e prolonged it
beyond our intention, beyond our convenience: but we have, I trust, been
imbibing principles, stealing habits, and borrowing plans, which will
ever make us consider this visit as an important era in our lives.

"My excellent Caroline is deeply affected with all she has seen and
heard at the Grove. We must now leave it, though not without reluctance.
We must go and endeavor to imitate what, six weeks ago, we almost feared
to contemplate. Lady Belfield and I have compared notes. On the most
mature deliberation, we agree that we have lived long enough to the
world. We agree that it is time to begin to live to ourselves, and to
him who made us. We propose in future to make our winters in London much
shorter. We intend to remove early every spring to Beechwood, which we
will no longer consider as a temporary residence, but as our home; we
will supply it with every thing that may make it interesting and
improving to us all. We are resolved to educate our children in the fear
of God. Our fondness for them is rather increased than diminished; but
in the exercise of that fondness, we will remember that we are to train
them for immortality. We will watch over them as creatures for whose
eternal well-being a vast responsibility will attach to ourselves.

"In our new plan of life, we shall have fewer sacrifices to make than
most people in our situation; for we have long felt a growing
indifference for things which we appeared to enjoy. Of the world, we are
only going to give up that part which is not worth keeping, and of which
we are really weary. In securing our real friends, we shall not regret
if we drop some acquaintances by the way. The wise and the worthy we
shall more than ever cherish. In your family we have enjoyed those true
pleasures which entail no repentance. That cheerfulness which alone is
worthy of accountable beings, we shall industriously maintain in our
own. I bless God if we have not so many steps to tread back as some
others have who are entering, upon principle, on a new course of life.

"We have always endeavored, though with much imperfection, to fill some
duties to each other, to our children, to our friends, and to the poor.
But of the prime duty, the main spring of action, and of all moral
goodness, duty to God, we have not been sufficiently mindful. I hope we
have at length learned to consider him as the fountain of all good, and
the gospel of his Son, as the fountain of all hope. This n