likewise, which
he did, with a pretty set speech which I had taught him, in gratulation
of her return. Alice Snowton also did blush, and held out her cheek,
whereon I pressed my lip, with fervent prayers for her advance in
holiness 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