or read together some heart-rending
novel. She will willingly be wooed and have homage paid to her; and the
Assessor is always out of favour with her, because he jokes with her,
and calls her "little Miss Curlypate," and other such ugly names.

Learning and masters are no affairs of hers. She loves a certain "_far
niente_," and on account of delicate health her tastes are indulged. Her
greatest delight is in dancing, and in the dance she is captivating. In
opposition to Petrea, she has a perfect horror of all great
undertakings; and in opposition to Louise, a great disinclination to
sermons, be they by word of mouth or printed. The sun, the warm wind,
flowers, but above all, beloved and amiable human beings, make Gabriele
feel most the goodness of the Creator, and awaken her heart to worship.

She has a peculiar horror of death, and will neither hear it, nor indeed
anything else dark or sorrowful, spoken of; and, happily for Gabriele,
true parental love has a strong resemblance to the Midsummer sun of the
North, which shines as well by night as by day.

If we turn from the bright-haired Gabriele to Sara, to "that Africa," as
the Assessor called her, we go from day to night. Sara was like a
beautiful dark cloud in the house--like a winter night with its bright
stars, attractive, yet at the same time repulsive. To us, nevertheless,
she will become clear, since we possess the key to her soul, and can
observe it in the following

NOTICES FROM SARA'S JOURNAL.

"Yesterday evening Macbeth was read aloud; they all trembled before Lady
Macbeth: I was silent, for she pleased me. There was power in the
woman."

"Life! what is life? When the tempest journeys through space on strong
free pinions, it sings to me a song which finds an echo in my soul. When
the thunder rolls, when the lightning flames, then I divine something of
life in its strength and greatness. But this tame every-day life--little
virtues, little faults, little cares, little joys, little
endeavours--this contracts and stifles my spirit. Oh, thou flame which
consumest me in the silent night, what wilt thou? There are moments in
which thou illuminest, but eternities in which thou tormentest and
burnest me!"

"This narrow sphere satisfies _them_; they find interest in a thousand
trifles; they are able to exert themselves in order to obtain little
enjoyments for each other. Well for them! I was made for something
different."

"Why should I obey? Why should