indulge now, in such reading; thank God, my tastes are changed, the poetry of the Psalms is now my highest delight, those songs of consolation and of prayer; and," Mrs. Lea added, laying a hand on a large Bible placed also on the table near her, "this is now my library, my poetry, I never wish for any other. But it was not always so."

The next evening, after a beautiful summer's day, when twilight began to spread its lilac tint over the glowing sky, I with impatient steps found myself hastening towards the cottage. I cannot describe my longing to hear the narrative of this remarkable woman's life; my existence was one so little eventful, that such a prospect of amendment was one of a most exciting nature to me; and I was not disappointed in my expectations; heart and soul was I absolved in the details, which I committed to paper every night after Mrs. Lea had related a portion of the story.

CHAPTER III.

NURSE LEA'S STORY.

"I WAS only eighteen when I first entered the service of Captain and Mrs. Pierrepont. My family, I am proud to say, were most highly respectable, well known and esteemed by my master and mistress. I had been brought up with care, and my education was superior to the station of life to which I afterwards descended, owing to the pecuniary losses of my father.

My parents were too glad to allow me to accept a situation in the nursery of Captain

and Mrs. Pierrepont. It was not a post of drudgery, as, besides a head nurse, there was also a nursery maid; but I was engaged to assist the former, and attend to the elder children. I was passionately fond of children, and had always been considered handy and clever about them. How well I remember the first day of my arrival. The family were then at Brighton. There were then four children; two more were afterwards born.

"How well I can now see the group of little faces thronging about the door to watch my entrance, they were the three elder children; the youngest was on the nurse's knee, quite a baby.

"Mrs. Pierrepont accompanied me to the nursery, and introduced me to the nurse, saying, 'Mrs. Wright, here is the young person I mentioned to you. I hope she will be useful, and that you will endeavour to make her happy and comfortable. I have a great regard for her parents, and am sure, if she at all resembles them, she must be a very estimable person.'

"The nurse, I thought, did not appear to receive this intimation very favourably. She was a disagreeable-looking woman, with a jealous eye. No doubt, the kind trouble my lady took in thus bringing me before her notice was an impolitic measure, as far as my comfort with Mrs. Wright was concerned. She would have been much more likely to have taken to me, if I had been represented in a less patronizing manner. Indeed, experience has taught me, I am sorry to say, to be aware, that to praise one servant to another, is a certain means of bringing upon the extolled one the spite and dislike of a whole establishment; and for the two years she remained in that service, Mrs. Wright certainly endeavoured to make my life as uncomfortable as possible.

"However, I did not mind it much. I soon loved the children most dearly; and my feelings both towards Captain and Mrs. Pierrepont were those of such unmixed veneration, and I may say, affection, that every day I became more and more devoted heart and soul to their interests in every way.

"Captain Pierrepont was a naval officer, of very high standing. He was almost always employed, and was able to spend but brief intervals at home. This was a sad grief to his wife; habit could not reconcile her to the sad deprivation of his presence; for never did a woman more devotedly adore a husband; and no wonder, I never saw such a man.

"Yes," said Mrs. Lea, shading for a moment her eyes with her hand, as if looking inwards upon the tablet of memory, "I can see his face-that noble brow-those dear, kind eyes-and that sweet smile-a smile which captivated high and low-young and old. had a word for every body.

He

"How I loved to hear him utter only the simple words

66 6

Well, Anne, how are the children?' when he chanced to meet me.

"There was, indeed, music in his voice, dear man; and, in his step too, as the Scotch song so well describes

"When he come up the stairs.'