66 "True love is truth, and truth is love,- "True love must love-be met by love, "The tall, white mill! Long may it stand! Whereby the foodful grain is ground! Thus may it ever rear its head, Like a smiling giant, loved by all, Grinding, not bones, to make the bread, But corn, which nourishes great and small." So, Angelique," said Laura to her maid, when retiring, "I am sorry to hear you and old Mrs. Bell have been challenging about poor Joe Choufleur." 66 Oh, Mademoiselle! pray don't wound my poor AN OLD MAN'S DARLING. 43 heart more upon the subject! I am sure he never thinks of her." "Poor man!" said Laura. "His grave ought to be only in his thoughts, instead of a wife. Do you know he is 67 years of age?" 66 Oui, Mademoiselle Laura, what matters that? Ou de quoi s'agit il? He will be the better able to take care of me; and he is steady, and has sown all his wild oats. Far better than your gay, flaunting young men, who don't care to stay at home. For my part, I always said I would be an old man's darling." 66 "And you are quite sure you will be that?" rejoined Laura. Surely, you were not jealous of Mrs. Bell, our housekeeper? She has lived with us twenty years, and with grandmamma before us." "Me jealous? Oh, no, Miss Laura! I should think not, indeed! I have too good an opinion of myself." "I am surprised, Angelique, you do not wish to return to your own country, and there find if any of your kindred ties be left. It is now ten years since you were in France, I believe?” "Yes, Mademoiselle; and I never wish to see my poor country again. I am quite English; and, thanks to you and dear Miss Ellen, I am an Englishwoman by language." "And I hope soon by religion, Angelique; for, be assured, it will not conduce to your happiness to go to opposite places of worship-your husband to a Protestant, and you to a Roman Catholic, chapel." "I do not intend to do so, Miss Laura. I have promised Joe to go with him; and my old pastor, L'Abbaye de Fouché knows this; and I fear it makes his poor grey hairs very sorrowful on my account. Le bon Dieu me guidera je suis sûre, Mademoiselle." Yes, yes, of this be assured, that Miss Ellen would not lead you astray." "Excuse me, Mademoiselle, but I must tell you that a new family is come to the Grange-so Joe told me this evening. They are such pretty young ladies-five-all unmarried. Their name is Curthose. The eldest, they say, has had three lovers, who have been defunct, as Joe says, just as she was about to marry them. How unlucky! I should cry my eyes out, if I were so unfortunate." "What else about the new comers ?" inquired Laura. 66 'Only that they are all looking out for husbands, if they can but find them. The mamma is a nicelooking person." "Oh, no, miss, never! Poor gentleman! He told me last night you were an angel! and he envied me my berth. I thought I should like to have had his, with plenty of money, and no trouble to work for it." THE APPRENTICE GIRL. 45 Laura smiled at Angelique, and said, “Well, well, leave me, and go to bed. Sleep well, or your pallid looks will make Joe unhappy." "Well, well, Laura, where have you been bending your steps so early?" said Ellen, on meeting her in the hall, with her bonnet and shawl on, the morning after the dinner party. "I presume you were not fatigued? Or does love keep you awake ?” "I have had a charming walk, through fields and meadows," said the happy girl. "With the gallant Major as your guide, I presume?" said Ellen, archly. "Yes, most truly; for I met him, par hazard, in the village. He is, like myself, fond of the early dew and rosy air. A strange circumstance occurred in my path homeward, which will, I am sure, draw forth the tear of sympathetic pity and of great commiseration. And now that you are here, mamma, I can better illustrate my tale by a few lines from your favourite Bloomfield. But first," continued Laura, "to explain. A poor apprentice girl has been cruelly and severely beaten by an angry mistress, and has run away, and taken shelter in miller Jacob's house, who has housed her from the fury of her oppressors. Do you remember the lines, thus ? "This morning I offended, and I bore A cruel beating, worse than all before; 46 THE WISDOM OF PROVIDENCE. Ellen's heart melted at the tale; she observed she should be ill at ease, until she could see honest Jacob, whose general character for hospitality and kindness required not this act to confirm it. "How know we," said Mrs. Lockyer, "but that the poor girl may aid the aged couple in their mill, and supply, in a trifling degree, the loss they sustained last year in their only daughter by typhus fever?" "May it be so," said Ellen, with a sigh. "Oh, the ways of an all-wise Providence! How unsearchable His wisdom! Every cup man is called upon to drink is nectarized by God's mercy. Bloomfield's story of the girl will be fully realized, indeed, if honest Jacob adopt the maid." "Yes, and strange to say, a lad, about seventeen, is now living with these poor people, to help them in their mill and farm. So we will give her a husband, and make good the drama," said Alfred; "for, after all, matrimony is, I presume, the ambition of all women, high or low. I am sorry I shall not be at home to see our rural wedding, between Mr. Joe Cauliflower and Miss Angelique Dupont. To-day is the day," continued Alfred to his mother and sisters. What is new now? Look at Moore. The tenth, is it not? Aunt Dolly will be here, I presume." "It is not positive," said Mrs. Lockyer, "but only ble; and as we have had no letters, you must the carriage to the station, to meet her; remain at he to receive her in due |