numerous friends and
acquaintances, who would now feel themselves lost without her society,
therefore the parents of Alida formed the conclusion to pass their
winters in the city, and return to the country in the summer season.

In the mean time, Alida's father thought the event fortunate, and was
pleased at this time to remove his daughter from the place where the
late scenes appeared so trying and afflictive, with the hope that in
mingling her with the gay world she would in a while forget Theodore,
while he in his turn would be induced to leave the neighbourhood.

It was now at that season when weary summer had lapsed into the fallow
arms of autumn, and was approaching to the chilly breezes of winter. The
morning was clear, and the light gales bore invigorating coolness on
their wings as they tremulously agitated the foliage of the western
forest, or fluttered among the branches of the trees that surrounded the
mansion. The green splendours of the lawn had faded into a yellow
lustre; the flowery verdure of the fields was changed to a russet hue.

A robin chirped in a favourite tree in the yard; a wren chattered
beneath, while some few solitary birds still continued to warble their
notes among the leaves of the aspen.

The surrounding groves partially rung with melody; while deep in the
adjacent wilderness the woodpecker, hammering on some dry and blasted
trees, filled the woods with reverberant echoes.

The face of the Sound was ruffled by the lingering breezes, as they idly
wandered over its surface. Long Island was thinly enveloped in smoky
vapour; scattered along its shores lay the numerous small craft, with
larger ships, of the hostile fleet. A few skiffs were passing and
re-passing the Sound. Several American war-sloops lay on a point which
jutted out from the mainland into the river.

Alida walked leisurely around the yard, contemplating the various
beauties of the scene, the images of departed joys (that she was now
about to leave). The days when Theodore participated with her in
admiring the splendours of rural prospect, raised in her bosom the sigh
of deep regret. She entered the garden, and traced the walks, now
overgrown with weeds and tufted grass. The flower-beds were choked with
the low running brambles, and tall rushes and daisies had usurped the
empire of the kitchen garden. The viny arbour was principally gone to
decay, and the eglantine blushed mournfully along the fences.

Alida continued t