ad no reasonable cause of complaint; for her father,
by the labour of his hands, painfully earned just as much as went to a
frugal housekeeping, and the mother kept the little family in order; so
that things looked always neat and clean enough in the abode of the
stone-mason.

"All Sunday's children are very wise, and, if they are maidens, always
uncommonly beautiful. Maud was, as a child, admired by every body; nay,
it once went so far, as that a rich and beautiful, but very
sickly-looking, lady of quality, who was travelling over the mountain in
a fine carriage, tried hard to coax the poor mother out of her pretty
Maud with a large sum of gold. When the maiden had fairly stepped out of
child's shoes, and was obliged to seek employment away from home, there
was a mighty ado. It was for all the world as if a fairy was going
through the place, when Maud, early in the morning, strolled along the
banks of the murmuring stream on her road to a wealthy weaver's. The
young fellows saluted the fair one as they greeted no other. No one
ventured, however, to accost her with unseemly speeches--a kind of
thing, by the way, that young men at all times are very prone to. Maud
was treated by every one like a saint. Maidens even, her equals in
years, prized her highly; and in no way envied her the general
admiration. This might be founded in the behaviour itself of Maud. More
forward to oblige, to do good offices, more sweetly behaved, was no one.
And then she had such a grace with it all, so innocent an eye, that when
you looked into it, heaven itself seemed to shine out upon you. In
short, whoever spoke with Maud, or might walk a few steps with her, that
man was for the whole day another and a happier creature, and whatever
he undertook prospered with him.

"It would have been strange indeed had such a maiden lacked suitors, or
not very early found a sympathizing heart. Now, as for the suitors,
there was no dearth of them, Heaven knows! for there were youngsters of
the queerest fashion. Many without manners, though right well to look
at; others wealthy, but without heart or soul; and others again ready to
burst with rage, if any one but touched his hat to the beautiful
Matilda. To all such, the innocent child had not a word to say; for she
knew well enough, that scant blessing waits on marriages of such a make.
There was but one young fellow who could be said to please her
thoroughly, and he was neither rich nor singularly handsome