Abbeychurch

l, a large green mound of chalk, named from an establishment of Augustine Friars, whose mon

ndon tradesmen were tempted to retire to 'the beautiful and venerable town of Abbeychurch;' the houses were quickly filled, one street after another was built, till the population of the town was more than doubled. A deficiency in church accommodation was soon felt, for the old church had before been but just sufficient for the inhabitants. Various proposals were made-to fill up the arches with galleries, and to choke the centre aisle with narrow pews; but all were equally distasteful to Mr. Woodbourne, who, placing some benches in the aisle for the temporary accommodation of his new parishioners, made every effort to raise funds to build and endow an additional church. He succeeded, as we have heard; and it was the tall white spire of the now Church of St. Austin's, which greeted Anne Merton's delighted eyes, as on the 27th of August, she, with her father and mother, came to the top of a long hill, about five miles from Abbeychur

ed to their apartments; Mrs. Woodbourne making apologies to Anne for lodging her with Elizabeth, and Anne laughingly declaring that she enjoyed Elizabeth's company much more than solitary grandeur. The two cousins were followed by the whole tribe of children, flaxen-haired and blue-eyed little sprites, the younger of whom capered rou

foreign, and its lower shelf containing a double row of brown-paper covered volumes, and many-coloured and much soiled little books, belonging to the lending library. The walls were hung with Elizabeth's own works, for the most part more useful than ornamental. There were genealogical and chronological charts of Kings and Kaisars, comparisons of historical characters, tables of Christian names and their derivations, botanical lists, maps, and drawings-all in such confusion, that once, when Helen attempted to find the Pope contemporary with Edward the First, she asked Elizabeth why she had written the Pope down as Leo Nonus Cardinal, on which she was informed, with a sufficient quantity of laughter, that the word in question was the name of a flower, Leonurus Cardiaca, looking like anything but

ch could interest the two girls, yet after the little ones were gone, they stood there talking for some minutes; E

eby come?' said Anne

th, 'I do not know, and hardly ca

what have these unfortunate

u. There has been a natural antipathy, an instinctive dislike, between Mrs. Major Hazleby and me, ever since she paid her first visit here, and,

id Anne; 'you know, Mary of Scotland says,

mous lug. As to Mrs. Hazleby, she is never happy but when she is finding fault wit

as she not?' said Anne, i

ask old Mrs. Hazleby how she felt on her first meeting with her fair daughter-in-law. They were safe in Ireland when Papa marri

said Anne, 'I never h

only hope she will not teaze the children into naughtiness, as she did last year. I do not know what would be done if Horace was at home. One day he had a regular battle with her. It began of course in fun on both sides, but he soon grew angry, and at last tore her frock and trod pretty hard on her foot. I could not be sorry for her, she deserved it so completely

range thing to hear you talk in this manner?-y

t is as much as to say that I am

be a goose than ill-

hould be a goose for want of

e good-natured is to b

to be the reverse of ill-nature,' said E

were those who never used the

ious argument, Miss Anne,' said El

ill-nature in evil. But pray, Lizzie, do not let us get into any of these abstruse metaphysical discussions, or we shall arrive at conclusions as wise

t if you had been a prim pattern of perfection, a real good little girl, a true Miss Jenny Meek, who never put her foot in a puddle, never

at goodness and stupidity need not always

g as she is, she would not be half so good a subject for a story as our high-spirited Horace and wild Winifred.

ed disconsolate as well as dem

between the brother and sister, he delighting in her gentleness, and she in his high daring spirit. Edward a

; 'I should hope he would be; Rupert always looks ba

and just the bold merry fellow to get on well at school, so that he is quite happy now that he has recovered the leaving home. But I am afraid my classical lore will die of

nd Greek, alone, as you did wit

. Besides, when I have nothing to oblige me to learn regularly, I do not know when to do it, so Dido has been waiting an unconscion

ame home in time f

at Dykelands to escort her, and Papa was too busy to fetch her, till at last, Captain Ath

,' said Anne; 'I have always wished to know something more of them, t

d Elizabeth, 'you have only to ask Helen; you will open the flood-gate

seem to like her,' said Anne; 'Mrs. Staunton s

wn a reflective creature, and the most graceful as well as the prettiest of the family. She would be almost a beau ideal of a sister, if she had but a few m

been brought from Merton Hall, to decorate the Vicarage on this occasion. Mrs. Woodbourne was sitting at her favourite little work-table, engaged, as usual, with her delicate Berlin embroide

usion of flowers. 'What delightful heliotrope and geranium! Oh, Anne! how could you tear o

aid Mrs. Woodbourne; 'I am afraid she has displeased Mr.

we never let Mr. Jenkins scold us for helping ourselves or our friends out of our own gar

t yours is not open enough on ordinary occasions, Aunt Anne; but when the children took their walk in the alms-house court this morning, they

ne; 'I thought he never gave aw

m say that he could not refuse little Miss Winifred

or the dahlia?' sa

the dahlia had been gathered long before Winifred could make up her mind to say no; and when the little t

has been so kind as to bring us, Lizzie,' said Mrs. W

at part of the arrangement, yo

t I am afraid we do not kn

ould do if you did not undertake i

a,' said Elizabeth; 'it may turn out a great deal worse th

cribing a new fuchsia, and triumphing in the prize which the salpiglossis had gained from the Horticultural Society; Helen, comparing the flora of Merton Hall with that of Dykelands; Mrs. Woodbour

the drawing-room, the three sisters began to collect the green leaves and pieces of stalks remaining on the

ourself look so very different from Kate, to prevent all future mistake

Helen to wear them, Aun

aunton always said it made me look like an old woman in the way I wore it before

ow before Dykeland

ered, Lizzie,' said Lady Merton, 'and now I see it i

ourne; 'but Lizzie docs not li

e me two hours a day, and now I am ready directly without trouble or fuss. Peo

they would think the better of you f

t Anne,' said Elizabeth, 'but hardly to their

ine distinction between taste and wishes,' said

ve been talking nonsense,

said her aunt; 'I only say that you

a delicate piece of ixia get a better view of itself in the looking-glass. Presently she turned round, sa

g you the very moment I came nea

Elizabeth; 'pray scold me from morning till

can you say so?' c

e employment you propose to m

a little of that agreeable employment myself, when he

being scolded, that it only ma

g back at last,' said Katherine, who

dinner, not being able to console herself in the way in which Elizabeth sometimes attem