ness and
virtue, and also in useful learning, under my excellent wife's
instructions. She was a short girl, not much taller than my Waller,
though she seemed to be three or even four years more advanced in age.
She was a sweet engaging child of thirteen, and I loved her as one of
my flock from the moment I saw her, as in duty bound. My children were
divided between joy at seeing their excellent mother, and wonder at
the stranger. But a short period wore off both these sentiments of the
human mind, or rather the outward manifestation of them; and I will
venture to assert that the quietude of night, and the clearness of the
starry heavens, fell on no happier household on that evening than the
parsonage of Welding. And next day it was the same; and next, and
next, and a great succession of happy, useful days. Alice was a dear
girl, and we loved her as our own; and she loved Charles above all,
and was his friend, his nurse, his playfellow. Their gambols were
beautiful to behold; and, to complete the good work which was so well
begun, good Mr Snowton did send to my care, at the same remuneration,
two young gentlemen of tender years, Master Walter Mannering and
Master John Carey--the elder of them being eight and the other seven;
and, as if fortune never tired of raining down on us her golden
favours, the great Lady Mallerden herself did use her interest on my
behalf, and obtained for me the charge of a relative of her noble
house--the honourable Master Fitzoswald, of illustrious lineage in the
north, of the age of nine years. But doubtless, as the philosopher
has remarked, there is no sweet without its bitter, or, as the poet
has said, "no rose without its thorn," or, better perhaps, as another
great poet of antiquity has clothed the sentiment--

----"Medio de fonte leporum
Surgit amari aliquid;"

for it was made an express stipulation of the latter office--namely,
the charge of the honourable young gentleman, being the second son of
the noble Earl Fitzoswald, in Yorkshire--that the great Lady Mallerden
should have joint superintendence of his studies with me, and the
direction of his conduct, and also his religious education. And this
was a sore drawback to the pleasure I experienced, for I knew her to
be proud and haughty beyond most women, or even men; and also that she
was of so active and inquisitive a turn of mind, that she would
endeavour to obtain all power and authority unto herself, whereto I
determine