, but all painful; friends lost, or
changed, or dead; hopes disappointed even in their accomplishment;
fruitless regrets, powerless wishes, doubt and fear, and self-distrust,
and self-disapprobation. They who have known these feelings (and who is
there so happy as not to have known some of them?) will understand why
Alfieri became powerless, and Froissart dull; and why even needle-work,
the most effectual sedative, that grand soother and composer of woman's
distress, fails to comfort me to-day. I will go out into the air this
cool, pleasant afternoon, and try what that will do. I fancy that
exercise or exertion of any kind, is the true specific for nervousness.
'Fling but a stone, the giant dies.' I will go to the meadows, the
beautiful meadows! and I will have my materials of happiness, Lizzy and
May, and a basket for flowers, and we will make a cowslip-ball. 'Did
you ever see a cowslip-ball, my Lizzy?'--'No.'--'Come away, then; make
haste! run, Lizzy!'

And on we go, fast, fast! down the road, across the lea, past the
workhouse, along by the great pond, till we slide into the deep narrow
lane, whose hedges seem to meet over the water, and win our way to the
little farmhouse at the end. 'Through the farmyard, Lizzy; over the
gate; never mind the cows; they are quiet enough.'--'I don't mind 'em,'
said Miss Lizzy, boldly and truly, and with a proud affronted air,
displeased at being thought to mind anything, and showing by her
attitude and manner some design of proving her courage by an attack on
the largest of the herd, in the shape of a pull by the tail. 'I don't
mind 'em.'--'I know you don't, Lizzy; but let them alone, and don't
chase the turkey-cock. Come to me, my dear!' and, for a wonder, Lizzy
came.

In the meantime, my other pet, Mayflower, had also gotten into a scrape.
She had driven about a huge unwieldy sow, till the animal's grunting
had disturbed the repose of a still more enormous Newfoundland dog, the
guardian of the yard. Out he sallied, growling, from the depth of his
kennel, erecting his tail, and shaking his long chain. May's attention
was instantly diverted from the sow to this new playmate, friend or foe,
she cared not which; and he of the kennel, seeing his charge unhurt, and
out of danger, was at leisure to observe the charms of his fair enemy,
as she frolicked round him, always beyond the reach of his chain, yet
always, with the natural instinctive coquetry of her sex, alluring
him to the pursu