IN the churchyard of Broad Summerford-But why should I affect to describe, as from my own recollection, a place with which I am utterly unacquainted except by report? For verily, gentle reader, I never set foot in the said churchyard-neither in the quiet rectory adjoining thereuntoneither in the pretty village wherein they are situated. And yet each and all of those localities are as familiar to my mind's eye-not only as if I had seen them with the bodily organs, but as if I had long sojourned in the parish where they lie. And no wonderfor all those places were described to me at that season of life when imagination, like a cloudless mirror, reflects back every object presented before it with the faithfulness of truth, and the tablets of memory receive those proofimpressions, compared with which, the most perfect struck off in later years are faint and spiritless. Be sides, the describer was one rich in old tales, and family legends, and all sorts of traditionary lore-one whom I could interrupt and question, with all the confidence of perfect familiarity, and the impetuous curiosity of youthful eagerness-and many a firelight hour have I sat on the low footstool at her feet, listening to stories of past times and departed generations, and scenes and places associated there with, so graphically combined, that the illusion was perfect; and often, in after life, I have caught myself speaking to others of those places, persons, and circumstances, as if I had been contemporaneous with the former, and familiar with the latter, from personal observation and experience. Delightful season! delicious hours! ineffaceable recollections! never to be superseded among the heart's most precious records, by any after enjoyment, however exquisite! Far other scenes have I mingled in since thenfar other interests have excited-far other feelings have engrosssed me. But in weal and in woe-in cloud and in sunshine-in tumult and in silence -in crowds and in solitude-often, often have I looked back with a sickening heart, a yearning tenderness, a VOL. XXII.

bitter joy, to those quiet hours, when my all of earthly good-my world of felicity-was comprised in such little space-within the walls of that oldfashioned parlour, where the fire-light flashed broad and bright on the warm damask curtains, and I sat on that low footstool by the hearth, at the feet of one who never tired of telling those tales of other days, which I was never weary of listening to. Hers was the true graphic art of story-telling. Her portraits lived and breathed; and while I hung upon her words with mute attention, the long procession of generations gone passed before menot shadowy phantoms, but substantial forms-defined realities-distinguished, each from each, by every nice modification of characteristic peculiarity-uncles, aunts, and cousins, (a bewigged and brocaded host,) of whom most had been gathered before my birth to the sepulchre of their fathers, and the remaining few had lived to bestow a patriarchal blessing on their infant descendant. All these, recalled to earth by the enchanted wand, were made to re-act their former parts on the great stage for my especial pleasure; and I became as familiar with the names, characters, and persons of those departed worthies as she who really remembered their times, and had been herself the youthful darling of their latter days.

Among those she best loved to speak of, was a kind and gentle pair-an old bachelor and his twin maiden sister, of the name of Seale, relations of my grandmother, who lived out together their long and blameless lives, "The world forgetting, by the world forgot,"

in an obscure quiet village of Somersetshire, called Broad Summerford, of which parish Mr Seale was the revered and faithful pastor for the space of more than half a century.

"They were the best people in the world," said my dear chronicler; "and some of the happiest days of my early youth were spent at the pleasant rectory of Broad Summerford. Our good relations had heard that my parents

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were suffering considerable anxiety on my account, my health having become so delicate as to indicate symptoms of decline, and that change of air and scene had been medically prescribed for me. The kind souls knew that my father and mother could not remove from the small country town, where circumstances had fixed their residence, without very serious inconvenience, and, in the benevolence of their hearts, they forthwith dispatched an epistle, requesting that their dear cousins would intrust the precious child to their safe keeping, and to the pure air and rural change of their pastoral habitation, for as long a time as they could spare her from the paternal roof, or till her health should be perfectly re-established, which they almost pledged themselves (with God's blessing) it would be in their salubrious village. Such an invitation, from such inviters, was most gladly and gratefully accepted. My father accompanied me half-way to Broad Summerford, when he consigned me to the care of a grave, respectable-looking person, Mr Seale's confidential servant, who was sent with his master's equipage, (a darkgreen calash, drawn by a steady, powerful old mare, whose sleek coat and broad back might have vied with those perfections of a London drayhorse,) to receive and escort me to the rectory. John Somers himself was clad in a suit of sober pepper-and-salt, the decent and becoming livery of his reverend master, in whose service he had grown grey, and been advanced, by long-tried worth and affection, something beyond the station of a mere domestic. The kind and considerate creature did his best to beguile me of my natural grief at parting with my father for the first time in my short life of fourteen years. He pointed out to me all the most remarkable objects on our road-all the hamlets, noblemen's and gentlemen's seats; and as he had been born and bred in the county, his topographical information was enriched with store of anecdotes respecting the owners of all those goodly mansions. But as we approached Broad Summerford, all his descriptive zeal merged in that favour ed spot; and ever and anon it was, Now, Miss! you're only four miles from the rectory'-and then, that's Squire R.'s house, miss-a special

friend of master's'-and, 'now you're only two miles from the rectory-and there's the mill where our wheat is ground-sweet Home-made bread you'll taste at Broad Summerford, miss! and now it's only one milehalf a one-There's master's upper glebe-land-and there's our folks and horses getting in the hay-Ay, old Joan and I should hardly have been spared just now for anything but to fetch you, miss-but you're come to Broad Summerford in a pleasant time. Now we're a'top of the last hill-And there! there! look down to your right, miss-Don't you see that great stack of old chimneys all over ivy, and those two grey gables?-That's the rectory, God bless it-And there's the dovecot, and the homecroft, that old Joan has all to herself-a lazy jade-and now we shall be round at the front gate in half a minute.' And as John Somers said, a short sweep brought us within that time in front of the rectory, at the fore-court gate of which stood its venerable master, in hospitable readiness to receive and welcome his expected guest. He was indeed a man of most venerable aspect,

of tall and large stature, but something bowed by years, with a pale, placid, almost unwrinkled countenance, though the dim and faded lustre of his mild blue eyes betokened his advanced age, even more than the perfectly white hair, which, encircling his bald crown, descended even to his shoulders in still redundant waves of silky softness. The old man was standing, with both hands crossed before him on the top of a thick knotted staff, and the attitude happily combining with his orthodox attire, the short cassock and apron became him with a sort of apostolic dignity. As the calash drew up to the gate, Mr Seale laid aside his staff, and coming forward, welcomed me with a look and voice of almost paternal kindness, and though faithful John was already by the side of the vehicle to help me down, his master chose to perform that first hospitable office, and lifting me out in his feeble arms, (I was a small delicate girl-quite a child in appearance,) said, Welcome to Broad Summerford, my dear little cousin. May God bless this meeting to us all!' And with that affectionate and pious greeting, he half led, half carried me to the house door, where,

on the uppermost of the four broad steps which led to it, stood another aged welcomer, who tenderly reiterated her brother's Christian salutation, and sealed it with a maternal kiss, as she gently drew me to her kind bosom. And so in a moment the little wanderer was at home again-transported but from one home to another-from the arms of tender parents to those which encircled her almost as fondly.

"Mrs Helen Seale was the very personification of beautiful old age. A fairy creature she was-almost diminutive of stature-but her person in youth had been most delicately and symmetrically moulded; and in her old age it still retained much of its fair proportion, and all its native gracefulness. Her hands and arms were still beautiful! The taper fingers and soft palms were yet tinged with that delicate pink, which still mantled like a maiden blush over a face where Time had set his seal indeed, but, as it should seem, reluctantly, as if the ruthless spoiler had half relented for once in his destructive work. Her eyes were blue like her brother's, (the brother and sister were indeed twins in mind and feature,) but their mild lustre was almost unimpaired; and the soft hair that was combed in glossy smoothness over the roll, under her clear lawn cap, was but silvered here and there among its pale brown waviness. No snow was ever whiter, no cobweb was ever finer, than that same clear lawn of which Mrs Helen's cap, kerchief, ruffles, and apron, were invariably composed; and the latter was spread out in unrumpled purity over a richly-quilted petticoat of silver grey silk, and a gown of the same material, abounding in such depth and amplitude of fold as would have furnished out a dozen modern draperies. A narrow black velvet collar encircled her small fair throat, (down which, as is related of fair Rosamond, I used to think one might see the red wine flow,) and the precise neck-kerchief was fastened with a fine diamond pin. The fashion of this raiment was never varied by season or circumstance, except that, regularly on the thirty-first of October, the rich lustring was exchanged for a richer satin of the same colour; a black lace handkerchief was superadded to that of snowy lawn, and a pair of black velvet mittens, turned down with white satin, were drawn

over the delicate hands and arms, not to be discarded till the thirty-first of May drew forth the silvery lustring from its retirement of lavender and roses, and consigned the warm satin to a five months' seclusion.

"It was marvellous to observe how Mrs Helen kept herself in point as she did! From morning to night, from week to week, from month to month, from year to year, always the same, always" mise à quatres épingles," as if she had just stept out of a bandbox ;-the silk or satin unchanging in hue or freshness-its lawn accompaniments never contracting soil or wrinkle on their snowy smoothnessthe neck-kerchief folded in exactly the same number of plaits by the careful hand of that ancient abigail Mrs Betty, who would probably have been as much déroutée by any innovation of those laws of the Medes and Persians, as if her venerable mistress had commanded a ball-dress or a wedding-suit. Yes; one would have thought that the dear old lady had been kept in a band-box, all ready for company, if her whole course of life had not, in fact, been one of most active, though quiet usefulness; for Mrs Helen was never in a bustle. Neither was she uncomfortably precise about the preservation of this invariable neatness. Nay,-I have seen the old grey parrot on her wrist or her shoulder, and the favourite tortoiseshell cat on her lap often and often; and the old lady took snuff too, and, spite of all, the unruffled purity of attire remained inviolate. The matter was a mystery to me, whose whole girlish life had hitherto been an outrage to the oracles of tidiness.-But I must tell you something more of my first evening at Summerford Rectory. It was already evening, you remember, when I arrived there,-about seven o'clock of a sweet June evening, when the old green calash drove up to the entrance court, and my venerable cousin lifted me down within its quiet precincts. The entrance gate was of filigree iron work, breast high, between two low stone pillars, crowned with balls, but the walls were all evergreen-beautiful holly hedges, as finely kept as ever those at Sayes Court could have been in their day of perfection. This living wall, opening to the right and left in two bowery archways, leading to the office and garden, formed three sides of the square

court, the old mansion itself comple ting the fourth boundary-a very antique dwelling, with quarter work of red brick, mellowed by time and weather to the richest and most harmonious colouring. The double gable (the same John Somers had pointed out to me from the hill top) was surmounted on each pinnacle by stone balls similar to those on the entrance pillars. One was quite wound and matted over with ivy, of which only a few encroaching tendrils had as yet curled round the other ball; but lower down a fine apricot covered a considerable portion of the wall with its skilfully trained branches, and a lovely honeysuckle (then in full bloom) had been allowed to occupy the remaining space, and almost to darken some of the windows with its picturesque festoons. The latticed windows were set deep in heavy stone framework, and the massy doorway opened from a flight of four broad steps, on the uppermost of which, on either side, stood two tubs containing fine orange-trees. And there, as I told you, in the doorway between those two fragrant supporters, stood the dear old lady; and after I had received the welcome of her gentle embrace, the brother and sister, taking each a hand, led me between them, through an airy entrance hall, into a small but lofty anti-room, hung round with family portraits, and from thence into a large pleasant parlour, the common sitting room. A very pleasant cheerful room it was, with a fine wide bay window opposite the entrance, and on one side a sashed door, then standing open to a broad gravel walk, bordered on either side by beds of the choicest and sweetest flowers. The apartment contained no costly furniture, except a fine Indian folding skreen of many leaves, and a valuable Japan cabinet, loaded with rare old china. The curtains were composed of white dimity, as well as the short petticoats of the settee and chairs. Those odd little chairs! Methinks I see them now, with their oval backs, sloping down like falling shoulders into little fin-like arms, spread out with such an air of tender invitation! And they held out no false promise. Modern luxury, recherchée as it is, has nothing half so comfortable among all its traps for loungers. I was soon placed in one of those delightful fauteuils by the side of my kind hostess,

who established herself before the tea equipage, all ready set out on a small Pembroke table near the beautiful bay window. My travelling guardian, John Somers, (jealous of devolving upon others any of his accustomed services,) soon appeared with the silver-chased tea-kettle and lamp, which he set down on a small mahogany tripod, beside his venerable lady, and it was pleasant to observe the almost reverential gratitude with which the faithful servant replied to the kind greeting of his aged mistress, and her thanks for having brought their dear young cousin safe to Summerford Rectory.' The usual tea hour was long past on the evening of my arrival, but for once the clock-work regularity of established custom was infringed, in kind consideration for the expected guest, and Mrs Helen, anticipating that the poor child would be half famished,' had taken care that the tea-table should be far more abundantly provided than with the four slices of wafer bread and butter, its customary allotment. In truth, the dear old lady had calculated with great foresight, for I did such ample justice to her plain seed-cake, and made such consumption of her sweet home-made bread and butter, as must have infinitely relieved any apprehension she might have conceived at the first sight of the poor little sickly creature of whom she had so benevolently taken charge. But, in fact, it must have been that the air of Broad Summerford wrought miracles. At home, for many preceding weeks, I had almost loathed the sight of food.

"Mr Seale and Mrs Helen soon drew me into familiar conversation; and, by the time tea was over, I was prattling away to them with as much unrestraint as if I had been domesticated under their roof for a twelvemonth. But even before the tea equipage was removed, this excitement of animal spirits began to sink under bodily languor and extreme fatigue; my eyelids fell involuntarily, and the sentence I was uttering died away in an inarticulate manner as my head dropt aside against Mrs Helen's shoulder. Half roused, however, by the gentle contact, I was just sensible that a kind arm encircled me, and a tender kiss was imprinted on my forehead,-that something was said about ringing for Betty, for that the poor dear child

could not sit up to prayers;' and then the bell was pulled,-(with what ex traordinary acuteness the sound of a bell tingles in one's ears in that state of half slumber!)-and Mrs Betty summoned, and between her and her mistress I was somehow, with little exertion of my own, conducted up stairs into a bedchamber, undressed, and put to bed in a state of the most passive helplessness,-unconsciousness wellnigh, except that I was still exquisitely sensible of the luxury of sinking down on the soft pillow between the smooth fine sheets, that smelt deliciously of lavender and roses.

"I recollect nothing more till the next morning, (my eleven hours' hap had been a dreamless spell,) when I unclosed my eyes to the light of a bright summer sun, which streamed in between the white curtains of my bed, and to the emulative brightness and summer sunshine of Mrs Betty's comely countenance, who, having looked over and arranged my wardrobe, and prepared everything for my levee, stood waiting in patient silence the natural termination of my unconscionable slumber, from which her gentle mistress, who had already looked in on me from her adjoining dressing-room, had prohibited all attempt to awaken me. Let the poor dear have her sleep out,' said the kind lady, and there stood Mrs Betty a statue of silent obedience. At last, however, when it pleased me to awaken, that portly handmaid saluted me with a pleasant good-morrow, and the information, that if I pleased to rise and dress directly, I should still be in time for prayers, and Master and Mistress's breakfast. So, between my own alacrity and her assistance, I was soon ready, and then she showed me down to that large pleasant sitting-room, from which, indeed, I had ascended the preceding evening, but in such a slumberous state, as to leave me no recollection of the way. Breakfast was ready laid, and Mrs Helen had just preceded me into the room, where sat her venerable brother, at the head of the breakfast table, with the Bible open before him, in which he was marking out the morning chapters.

"Both my kind cousins greeted me with cordial affection, and Mr Seale, calling me towards him, while his sis ter rang the summons to their little household, said, 'Come, and take your

place by me, my dear child-I think, after to-day, I shall appoint you my clerk, for I know your good father has well qualified you for the office." Proud and happy girl was I to take my station beside that good old man, and on the morrow to assume my allotted office; and though my voice faltered a little at the first responses, my father had made me a correct and articulate reader, and from that day forth I officiated to the entire satisfaction of my indulgent hearers, and with a very tolerable proportion of selfapproval.

"Soon after breakfast, Mrs Helen took me with her through all the household departments, in every one of which, good order and beautiful neatness shone apparent. Five servants composed the in-door establishment-Mr John and Mrs Betty having authority over the Corps de Cuisine, under the mild control of the higher powers, for Mrs Helen, though reposing perfect confidence in her old and faithful servants, took an active share in the family arrangements, and no little pride indeed, in all the more refined and complex culinary artssuch as pickling-preserving-making wines and cordials-sweet waters, and strong-waters-pastry, and floating islands-and confectionary hedgehogs. In all the mysteries of distilling the dear old lady was an adept. Rose, peach, almond, and orange flowerpennyroyal and peppermint waters, were ranged rank and file in long-necked squat bottles on the still-room shelves, sufficient in quantity to flavour all the confectionary, and cure all the stomach-aches, in England. I believe, indeed, Mrs Helen did supply half the county, so great was the reputation of her odoriferous stores, and so liberal her distribution of them. Certain it is, that the annual replenishment of the stock, was considered as much a matter of course by the lady and her assistant handmaid, as the summer reproduction of the grey lustring and its accompaniments;-but why, or on what principle Mrs Helen conceived it equally indispensable to concoct a certain yearly quantity of Plague-water, I was never fully satisfied, nor, indeed, did it ever come within my knowledge, that there were any applicants for that invaluable elixir, made after the recipe of our late Queen Henrietta Maria, of blessed