nctly." She had been remarkably fond of needle-work, and her
conversation with my mother was generally the history of some pieces
of work she had formerly done; the dates when they were begun, and
when finished; what had retarded their progress, and what had hastened
their completion. If occasionally any other events were spoken of, she
had no other chronology to reckon by, than in the recollection of what
carpet, what sofa-cover, what set of chairs, were in the frame at that
time.

I believe my mother is not particularly fond of needle-work; for in
my father's lifetime I never saw her amuse herself in this way; yet,
to oblige her kind patroness, she undertook to finish a large carpet,
which the old lady had just begun when her eye-sight failed her. All
day long my mother used to sit at the frame, talking of the shades of
the worsted, and the beauty of the colours;--Mrs. Beresford seated in
a chair near her, and, though her eyes were so dim she could hardly
distinguish one colour from another, watching through her spectacles
the progress of the work.

When my daily portion of reading was over, I had a task of
needle-work, which generally lasted half an hour. I was not allowed to
pass more time in reading or work, because my eyes were very weak, for
which reason I was always set to read in the large-print Family Bible.
I was very fond of reading; and when I could unobserved steal a few
minutes as they were intent on their work, I used to delight to read
in the historical part of the Bible; but this, because of my eyes, was
a forbidden pleasure; and the Bible never being removed out of the
room, it was only for a short time together that I dared softly to
lift up the leaves and peep into it.

As I was permitted to walk in the garden or wander about the house
whenever I pleased, I used to leave the parlour for hours together,
and make out my own solitary amusement as well as I could. My first
visit was always to a very large hall, which, from being paved
with marble, was called the marble hall. In this hall, while Mrs.
Beresford's husband was living, the tenants used to be feasted at
Christmas.

The heads of the twelve Caesars were hung round the hall. Every day I
mounted on the chairs to look at them, and to read the inscriptions
underneath, till I became perfectly familiar with their names and
features.

Hogarth's prints were below the Caesars: I was very fond of looking at
them, and endeavouring to make out their