n. Bonville
is her declared admirer--but he may not be a favoured one. Should he
meet with her approbation at any future time, would not his own fate be
wretched, and the universe would become a blank deprived of the society
of Alida, shaded over with the deepest tints of darkness and
melancholy."

CHAPTER XXIII.

O let me view, in annual succession, my children, friends, and
relatives. Those that in friendship's bonds are linked together
by ties of dear remembrance.

The scene was highly animated, and the days were delightfully pleasant,
when Alida returned with her parents to the country. The showers of
April had cleared the atmosphere and revived the earth with a lively
gaiety. The ice in the bay and river had melted away, and the steamboat
had again began its course. The rumbling water-fall was again heard at
the mill, the pensive stream stole its way through the forest,
reflecting from its lucid bosom the light cloud which dwelt in the
air--floating on the gentlest zephyrs. The hills and mountains teemed
with verdure, and the serpentine valleys were shaded by a friendly
foliage. All nature flourished, grew, and expanded, calling forth
ejaculations of gratitude and piety, and boldly declaring that a
celestial Being overshadows us with his providence.

As soon as the family were settled in the country, the parents of Alida
made preparation to call the children together in commemoration of their
father's birthday. When the time arrived for the celebration of this
festive scene, the morning arose with every beauty that could bid fair
for a cheerful day, and the company assembled at an early hour. Bonville
was among those who arrived from the village. He appeared in excellent
spirits, as if some new thought had entered his mind, which had given
him new hopes of success. He informed Alida, in the course of the
afternoon, that he had received intimation from a friend in England,
that Theodore was now living in London. After hazarding many conjectures
respecting him, he then ventured to add that he hoped he had not met
there any new object, to cause him to become forgetful of former
friends. Displeasure was manifest in the countenance of Alida, at this
suspicion, although she feared it might be true. Theodore had promised
to be faithful in a correspondence, and he certainly might have found
opportunities, since the happy change of affairs in the country, to make
some communications to his friends, if he