CHAPTER II. At Burton-on-Trent-"Passing away"-Lichfield Cathedral-Illness -Visits Scarbro'--" A prayer "-Removal of the family to Boston Spa-"Trees in Autumn"-Death of her father-Winters in the Isle of Wight-Scenery at Ventnor-Carisbrook Castle and its in. tellectual donkey-"The Church of St. Lawrence "-" The grave of the Dairyman's Daughter'"-A word to scrawling correspondents-London-Works of fiction--A consolatory thought for those bereaved of pious friends-Further reminiscences by a friend. HER brother-in-law was left in charge of an interesting legacy. Two motherless boys, one only seven months old, and the other but two years, required no small care. Young as Miss Hessel was, it was deemed desirable to commit them to her trust. Mr. Brumwell now resided at Burton-upon-Trent, and thither, therefore, early in 1846, she repaired. Her avowed repugnance to domestic duties supplied no warrant for confident expectation that the needed habits would be rapidly acquired. The result however attested the wisdom of cherishing hope when fear will obtrude, and of judiciously placing young persons in a position fitted to call forth their powers. The dawning of "a horror of being an undomesticated literary woman," which she subsequently affirmed herself to experience, soon exhibited itself, and her duties were discharged with a commendable assiduity, and an efficiency surpassing expectation. Shortly after entering her new sphere, she wisely gave a "form and substance" to her thoughts by commencing a journal, which she continued for some time. The entries, though chiefly religious, were not restricted to any class of subjects. Any thought deemed worth 1846] COMMENCES A JOURNAL. 23 Strongly would the writer commend this practice to his young friends. If you want to have thought, cultivate the power of expressing it. Other means of mental improvement are valuable, this is invaluable. Fully concurring, however, in the opinion of the late venerated Dawson of Barnbow, that "diaries in general are of little worth except for personal use in private, and will admit only of brief extracts for publication," and that a man is best seen in his unstudied letters to his friends," a limited use only will be made of this journal. 66 The first entry is worth extracting as an interesting mental exhibition of a girl under seventeen. "March 24th. This evening I had a delightful walk with Mr. B. to Stapenhill, and returning by the fields we crossed the Trent in a boat. I shall not easily forget the impression made by that lovely scene. There was the boatman's cottage, almost buried among trees. Along the bank on one side, were trees and bushes overhanging the water; and you might fancy they were for ever contemplating their own image in the stream. Behind them was a sort of precipice, the top being many, many, feet high. From its almost perpendicular sides jutted forth large masses of craggy rock and stones, giving to the scene a wild and striking appearance. Higher up the stream was a beautiful little island, round which the waters wind gracefully. Still higher, might be seen the antique-looking bridge, furnishing a curious and interesting specimen of architecture in the year 1621. Beneath its arches were a few swans, bathing their snow-like plumage, and forming a striking contrast to the dark, dirty-looking arches which served as their canopy. hills crowned with tall poplars. Behind me were two just bursting into life. All nature looked joyous, and I was happy in the contemplation of its beauties. Suddenly an idea struck me so forcibly that had a voice from the 'spirit-land' uttered it, I could not have felt it more. It was this: God is love!' In an instant every object was gifted with voice. 'God is love!' was born on the wings of the zephyrs-the waters murmured it-the trees whispered it—while my bounding heart joined in the chorus of the feathered songsters, and exclaimed 'God is love!"" Evidently there was poetry in her nature. For some time past she had occasionally given expression to her thoughts in verse, and though her effusions do not, perhaps, reach a high standard, the insertion of a few will be a gratification to her personal friends. The accompanying, which she entitled "Passing away," was written during this year. Thou hast look'd on a fair unfolding flower, Thou hast gazed on the lovely blue of heaven, Thou hast fondly bound to thy lonely heart And thou, though the glance of thy youthful eye Then give not to earth thy passionate love, 66 1846] CHANTREY'S SLEEPING INFANTS." 25 Her admiration of the beautiful in art found high gratification in a visit to Lichfield Cathedral. A brief narrative of one object will interest: "Having spent some time in examining this beautiful part of the edifice, I asked, somewhat impatiently, to see 'the sleeping infants.' Our guide evidently enjoyed my anxiety, and when I told him I expected to see living marble, he said, with great confidence: 'You will not be disappointed, ma'am.' He threw open the door, and bade me enter. I advanced towards a small monument, covered with a cloth. The covering was removed. I stood at the feet of the lovely infants. I gazed till every feature was engraven on my heart. You first fancy they are laid on their mattress side by side, and on some sudden emotion of tenderness, or perhaps a sense of weariness, they have hastily turned and embraced each other. This action has discomposed their loose undress, and beneath its graceful foldings you can trace an exquisite figure. The whole is so perfectly natural that it is impossible to find fault. There appears such an utter abandonment of every thing like studied grace and negligence, as at once strikes you. It is impossible to describe the beautiful symmetry of their forms, or the exquisite shape of their small and delicate feet. After gazing for some time, I heard with a feeling of vexation that our guide was shaking his keys, and retreating a few paces, as a signal for us to retire." An entry, dated April 26th, reveals the predominance of a sentimentalism with which she must have had many a conflict ere she attained that soundness of mind which subsequently characterized her. She was on a visit to Melton-Mowbray. "Mrs. L- has a delightful cottage, elegantly furnished, and surrounded с by floral sweets. The beautiful prospect of daisydecked fields, and the murmur of rippling waters, with echoing music of birds, made it a scene almost like enchantment. It was a changeful April day, and the rain drops sparkled on the petals, and shone in the calyx of many a flower. I wonder how it is that such scenes make me melancholy. It was with difficulty I restrained the tear, and suppressed the sigh, for the absent and the dead. Surely the remembrance of such should have been banished at that moment. possessions remind us of our losses, our pleasures of our sorrows." But our With its exhilarating influences this spring brought also great physical debility. Apprehensions began to be entertained by Miss Hessel, that the destroyer, which had already robbed the family of two of its members, had marked her as its victim. Her debility increasing with the approach of summer, medical aid was deemed necessary. On examination, her lungs were pronounced free from disease, though peculiarly susceptible, and sea-air was recommended. Early in July therefore she left for Catterton, and in a few days proceeded to Scarbro', accompanied by her brother. On the day following she writes: "Though the objects surrounding me are calculated to dissipate, yet they may be rendered subservient to devout reflection. While watching the motion of the waves, I may make them aids to devotional feeling, and, with the sweet singer of Israel, pray that my righteousness may be as the waves of the sea." Her visit answered the expectations of her medical adviser, and she returned home, after three weeks absence, with recruited health. On July 30th she confesses to a habit to which young persons are extensively addicted, little as they |