say, "None but Jesus."'

"'Are you willing to devote yourself, soul and body, to your Master's service, my child?'

"'That is my desire, and has long been the language of my heart.'

"'Then come, and welcome, to the table of the Lord, my dear child; Jesus will not reject such as you.'

* * * * * * *

"Last Sunday, for the first time, by my father's side, I bowed at the table of my Lord and Master; received the emblems of His dying love, and promised to be His forever. O, what a precious privilege! And then by the side of my dear father. Now we are one in the most sacred of all bonds. After church, the countess pressed a warm kiss upon my cheek, and said, 'One in Jesus, dear Madeline;' the Lady Alice pressed my hand in silence; and Lord N---- looked so very happy.

"Bless God for this sweet sanctuary of a Christian home! My father says that we must go back to London; and when we reach there he will tell me why, saying, 'Trust all to God, dear Madeline; whatever he wills is right.' Aunt Matilda is pleased with the idea; for the quiet of country life does not suit her. She is only sorry at leaving Lord N----, but says that 'he will soon follow us.' I wish that she would not talk such folly, nor such nonsense about old Lord C----, who was really quite devoted to aunty when in London."