as throwing nails against
the windows, beating on the floor with the poker, and occasionally
interrupting our operations by tumbling down stairs, and causing us for
a moment to believe him killed outright, or at least maimed for life.
But there is a special providence over happy children; and save that he
fell on one occasion into the bucket of soap and water, wherewith a
domestic was scowering the chintz room floor, and suffered some
inconvenience from the hotness thereof, he escaped in a manner truly
miraculous from any accident affecting life or limb. When the time drew
near in the which I expected the return of my excellent wife, I took all
the children to the upper part of the church field which faces the
high-road, upon which the large stones have recently been laid down, in
the manner of a causeway, but which, at that period, was left to the
natural hardness, or rather softness, of the soil, and was, in
consequence thereof, dangerous to travel on by reason of the ruts and
hollows; to that portion, I say, of the church field I conveyed all my
little ones, to give the gratulations necessary on such an occasion to
their excellent mother. The spot whereon we were stationed commanded a
view of the hill which superimpends our village, and we were therefore
gratified to think that we should have an early view of the expected
travellers; and many quarrels and soft reconcilements did take place
between my younger ones, upon the point of who would be the first to
see their approach. In the midst of these sweet contentions, whilst I
was in the undignified and scarcely clerical act of carrying little
Charles upon my shoulder, having decorated his head with my
broad-brimmed hat, in order to enable him--vain imagination, which
pleased the boy's heart--to see over and beyond the hill, there did
pass, in all her wonted state and dignity, with two outriders in the
Mallerden livery, two palfreniers at her side, and four mounted
serving-men behind, the ancient Lady Mallerden, which was so famous an
upholder of our venerated church in the evil days through which it so
happily passed; and with no little perturbation of mind, and great
confusion of face, did I see the look of astonishment, not to say
disdain, with which she regarded my position; more particularly as
little Charles, elevated, as I have said, upon my shoulders, with his
legs on each side of my neck, did lift up the professional hat, which
did entirely absorb his countena