pointed me to any thing remarkable, I could only nod assent, and smile somewhat pitiously. Upon inquiring for the tapestry hangings, we were informed that they were always taken down when the family was absent; they had been removed only the day before. The continuance of the rain, while it prevented our expected ramble about the grounds, yet afforded us an opportunity of examining more at leisure the curiosities within; with this consideration we consoled ourselves. When we had viewed every apartment, and fully satisfied our curiosity, we were joined in the picture-gallery by the old house-steward, a venerable man, who, as he told us, had served the family for upwards of fifty years. He presently began recounting to us some of the family history, and many amusing anecdotes, pointing with his staff to the portraits of those to whom they related.-"This," said he, "is poor Lady Susan, who died when she was only seventeen; and there is old Sir James, taken when he was a child, playing with his favourite spaniel he was the present Earl's great grand-father." We were much amused with this antiquated man and his stories; and agreed it compensated us for not seeing the tapestry. : It was now growing late in the afternoon; we had given up all hope of reaching the Belvidere, and viewing the gardens and were still lingering about the pictureroom, when suddenly a bright golden beam of sunshine broke into the apartment; it streamed down the long gallery, and lighted up the pale faces and faded draperies of the old brown portraits, from one end to the other. An exclamation of joy burst at the same instant from the whole party. We hastened to the windows; already a broad line of bright sky appeared along the horizon; the clouds were dispersing in all directions; the rain had nearly ceased; and the heavy clouds that were rolling off on the opposite side exhibited a brilliant rain bow. By the time we were equipped for our ramble, all was clear over-head; it was a beautiful evening. The grass was wet to the foot, and the trees were yet dropping with rain; but all was fresh, green and sparkling. Once again our spirits revived: it was not, indeed, the lively, bounding joy with which we set off in the morning, but a more serene and chastened feeling. We now visited the grotto, the gardens, the hothouses; it was but a hasty inspection, as the ground was so wet that we were fearful of lingering; we were anxious, too, to reach the Belvidere before sun-set. At length, with wet shoes and weary steps, we climbed the bill. The exhalations which were now rising in consequence of the heavy rain, in a great degree obscured the prospect, but at the same time added to its brilliancy ; for, being illumined by the setting sun, the whole wide expanse of country which the height commanded, was, as it were, one flood of golden mist. The five counties we had thought so much of, were not indeed so distinctly discernible as we had seen them on the map; however, our attendant pointed to each, and we believed that there they were. As for the Cathedral, we were obliged to take it for granted that it lay in the direction of the guide's walking-stick. We waited a few minutes to see the sun set behind the distant hills: it was a splendid scene; and, as he assured us, was almost as fine a sight as the Cathedral. We now descended the hill, very well satisfied; and, being by this time considerably fatigued, were not sorry to find ourselves reseated in the carriages, and on our way home. The evening continued fine but chilly; and the latter part of the way it was very dark. At first we talked over our adventures; but some of the party soon dropped to sleep, and conversation flagged with the rest. We were weary, and our heads ached. I question if any thing we had seen during the whole day afforded us more real pleasure than the sight of the cheerful lights in our own house, as we approached it. We were certainly pleased with our excursion, notwithstanding its misfortunes; and yet, I believe, had it been proposed to us to set off on a similar expedition the next day, we should none of us have been disposed to comply. The friend we left ill by the way, we found quite restored. She had spent the day at home very happily; and when she heard of our misfortunes, was glad she had escaped them. We were all thankful to retire to rest that night. The next morning at breakfast, at grand-papa's request, I related the adventures of the day.--His reflections upon our excursion, (to introduce which is my only reason for troubling the reader with this recital,) shall be the subject of a following paper. IV. REFLECTIONS ON A DAY'S PLEASURE. GRAND-PAPA having listened with great attention to the foregoing recital, and to our various animadversions upon it, began as follows. "I am an old man, children; and my day's pleasure is so nearly over, that I am well able to compare it with yours. Our short life is but like a long day; and when I recollect the alternations of hope and fear, of success and disappointment, of pleasure and of pain, that have chequered the greater part of it ;-the storms that I have seen blow up, and blow over ;-the serenity of its decline, and the hopes I entertain of arriving, before long, at a safe and comfortable home,-I must say, that my day has so much resembled yours, that what you have related, has seemed like a relation of my own history. And since there has been nothing remarkable to distinguish my life from that of other men; since I have, undoubtedly, had my full share of success, prosperity, and enjoyment, I think I may fairly regard it, not only as a counterpart to my own life in particular, but to life in general: or, to come to the conclusion I intended, that you, dear children, may consider your excursion as a fair specimen of what you have to expect in the day of life: so that the experience of this one day, may serve as a sample of all the rest. Here you are, all in fine spirits, just setting out on your journey. It is yet early morning with you; the sun is up, and the sky clear; the road fine and flowery ; and yet, pleasures in prospect rather than those at present possessed, are the chief sources of your felicity. The first circumstance that occurred yesterday to damp your pleasure was the loss of one of your party. Now, this is a misfortune which may be certainly expected early in the journey of life. Of a company of young people beginning life together, and hoping to pursue their course hand in hand, how commonly does it happen that one and another are stopped in their career, leaving their companions to pursue the journey without them! And as it was with you, so it generally happens, that those who are taken are the loveliest, the liveliest ;-those whose society can be least spared, and who must be the most regretted. Such a breach, spoils our pleasure for a time but time, as you found it, and the new scenes that present themselves at every turn, reconcile us to the loss; till at length it is little felt, perhaps, rarely remembered. The place of your destination, and its various curiosities, which you were so eager to see, may represent those favourite schemes and projects which we are apt to lay out for ourselves in life, and to which, our chief hopes and efforts are directed. All goes on fair for a time ; we are in the direct road to our wishes; but just as we come within sight of them, the clouds begin to gather, and down comes the storm, when perhaps, we are driving straight up to their accomplishment. They who have marked well the ways of Providence, must have observed, that our earthly aims and wishes are oftener thus damped and embittered to us, than entirely frustrated. We are suffered to attain the object, but something unforeseen occurs to check the satisfaction we had expected in it. Now it is that our spirits sink, and we are ready to think our day's pleasure quite spoiled. But, like yours, it frequently happens, that some unexpected alleviation, some little unforeseen circumstance attending our calamities, renders them supportable. Our very surprise at finding things not so bad to bear as we expected, often amounts to positive pleasure. Well, you saw the apartments, and were upon the whole very well pleased. And thus it is, that we are generally indulged with a moderate share of the common comforts and enjoyments of life. We do not, perhaps, see the tapestry. That is, some particular gratification on which our hearts were most set, is withheld. Now, while walking through the apartments, is the busy part of life; and, notwithstanding some disappointments, our satisfaction would be considerable, if it were not for a something, like your tooth-ach, my dear, to take off its edge. Nothing could more aptly represent the continual uneasiness occasioned by the little daily crosses of life, too trifling to be seriously complained of. And this is not my testimony alone: the accumulated experience of ages will attest, that some such nameless sources of dissatisfaction ever attend upon all our pursuits and undertakings, and mingle even with our holiday pleasures. It was a fine morning; but it rained all day. Ah! this is like life. You may not think it, children; but I know it. Yet this very circumstance, it seems, was productive of some advantage. Thus every wise and good |