. WOMAN OUR ANGEL; OR, LED INTO THE LIGHT. THE LILY SERIES, Uniform with this Volume. The design of this Series is to include no books except such as are peculiarly adapted by their high tone, pure taste, and thorough principle to be read by those persons, young and old, who look upon books as upon their friends only worthy to be received into the Family Circle for their good qualities and excellent characters. In view of this design, no author whose name is not a guarantee of the real worth and purity of his or her work, or whose book has not been subjected to a rigid examination, will be admitted into the 'Lily Series." 1. A Summer in T.eslie Gold- thwaite's Life. WHITNEY. 2. The Gavworrhys. WHITNEY. 3. Fuith. Gartney. WHITNEY. 4. The Gates Ajar. PHELPS. 5. Little Women. ALCOTT. 6. Good Whet. ALCOTT. 1 Alone. HARLAND. 8. I've been Thinking. ROE. 9. Ida May LANGDON. 10. The Lampliihfer. OUMMIKGh 11. Stepping Ilea'-enward. PREXTIS8. 12. Gynsy Bret/nton. PHELPS. 13. Av.nl Jane's Hero. PRENTISS. 14 ll'iila, Wide World. WETMERELL. 15. Queechy. WETHERKLL. 10. Looking Round. ROE. 17. Fabri '. A Stimi of To-Day IS. Our Village: Tides. MITFORD. 19. the Winter Fire. PORTER. 20. t'lnivr <>> thl ttimily. PRENTISS. 21. Mercy Gliddon's Work. PHELPS 22. Patience Strong. .WHITNEY. 23. SnmetHnn to Do. ALCOTT. 24. Gertrude's Trial. JEFKERIS. 25. The Hidden Pci 'h. HAIILAXD. 2B. Uncle Tom's Cabin. STOWE. 27. Fireside fy Camp Stories. ALCOTT. 28. The Shady Side. A PASTOR'S WIFE. 29. T/it Sunny Side. TRl'STA. 30. What Katy Did. CoOLIDGB. 31. Fern Leaves Jrom Fanny's Portfolio. 32. Shadows and Sunbeams. FERN. 3:5. Whnt Katy did at School. COOLIDdE. St. Shiloh. " JAY. 35. Pressing Heavenward. PRF.NTISS. 80. Gypsy's Sowing fy Reaping. PHELPS. 37. Gipsy's Cousin Jay. PHELPS. 38. Gypsy at Golden Creicent. PHELPS. 39. Moral Tales. EDGEWORTH. 40. Popular 1'alet. EDGEWOHTH. 41. The Prince of the Soute of Da 42 Anna Lee. 43. The Throne of David. 44 The Pillar of Fire. 45. Pni'lenre Palfrey. 40. Peep at Xumber Five. 47. Marjnrie's Quest. 48. Our Village: Country Picf 49. Woman ovr Anrtel, 50. How Marjory Helped. 51. Mabel Vaunhnn. 52. Mi^bourne House. 53. Father Clement. 54. Dunallan. 55. from Jest to Earnest. 50. Jessamine. 57. MissGH/tirt's Catccr. 58. Tl,e Old llthnet. 59. Forging thei CO. llaisy. 61. Our Ifele IKGRAHAM. ARTHUR INGRAHAM. INGRAHAM. ALDRICH-. TRUSTA. GOULD. MITFORD. HOE. CARROLL. GUMMING. WETHERELI/. KENNEDY. KENNEDY. ROE. llARLAND. Career. HOLLAND. et. WETIIF.IIELL. Oain Chains. CORNWALL. WETHEKELL. MAY 02. That Lass n' Lowrie's. BURNETT, 63. The I'ear> that arr Told. PORTER. 64. Kear to Nature's Heart. ROE. Co. Ktther Donylai. BASKIN. GO. A. Knight of the Nineteenth Century. ROE. 07. Release,!. OS. Quinne'-asset Girls. 09. Jl'len. 70. The Fairchilil Family. BASKHT. PORTER. EDGEWORTH. SHERWOOD. COBBOLD. Onhal. SPENDER. e : A Story of French Love. 74. Onward to the Heights of Life. 7-. Perry Il.irnson't Mistake. 76. Car! Krinken. WETHERELL. 77. Without a Home. ROE. 78. Her Wedding Day. HARLANn. WAKD, LOCK, & Co., LONDON AND NEW YOEK. WOMAN OUR ANGEL; OR, LED INTO THE LIGHT. A. S. ROE, AUTHOR OF " I'VE BEEN THINKING," " LOOKING AROUND," ETC. WARD, LOCK AND CO. LONDON: WARWICK HOUSE, SALISBURY SQUARE, E.G. NEW YORK: 10, BOND STREET WOMAN OUR ANGEL. CHAPTER I. IIONALD ROLAND had been on a ride to one of his farms, and was returning through a large tract of woods. He was walking his horse, in order to avoid the impending branches that lined the narrow wagon-track, when he heard, as he thought, the neigh of a horse. Immediately Hunter pricked up his ears and whinnied as though he had recog- nized an acquaintance. Supposing, of course, there must be another traveller in the woods besides himself, and probably they would soon meet, he kept his eye in the direction of the road ; but he could see only a short distance in advance of his progress, as the path was curving, and the undergrowth of wood quite dense. Coming soon, however, to a point where a clear view could be obtained for some distance ahead, he began to be somewhat alarmed, as no person was in sight ; and yet the neigh of a horse was again heard by him, and not far off. The reason for his alarm was, that on one side of the path he was travelling there extended for some distance a swamp covered with dense spruce, and part of it dangerous, on account of its very loose substratum in some places a positive quicksand. As it was well known to all persons living in that vicinity, and far removed from the highway, there had never been apprehension of danger ; consequently, it was left unguarded by a fence. As he kept his eye upon the swamp, feeling almost certain that the sound had proceeded from that quarter, just as he came to an opening in the bushes, he was almost horror-stricken by the view which burst upon 2138122 Woman our Angel. him. A younj lady, arrayed in a handsome riding-suit, was clinging to one of the bushes, and near to her a horse, which he recognized at once as his own Tom. Springing from his horse, and throwing the bridal rein over the saddle, he prepared to enter the dangerous locality. The only possi- ble way by which he could get to the scene of the disaster was by carefully treading on the roots of the small trees, and this had to be accomplished at times by a leap from one to the other, for the bushes were more scattered here than in any other portion of the swamp. He had thus proceeded for some rods, when he found himself within a rail's length from the young lady, but without the possibility of making any further approach, for the ground between him and her was too treacherous to venture upon ; indeed, when the lady saw him place his foot upon the quivering soil, she called out : " Oh ! don't, don't ! do not venture ! I have tried it with a stick there is no substance to it." Donald saw, as he looked at her, that she appeared quite self-possessed ; her beautiful countenance, radiant with health, seemed bright and cheerful, although somewhat excited by the effort she was constantly obliged to make in keeping her position. The small tree upon whose base she stood was barely sturdy enough to give some little aid in keeping an erect position, and the footing afforded by the branching roots was of the smallest possible compass. " I am glad to see," said Donald, " that you do not appear to be alarmed." " Oh ! I am not alarmed now," she replied with a smile ; " but how shall we get out ? " " Can you hold on for a few moments longer ? " " Oh ! yes ; if I can only keep the pony quiet ; but ever since he heard the neigh of your horse he has been restless, and every motion he makes sinks him deeper into the marsh. I got off from him in order to relieve him of my weight." "If you can throw the reins over his head" she was holding the pony near to his head, he being close beside her " I think he will try to clear himself. Wait, however, until I get to the solid earth again, and I will call him." Donald was soon back to the road, and giving a peculiar whistle, the active creature, after a desperate struggle, bounded forward, but only apparently to sink the deeper. Another whistle and an encouraging call from his master but the poor beast was unable to move ; he stood panting and looking wistfully at young Roland, as though asking for aid. It was evident that alone he would not be able to extricate the horse. That was, however, with him now a Woman our Ansel. secondary matter. The situation of the young lady absorbed his thoughts, and how to relieve her was a difficult problem. Had there been a rail fence near at hand, he could soon have made a bridge sufficient to bear her weight ; or if an axe were to be had, he might cut saplings as a substitute. His only resource was to find, if possible, broken branches that might lie about the woods. This was, however, not easily accomplished ; some were too large for him to handle, and some too small to be of much service. But he gathered what he could, and with great difficulty made his way with them to the spot were the young lady stood. The energy he manifested excited her sympathy, and more than once she expressed her deep regret that she had caused him so much trouble. " The trouble is nothing," he replied, " if I can only make a platform that will bear my weight." " Oh ! but it need not bear so much as that," she replied ; "you must not try to come to me; do you think I may venture now ? " "Not yet, by no means; have a little more patience; I will be back soon." He thought if he could only procure a pole that would reach the tree to which she was clinging, and rest one end of it on that, he could hold the other end, and thus afford her the means of steadying herself as she traversed the bushy path- way. It took some time to accomplish this ; and when the pole was extended, and she, loosing her hold upon the tree, grasped it, and ventured upon the frail tangled causeway, Donald trembled with anxiety. A little flutter or haste in her movement, and all his labour would have been in vain ; and a fall might have been attended with most serious conse- quences. A ten-foot pole might easily have been thrust down into the quagmire its whole length. Carefully she stepped, apparently without the least perturbation, until she grasped his outstretched hand, and his strong arm held her firmly upon the narrow foothold where he stood. Not a word was said by either, as he at once pointed out the spots where she could place her foot, himself preceding her, but never loosing his firm grasp of her hand until they both stood on the solid ground. The effort which the young lady made, both of body and mind, had been a little too much for her physical powers, and Roland noticed that she was trembling, and on looking at her, perceived she was very pale. He immediately seated her on a rock close at hand. " You must be very much fatigued, Miss Herbert I believe I must be right in giving you that name ? " Woman our Angel. She smiled as she replied, " And I believe it is Mr. Roland to whom I am indebted for this deliverance ? " " My name is Roland. I have been wishing for an intro- duction ever since your brother Jeft; for, although you were at my house on the evening of 'his departure, both he and myself were so absorbed in some business matters, and the boat coming along sooner than we anticipated, the promise he had made of an introduction to his sisters was doubtless forgotten in the excitement of parting from you. May I presume upon the present scene as all-sufficient for that purpose." " If you are satisfied, sir, I am sure I ought to be buthov) shall we rescue that dear horse ? He has acted almost like an intelligent being. You see I thought he was thirsty, and turned him down here that he might drink ; but although I think he did want to drink, yet the moment he dipped his feet in the water he shrank back, but I urged him in, and then he began to flounder and plunge forward. He seemed to know, however, that the firmer footing was near the trees ; and when he reached the one where you found me, I thought my best plan was to alight and relieve the horse, and by clinging to the tree I might save myself from sinking in the mire until I could devise some way of getting out, or some one might come along who could offer me assistance. But I see now that I have been in more real danger than I thought for. There! there! he is trying to get .clear please do call him as you did before! " The horse had made a violent effort, and had succeeded in getting so near the track by which Roland had gone back and forth, that the gentleman was enabled to approach near enough to reach him with his hand. For a few moments he endeavoured to calm the excited creature, by patting him and saying encouraging words ; he then took the bridle and attempted to lead him. The desperate effort Tom made under these circumstances, had like to have resulted in serious consequences to his master. Roland made, in his haste, a false step ; he lost his foothold on the path, and was to all appearances falling under the horse's feet, when luckily he caught hold of a branch, and by a violent effort prevented the catastrophe ; the horse plunged forward and gained the solid earth. Miss Herbert had arisen from her seat, and as she saw the danger in which her deliverer was for the instant placed, she screamed aloud and rushed forward to his rescue. " Stop ! stop ! " he quickly said, " I am all right," and in a moment more he was by her side. Overcome by the Woman our Angel. excitement she had been under, and perhaps overjoyed to find the whole thing so happily terminated, she burst into tears. Roland said nothing, but gently led her again to a seat, while he busied himself for a while in rubbing down the noble horse with leaves and grass, for every limb was trem- bling from the great effort he had made. When his horse was somewhat recovered, he led him up to where she was seated. "Perhaps, Miss Herbert, it may be a relief to you to mount again. Allow me to assist you." She readily took his offered hand, and was soon on the back of her faithful beast, who now seemed as fresh as ever. Again, as she felt herself once more safely seated on the comfortable saddle, the tears started and streamed silently down her lovely cheeks. Roland witnessed her emotion, but made no attempt to soothe perhaps from motives of delicacy, as she might not wish to know that he was con- scious how deeply she felt. He at once prepared to mount his hunter, and, riding up to her with a pleasant smile on his face, (Donald's smile was like the sun breaking through a cloud ; his expression in general was of that sober cast, almost bordering on sternness, that the contrast was not only marked, but peculiarly pleasing) " May I consider, then, Miss Herbert, that my introduction has been accomplished legitimately, and that I may offer my sendees for the remainder of the ride ? " " By all means," she replied, " although I fear you must think me very heartless that I have not yet given you one word of thanks for all your trouble believe me, I do " " Please let that pass say not a word about it. I feel that I owe thanks to good luck, or whatever it was that brought me to your rescue." Mary Herbert was somewhat shocked at the idea expressed in the latter part of his remark ; not merely because he had used the word luck, but from the qualification he annexed to it. Somehow it had a cold, heartless sound, that affected her sensibly. If he meant by "whatever it was" to refer to Divine Providence, it seemed to her to be greatly wanting in reverence ; but the frankness of his manner, combined with such delicate politeness, flashed also at the same time across her mind, and no doubt tended to modify if not to overcome the unpleasant impression. The feeling, however, was not caused by any reasoning or analysis of his remark; it was a mere impression, like a sudden waft of air from an unexpected quarter ; it came and passed away at the instant, although doubtless leaving a mark that she could not entirely get rid of, Woman our Angel. as we shall see hereafter ; but she replied at once, and in a very pleasant manner : " Well, if you will not let me express my thanks, I suppose I may feel them ; and indeed I have great reason to be thankful; not only for my deliverance from peril, but for an escort out of these woods ; for, to tell the truth, I have been lost. I took a path into these woods which looked very in- viting, as I rode along the highway ; and meeting other paths, I diverged into one of them, which led me into this, and this seems to lead nowhere, as I can see, in particular. In fact, I have wandered until I have lost all points of the compass. This has indeed been a very eventful day to me, and one I shall not soon forget ; if you had not come along, what should I have done ? " " I suppose we may as well drop the inference implied in that if that is, if the preachers are right ; my coming along was as much ordained as your getting into the mire ; we were both of us mere tools in the hand of fate." " Not mere tools, do you think ? I came into trouble from not using my common-sense, and venturing carelessly into unknown paths ; and you exercised much good sense and judgment, besides extraordinary energy, in delivering me from the dilemma into which my rashness had led me." " I do not pretend to think either way. Chance, I take it, has a great deal to do with most occurrences in life. Now it was a mere whim that led me to take the path through the woods in preference to the common road." " But may not that whim, as you call it, have been induced by the Spirit who controls all events ? Now I look upon you as an agent of our heavenly Father, directed by an unseen guidance to me in an hour of peril." " That brings us back to the assertion you objected to that we are controlled by fate." " If I knew what you mean by fate, I could say yes or no to your assertion." " I mean that unchanging power which controls all human destinies and infolds them with its mighty chain, and drives them through its own hidden paths to accomplish its own pre- determined ends ; that seems to me the essence of the doctrine of foreordination." " But without, do you think, any reference to our own free agency?" " Remember it is no thought of mine. I merely give you the substance of a doctrine very generally taught : my own sense repels the idea that we can be free agents, and yet our wills ovej ruled and our course directed by a superior power." Woman our Angel. " I am not a theologian, as you may guess, and therefore shall not attempt to reconcile what seems to be a contradic- tion. We may believe, however, that they are reconcilable to Infinite Wisdom, if not to us finite creatures." " Then we must cast away our reasoning powers, which alone make us responsible as free agents, and go blind- fold !" " Not necessarily, as I take it. Our reason teaches us that there is an Almighty Maker and Ruler, and furthermore that his power and wisdom must be beyond our comprehension. Surely if we can yield assent to the fact that he made all things out of nothing, we may be willing to acknowledge that in his government there may be principles at work we cannot understand." "Your last proposition, Miss Herbert, is undoubtedly correct. There are principles at work which we cannot understand ; but if I should say to you that two parallel lines, run to a certain distance, would certainly come together, you would object to my proposition on the ground that I reverse a mathematical axiom it is contrary to reason. Must I drop my reasoning powers when I come in contact with divine re- velation ? must I not judge of spiritual matters as I do of material by the rule of reason ? " " So far as reason can guide us, undoubtedly we must ; but our reason has boundaries which it cannot pass, as our com- prehension has limits that are palpable to us. May we not one day be able to understand clearly that a perfect agree- ment exists between what now seems antagonistic, just as a person may be able by prolonged study to understand mathe- matical propositions once to his view not only abstruse but even absurd ? " " Pardon me, Miss Herbert, but I was not speaking of what may possibly come to pass, but of our present condition and circumstances; your conclusions are no doubt correct if we are to ignore the present and launch into the future and the un- known. Our present condition is positive ; the only guide we have is at fault ; the way is dark, and the more we try to peer through the mist, the more confused we become, and the horror of great darkness broods over the gulf beyond." ''The more need, then, do you not think, of a Father's guiding hand a Father 's watchful care and ceaseless love ? " Roland did not reply; a sigh escaped him, and his com- panion, thinking that the subject was not agreeable, did not wish to continue it. For a short distance they rode side by side in silence. At length Roland asked : " How do you like your horse, Miss Herbert ?" 8 IV oman our Angel, " Oh ! he is a lovely creature I only wonder how you could agree to part with him." " I should not have done so under common circumstances, and had I not believed he was going into the possession of those who could appreciate him." " I do appreciate him, I assure you, and the kindness of his master too ; for I cannot but think that it was more from a principle of generosity than any other feeling that I have been permitted to call him mine, and have enjoyed already so many pleasant rides. And I am very happy in having an oppor- tunity for presenting my thanks, which I do most heartily, for the loan of these beautiful equipments. I never enjoyed so easy a saddle before." " I accept your thanks it more than compensates but must make a slight protest against the use you have made of the term generosity. You know the preachers tell us there is nothing good in man, and that supreme selfishness tinctures all our acts." " Oh ! please do not refer to the preachers again. I have but just recovered breath from one tilt on their behalf; have pity and spare me from another." " I do not wish to argue the point," replied Roland; "I am only anxious to know whether you receive the doctrine as laid down." " No, I do not, as some define it; I do not believe we are any of us as bad as we might be, and that many beautiful traits are still manifest in the heart of man, just as there are lovely flowers blooming sometimes in barren wastes. There are oases in the moral as well as the natural world." Roland, smiling, replied : "And there are treacherous quick- sands, too, into which the unwary traveller is tempted by the limpid water that lies above them." " But even these may be only mementoes of our obligations to our heavenly Father and our earthly benefactors." Miss Herbert did not smile as she fixed her eye on Roland, but her voice trembled, and there was a hesitancy in bringing out the last word, as though somewhat at a loss for the right one. " But where have we got now?" This she said in a more lively manner, and the remark was caused by an apparent ending of the road, which indeed was merely a cart-track amid the dense woods. It had been used in carrying off quite a large tract of wood which had been cut some years before, and was now lost amid a thick growth of small trees, which had taken the place of the once towering oaks. " We are as far as a lady can very well go on horseback; but if you are not too much fatigued, I would i ivite you to alight, Woman our Angel. and I will accompany you to a spot of a somewhat interesting character ; and, in fact, I have come purposely on this path, that I may introduce you to it. If I judge rightly, you have a fond- ness for wild and lonely scenery." The peculiar smile which played over his features lighted them with a brilliancy that Miss Herbert had not before noticed, and she could not help inwardly exclaiming, " Can the heart be bad that speaks through such a face ? " She did not immediately respond to his suggestion, for a rush of thought as well as feeling for the moment oppressed her. "But, perhaps," continued Roland, "you may not feel like walking just now? We will take some other oppor- tunity." " Oh ! by no means. I feel perfectly refreshed and ready for anything but another quagmire." " I would not willingly lead you into one, either material or mental. I know the misery of the latter too well to wish another in the same dilemma ; and I hope you will pardon the uncalled-for suggestions on my part, that I fear may have given you pain. I sometimes speak without due reflection." " We all do that, I believe at least, I know I do." She was going to say that they had not troubled her in the least ; but as she could not do it with perfect truthfulness, she re- frained. Assisting her to alight, and securing the horses, he led her a few paces and then entered a path only wide enough for a single passenger ; it was, however, but a few rods in length, when it emerged into a beautiful grove of cedars, with occasionally a large oak spreading its arms far over the soft turf; the cedars were in clumps, with intervening spaces through which they could make their way two abreast. Offer- ing his arm, Roland proceeded to thread their way through the openings ; and Miss Herbert, perceiving the traces of a foot-path, as though made by a single traveller, remarked : " This seems to be a highway for some one, although the entrance to it is rather obscure." " I do not know that any one besides myself ever treads it. But here we are." Just then they had passed around a clump of cedars and were standing on a flat rock covering a space of perhaps twenty-five feet by fifty. The surface of the rock was perfectly smooth and nearly level as a floor, the edges lined with natural turf, which seemed almost to be growing upon it. On one side an English larch, with its branches quite low, together with a thick cluster of cedars, inclosed it from io Woman our Angel. observation; while on the other some chestnut-trees of large size spread their arms over it, affording a complete shelter from the sun, and giving a sombre complexion to the whole inclosure. Immediately before them, sparkling through the tops of bushes, rolled the beautiful Hudson, only in part, however, visible from where they stood, with mountains, whose bases formed the western shore, full in view. "This is lovely! " exclaimed Miss Herbert. "But it is more than that it fills one with solemnity ; it seems like a Bethel." " It might be, to one who could see the ladder and the heavenly messengers upon it." A suppressed sigh escaped the lips of Roland with the words he had just uttered. His companion noticed it, and a deep sympathy was at once excited. She even thought she discovered a tremour in the tones of his voice. She made no reply, and he con- tinued : "I admire it for its solitude and seclusion. You know sometimes one wishes to get away from the world, to be alone with one's own thoughts, where the surroundings have nothing to remind us of the dull routine of life." " And nothing but the works of God about us," said Miss Herbert, almost interrupting his remark, as though she wished to connect the thought with what he was saying. He did not-, reply .it once, as if at a loss for the proper answer. "True," he said, "that is very true. Some mighty hand above the power of man planted this rock and reared those mountains. Almighty he must be but " He paused, and, as though wishing to change the discourse, said : " Shall we take a look from the other end ? Are you accus- tomed to looking over precipices ? " " Not much." "There is not much danger in this case, except to a fool- hardy adventurer." As they reached the western extremity of the rock the river opened to view in all i|> beauty. It lay like a beautiful lake beneath them, inclosed on every side with towering hills- some, bare, broken rocks, and others wooded even to their summits. Miss Herbert was perfectly silent. She seemed filled with admiration at the varied grandeur of the scene. At length she said : " Is the river so far below us, or is that but a small sail-boat I see on the other side ? " " Please let me lead you to a place where you can have a more appreciating view of the distance to the water below." Woman our Angel. It Just on one corner of the precipice a stout cedar, whose roots seemed to be bedded beneath the solid rock, threw one of its branches out parallel with the point of the cliff. It had been trimmed off, and afforded a clean and stout brace on which one might lean with apparent security. "Now, Miss Herbert, you may lean over this with perfect safety, but to be doubly sure, allow me to hold your hand." She readily extended her hand, and resting against the branch, looked over, but almost immediately drew back. " It is fearful ! " she exclaimed. " This rock must overhang the river." "I presume not," Roland replied ; "but the face is per- pendicular, and extends in the same way to quite a depth beneath the surface of the river." "There is no shore then ?" " Nothing but the face of this rock against which the waters wash. " May I look again ? I was somewhat startled at the first view, the water looked so fearfully dark." And again, though for a much longer time, she looked over and gazed at the water as it rushed past. " A fall from here would be certain death ? " ' ' Most likely. But is there not a fascination in looking down .rand watching the running water ?" " There is indeed ! The more I look, the more I want to." " I have often imagined, while leaning over that branch as you have been, how a person disgusted with the vicissitudes of life, and tired of endeavouring to solve the problem of human existence, might in some unhappy mood seek relief from his troubled thoughts by a plunge below." "He would soon have all doubts solved," replied Miss Herbert, " but it would be knowledge gained at too costly a price." " True that is no doubt true. We do not, however, always count the cost of our actions. But now let me show you a spot where, if you should ever in your tides feel like visiting this place, you may, if you choose, take a rest." So, leading her to the opposite side from that where they had been stand- ing, she immediately discovered a singular contrivance for a seat. It was formed of the branches of two cedar-trees in- tertwined, and supported by bringing down branches from above. " Please try it." "This is luxury indeed fragrance, and perfect ease, and beauty all combined. If the view downward from that corner should tempt some unhappy mortal to a deed of evil, this seat would surely tend to foster a very different view of things. 12 Woman our Angel. From this one must be induced to look upward ; for there is everything to attract the gaze that way the soft blue sky, in trembling patches through those trees ; the distant mountain- tops, just far enough to put on their hazy covering ; the gentle murmur that comes up from the unseen river not altogether unseen either, for there is an opening through those trees that line this crest that gives a sight of it, sparkling about the base of yonder mountain. It seems like a picture, it is so sepa- rated from all its surroundings, hung up to adorn this temple. Surely one might swing to sleep here and have pleasant dreams." " It shall be sacred to your use, then, after this, Miss Her- bert, whenever you may feel like a visit here." " Oh ! thank you, thank you ! I think I should like to come very often ; but I fear I should get lost in finding it." " I can show you a more direct path than that by which you came ; but I advise you to refrain, if you should be here alone, from indulging the downward view; a false step, a little dizziness, might be fatal." " Thank you ; I will abide by your advice." "And now, if you will remain here a few moments, I will bring our horses; we will gain the highway by another path." He immediately withdrew, and was in a moment lost to sight. Miss Herbert resumed her seat her thoughts in a strange tumult ; the whole scene of the hour past rushing through her mind : her deliverance from danger, the bearing of her deliverer his gentlemanly behaviour, his expressive countenance, his fascinating smile, his piercing eye, his train of thought, all mingled confusedly, but each making its im- pression upon her mind. It was a strong impression ; but whether in his favour or against him she would have been un- able to decide, except as to one particular unbounded confi- dence in his genuineness. He was no hypocrite ; nothing false could attach to him a true gentleman ; she would trust herself with him under any circumstances. As soon as the horses appeared, Miss Herbert left her seat, and was ready to be assisted to her saddle. The few moments that Roland had been absent had wrought a strange spell on the heart of Mary Herbert. She could not tell why ; for surely she did not love him. No, not yet ; perhaps she never will ; but his presence now brings something with it. Call it a charm, an influence, an unseen power whatever it was, her heart felt it, the colour on her lovely cheek, the tremour in her hand, as he took it to assist her in mounting, all bore witness to it. She knew not why she should thus feel. She may find out one of these days ; at present she has only the conscious- Woman our Angel. 13 ness of its effect ; she has not even had time to ask herself why it was or what it was. A very pleasant path was that by which Roland piloted the young- lady. First through clumps of cedars, following a well- defined path, then through a gentle ravine and along the border of a sparkling brook, with overhanging chestnut and oak the turf smooth as velvet and cropped close by sheep, who were then reclining in scattered groups beneath the larger trees. From this beautiful spot, which Miss Herbert named " The Vale of Content," they emerged upon a retired country road, lined with stone fences, winding around through gentle eminences, many of which were spotted with cedars. "How tempting that old bucket looks, hanging over the well, and dripping, I suppose, from a recent dip into the spring." " Would you like a drink ? " said Roland, in reply. " Oh ! it is of no consequence ; please do not trouble your- self; we shall no doubt soon be home." " That is no good reason why you should not be refreshed at once. The beverage is of the purest quality, I can assure you ; and, moreover, the lady of the house will hardly forgive me for passing without giving her an opportunity to say a word to me. She is the truest friend I have in the world. Take a note of her, and I will give you her character at another time." Roland, as he said this, reined up to the little gate, that opened into a neat inclosure, where not a stray chip or even weed could be seen. The grass must have been swept with a broom, as well as the flagging that led from the gate to the door, which was on one side of the house, and from the door to the well. The house was small, of one story, without paint, and old, for moss had gathered plentifully on the roof; but'lc had a very neat and comfortable aspect. Fine shades our- rounded it, and altogether it denoted respectability, without any pretension beyond that of an humble cottage. Scarcely had Roland dismounted when an elderly woman appeared in the doorway her dress plain, her countenance prepossessing, her eye dark and brilliant, and yet the expres- sion mild ; the cap on her head, the kerchief about her neck and covering her breast, the trim of the gown, long and of a full pattern all so appropriately arranged, had an air of gentility not often witnessed among those of humble life. "Good morning, Aunty," said Roland; "all I want this morning is a tumbler, the big flowered tumbler, Aunty." The last sentence he pronounced in a louder voice, for she had already gone in to comply with his request. 14 Woman our Angel. "You fancy the water is sweeter out of this," handing it to him as he came up to the door. "Well, you know, I fancy it on account of old times. Thank you. But I want one thing more. I wish to intro- duce you to a young lady who has but just come into our place, and one I think you will like, and I think she will like you." "With great pleasure would I make her acquaintance." And at once she accompanied Roland to the gate, outside of which Miss Herbert remained, still seated on her horse. " Miss Herbert," said Roland, " I take the liberty of intro- ducing to you Mrs. Haywood; you will probably hear her name mentioned very often, especially among our young people, who think Aunt Haywood about the wisest and best woman we have in these parts." " Now, Donald, is that fair," said the lady, "after bringing me out to make the acquaintance of this stranger young lady? And would it not be better, and more mannerly, in fewer words just to say who this lady is that you wish me to know ? for sure am I she must be a special favourite." Then turning toward the lady, " I assure you, Miss, I do not think this young gentleman has ever done such a thing in his life before as introduce a lady, especially a young lady, to any one." "Why, Aunty, to tell you the truth, I thought I might with perfect propriety introduce you, being an old friend. But my acquaintance with this lady does not warrant my going beyond the mention of her name only from the short acquaint- ance I have, I judge she would like the privilege, when she rides along here, of stepping in occasionally and having a little chat with you." " You are from the city, I judge, Miss ? " " No, indeed, madam ; I merely spent a day there on my way here. You have a charming country here, ma'am " "Very fair, Miss, though pretty wild in some spots, but pleasant to those who love mountains and woods, and nature generally as God has made it, plcasanter to me than all the handiwork of man ; but, Donald, please help this lady alight, and come in and rest awhile." The young lady looked at Roland, as though awaiting his will in the matter. " I think, Aunty, as Miss Herbert has dismounted several times already this morning, she maybe somewhat fatigued. What do you think of her having unwittingly ventured into th Spruce Swamp ? " " Surely not ! or how could she be here ? *' Woman our Angel. 15 " Indeed she did, and but for the chance of my coming along, I fear would have been there still." " It was indeed a happy chance, then, that led you that way, both for the sake of this dear child, and for your own sake too, Donald, for I am thinking your mind would have had an additional burden upon it had any harm come to her through your fault." " Oh ! but my dear madam," exclaimed the young lady, with much earnestness, "there was no fault on his part; he made superhuman exertions to rescue me, and at serious risk to himself." "I have not the least doubt of that, Miss; and that he would willingly have risked not only danger, but even his life, rather than not have rescued yourself or any other lady from peril ; but he should never have allowed such a dangerous spot to be unguarded." " You are right, Aunty ; and I assure you my conscience has upbraided me bitterly all this morning, and I shall not rest until a strong fence is thrown around it. And now, Miss Herbert, you perceive that what you were pleased to consider gallantry on my part, and for which you wished to thank me, turns out to be a purely selfish act an additional testimony in favour of total depravity." " Don't you reply to him, Miss. He knows well enough that he is not so bad as he might be, and that he has many noble, generous feelings, which God has endowed him with, and for which he ought to be thankful." " Well, Aunty, you have not invited this young lady yet to call upon you, as she rides by." " I trust she will never do that without stopping to rest a bit. And besides, my dear Miss, he knows perfectly well that no child ever felt more free to come himself or introduce a friend to a parent's home, than he does here indeed, he is all I have left to love in this world." There was such a tender, earnest tone to the voice of the old lady, and her bright eye was so softened by the mist spread over it, that Mary Herbert was much affected. She did not wish to manifest a feeling of interest, and yet in spite of anything that had dropped from him in their previous con- versation that had excited prejudice, she could not but feel that he had a noble nature that he was one a woman might love with an intense affection. After bidding adieu to the old lady, they were soon riding up the avenue to the Bradford House : where Roland, having escorted his fair charge, retained to his own home, to ponder the events of the day, and perhaps to find feelings at work in his breast to which he had hitherto been a stranger. CHAPTER II. ; ARY HERBERT was, perhaps, from her pecu- liar training, better calculated to attract a mind like that of Donald Roland than any u.imarried lady he had as yet known. She was on many accounts a child of nature ; that is, her manners and habits of thought had not been induced by any formal training in a fashionable school or even by mingling with fashionable society ; indeed, her mother and her mother's family were accustomed to a very plain style. Her education, and that of her sister, had been directed by their father, and that, too, under many disadvantages. But feeling intensely how his own life had been thrown away, he resolved to do all in his power to redeem it from a perfect failure by laying a founda- tion in the moral and mental training of his children, upon which usefulness and respectability might be established. Being himself a man of refined tastes and gentle manners, he had done what he could, by conversation and instruction from general principles, to train them in cultivating the more feminine graces. Their minds he was enabled to edu- cate by having on hand a well-selected library. This portion of his property he had happily retained happily for himself and for them. While they were in childhood, almost his only companions had been the choice spirits whose works he had, in days of plenty, collected on his shelves. With them he could lose himself, and forget, for a time, the petty annoy- ances to which his domestic life was subject. And now, when his children had become of an age to appreciate them, by a judicious selection of subjects adapted to their comprehen- sion he led them on from step to step, conversing with them, as he had opportunity, on what they were reading, and care- fully mingling the dulce and the tittle the cultivation of taste as well as the gaining of useful knowledge. And in this 16 Woman our Ana-el. way, in spite of untoward influences, he had the happiness to know, before he was taken away, that their minds were, so far as he could judge, better informed than those of their com- panions who had enjoyed advantages in what are called select schools. But beyond this, he had reason to believe they had formed a taste for reading and a capacity for gathering infor- mation which would go with them through life. His means, we have seen, were very limited ; by self-denial he had been able to add some few useful works of more recent date to his stock of classic literature, and one that he prized as of ines- timable value to young ladies as well as for those of advanced life the works of Miss Hannah More. They were, indeed, written for a state of society which has, in a great measure, passed away ; but they introduce one to a style of writing and living of an elevated character. And as her life was passed, especially in its earlier stage, among some of the brightest minds that have adorned the pages of English history, and with whom she was on terms of most intimate friendship, her life and letters afford a complete illustration of a high stan- dard of thought, as well as a delineation of pure characters in an elevated state of society, most refreshing to the mind when wearied with the commonplace, utilitarian routine of the present day. The unwearied pains which Mr. Herbert took thus to fit his daughters for usefulness and happiness had, of course, a tendency to give him an influence over their minds and a hold on their affections that endeared his memory in the most tender and sacred manner. Every wish he had expressed, every item of advice he had given, was treasured with most assiduous care, and religiously observed. Their peculiar trials during the period that their mother lived as the survivor of their parents, have already been in some measure unfolded ; they need not be repeated here. Mother is a very sacred name ; too sacred to be tarnished by unnecessary exposure of one unworthy of the title. They are now orphans, and, as we have seen, cling to William, their half-brother, as their guide and protector. His ardent affection to their common father ; his fraternal care and generous love for them, together with his manly character, have combined to give him an influence over them almost as great as the parent they have lost. It was the dyingrequcst of their father, that if at anytime they shouldbe placed in circumstances that required the counsel of a wise and tried friend, they should apply to him who had been the counsel- lor and guide of their brother, the Rev. Dr. Ransom. During the period in which they were left under the entire control of their mother, it was impossible for them to seek this advice, i8 Woman our Angel: or to have taken advantage of his protection in anyway ; and even William could do nothing beyond encouraging them to await with patience the period when they would be of an age to select for themselves such protection as they required. Soon after the death of their father, he, too, was thrown upon the world by the death of Mr. Stanley, and had to seek his for- tune in a foreign land. Some years elapsed before his return, when he found them under the care of an aged grandparent, living under circumstances very unfavourable for the cultiva- tion of mind or manners, and very disagreeable on account of the prejudice entertained by some members of the family against their father, whose memory was so precious to them. William being now of age, and having accumulated some little property, immediately took measures to be appointed their guardian ; and, with the assistance of his good friend, Mr. Tremain, succeeded in wresting their property from the hands of those who, in their anxiety to hoard it, were deny- ing them even the comforts of life. He then removed them to Woodburn, that they might, during his absence abroad, have the benefit of the watchful care and judicious advice of Dr. Ransom. The Doctor and his lovely wife would gladly have taken them under their own roof but for want of room. By his recommendation, however, they obtained an eligible situation near the Parsonage, at the old Brad- ford place, then in the possession of the youngest of that family, who, with a widowed sister and her children, was living there. Mary Herbert was now in her eighteenth year her per- sonal appearance attractive. We have already represented her as tall for her age, of graceful form, her hair quite dark, and a luxuriance of it, and in general arranged with an evi- dent design rather to keep it out of the way than to make the most of it as an ornament : as she usually wore it, the long natural curls formed a rich background to her finely-moulded neck and face. But one almost forgot about the beauty of her countenance in its natural and sweet expression ; there was an animation, delicacy, feeling, one might almost say intense feeling ; her dark eye, beneath its long lashes, seemed to be floating in liquid light, its brightness softened as if tear-drops had spread over them. It was very evident, too, that she was perfectly unconscious of possessing any charms beyond the plainest of her sex ; in fact, the peculiar training she had received had a tendency to draw her attention away from her personal ap- pearance. She had enjoyed no advantages from culti- vated society, and was by no means an expert as to the Woman our Angel. ig conventionalities of polite life ; all her present ease of manner and graceful deportment was the result of natural good sense, kindliness, and purity of heart and the evidence of this was the charm which had fascinated young Roland. He per- ceived there was delicacy without prudery, grace without affectation, a cultivated mind with apparent unconsciousness of any attainments beyond her age. This fresh, lovely being, thus thrown strangely in his path, had a powerful effect on the mind of Donald Roland, already softened, as the reader may have anticipated, by his recent acquaintance with Mrs. Sand- ford. That lady might not have been the most beautiful lady Roland had ever seen ; but there was such a combination of fascinating qualities that it may in truth be said she was the first who had awakened him to a sense of female loveliness : the fine oval face, the soft speaking eye, the ruby lips, with the witching smile trembling at the corners, the delicately- arched brows, the fair forehead, with its crown of glossy hair; the form faultless, and every movement graceful. He must have been callous indeed if, when thrown into a friendly inti- macy, he had been unaffected by her personal charms. But Mrs. Sandford had more than beauty ; there was a kindli- ness of feeling, a whole-heartedness in appreciating the in- terest of the moment, a manifestation of sympathy quick to kindle into laughter or tears, as the occasion called for them, an apparent abandonment of self for the feelings ot those around her all combined w r ith good common-sense and freedom from affectation, that no doubt threw all sense of mere personal beauty into the background. Her presence was an enchantment; and one could not well have said it was this quality or that, onlyyou wereconscious of apowerful charm. Hitherto Donald had rather shunned than courted the society of ladies those with whom he had casually associated were not to his taste ; he had, therefore, rather avoided the society of the softer sex. But Mrs. Sandford came across his path like a brilliant star taking its place in the firmament. At first his notice was attracted by her appearance. She was a novelty to him ; and, as pleasing qualities unfolded at each interview, he began to feel a satisfaction in her society he could not well define. Nor did he attempt to define it ; a want of his nature, however, seemed to be supplied ; he felt a freedom he had not hitherto enjoyed in the society of ladies; his conversation, too, he found need not be restricted within the narrow bounds of commonplace or merely local topics ; his own peculiar feelings, which hitherto had been closely cloistered, he could unfold to her, because he felt a conscious- ness that she could appreciate them. 2O IVontan our Angel Nor was the lady herself unaffected by this new intimacy. There was a manly bearing about Donald that would have been attractive to ladies in general a reserve of manner connected with an apparent desire to please an apprecia- tive mind a ready wit, that manifested itself in an unob- trusive way and politeness that seemed to be inbred. But what interested Mrs. Sandford more particularly in this new acquaintance was, not so much what was seen as in that which was hidden from common view some inner feeling that evidently exerted a powerful influence over the whole character. At times it would obtrude itself in a sentence, or even a word, and then again in a mere look perhaps an in- voluntary sigh, or a shade of sadness passing over the counte- nance like a dark cloud across the sun. She knew there must be something there, something of consequence ; and with all a woman's desire to soothe and heal, she cherished the wish to enter that inner recess and find out the cause of the shadow and the sigh. Now the reader need not be startled by this exposition of interest and sympathy on the part of this lady. It was the interest and sympathy of a pure and refined heart, unalloyed by even a taint of unhallowed feeling. Nor was the admira- tion of Donald Roland for her soiled with a thought of evil. Beauty and feminine grace and loveliness are gifts of God- and so are the rose and the lily. We may call them ours, and nourish them in our garden or window, and no stranger may feel at liberty nor have even a wish to pluck them from their stock. But when their rich tints and sweet perfume regale his senses and awaken in his heart admiration and gratitude toward their wonderful Creator, does it make their owner less the inheritor of his treasures, or their beauty and fragrance less precious to him ? The effect, however, of this acquaintance with Mrs. Sand- ford was all-powerful in lifting him out of the isolated con- dition in which he had hitherto lived ; and, on many accounts, it was for him a merciful visitation. The rich feelings with which by nature he had been endowed, were in danger of being crusted over and sealed up, for want of the attractive power of kindred feelings. A wealth of feeling is a blessing ; but, like all our good things, evils are so attendant upon them, that even the choicest gifts of God may be perverted to our discomfort. Donald Roland, shut up within himself, his im- passioned nature chained down for want of some potent charm to arouse its sensibilities, might have gone through life a cold recluse, unmoved ; and if indeed a stranger to its richer joys, at least inexperienced in those trials to which a susceptible Woman our Angel. heart is ever exposed. Whether, therefore, for good or for evil, the die with him is cast. He has come into a new world. New feelings are playing in his breast, and, on some accounts, everything about him has assumed; a new aspect. What those feelings are, and how he may be" affected by them, must be developed in time. The reader will doubtless perceive that we have gone back a little in our story from where we left off in the previous vo- lume. It was necessary, in order to introduce a scene which, from its peculiar circumstances, had brought Donald Roland and Mary Herbert into an intimacy that it might otherwise have taken many months to accomplish, and it was impossible for either of them, when they separated on that eventful day, not to have felt a peculiar interest in each other. We need not call it love unless we choose ; but certain it is, that Mary Herbert looked longer from the window at the gallant rider on his noble steed, who had waited on her to her home, than she had ever looked after any man before, unless it had been her own dear brother Willie ; and she looked, too, with new and strange interest. She noticed how well he rode, with what perfect ease he managed his horse, how he seemed to be a part of the noble creature that bore him, and that no move- ment of that creature could disturb the firm seat of his rider. And she had opportunity for a long view ; for Roland, wishing to take a shorter route to his home than by the travelled road, had leaped the stone fence which bounded the highway, and was going at a fine canter across an open field his own pro- perty directly toward a beautiful grove, that separated the view of his mansion from that of the Bradford house ; and when he was lost to view, she still stood and thought. " Dear sister, what are you looking at ?" Julia had come in haste from the back part of the house, having seen the servant leading Tom to the stable. "Nothing, dear," Mary answered, turning round, and removing her hat as she took a seat, and began arranging one of the feathers that she now perceived for the first time had become somewhat injured. "You must have had a long ride; you look tired and pale." "Do I ? Well, I am a little tired. I have been further than I designed." " Dear sister, something has happened to you ! What is the matter ? Do tell me." And putting her arm about her neck, the sweet girl gave her a kiss, repeating, " Do tell me, dear Mary, what it is ! " Just then a tear started and rolled down the elder sister's 22 Woman our Angel. pale, soft cheek. Wiping it away, Julia laid her face on Mary's neck, and began to weep too. " You are thinking of Willie I know you are, dear." The mention of that name, so dear to them both, was just then calculated to excite the wrought-up feelings of the elder sister, and she was compelled to let them have their way ; and thus, for a few moments, they sat clasped together, apparently weeping for the same cause. At length, Julia, whose tears came and went more easily than her sister's, raising her face, and tenderly wiping the traces of the outburst from Mary's cheek, said : " Now come, dear, let us go to our room and have a rest. I know you are very tired." Glad to have the whole matter solved in this way, and really unable herself to have said what it was that had caused her peculiar feeling, she willingly followed Julia to their private room. And yet Mary was not quite satisfied to let her sister go away with a false impression ; for, although the mention of their brother's name had increased the burden on her heart, it was not true that the tear which had first started was caused by thoughts of him, dear as he was to her. She had not been thinking of him, nor could she say with truth that she was thinking of any one in particular. But, trained as they had been to make confidants of each other, so that almost their thoughts were common property, she felt that the whole story of her adventures that morning was due to her sister. Why she had not told her at once she could not define, only that a strange reluctance at giving the particulars had come over her. She had done nothing wrong that she was conscious of. She was not ashamed of her companion, nor afraid to have all she had done or said known either to her sister or to the public ; there was nothing that need be kept secret, and yet she felt a strong temptation to secrecy. This, however, must not be. It was almost a dying injunc- tion of their father, that there should be the most perfect faith in each other, and that each should know and be kept ac- quainted with every purpose and act of the other. This, no doubt, had been enjoined for the special benefit of Julia, as being the younger; but still it was equally enjoined upon both, and Mary determined it should not be first violated by her. So, when her feelings had become-somewhat composed, and while Julia was combing back the ringlets that needed a little fixing after her ride, she began : " You asked me, sister, when you came into the room, what ailed me ? and if I were not tired ? I replied that I was some- Woman our Angel. 23 what tired ; but I think it could not have been altogether that, for I have often gone through much more fatigue and not minded it. I cannot explain to you the reason for it, but a strange sinking of my heart came over me, and a choking sensation. I felt as if I wanted to cry, and yet for no cause." "You were tired, dear, that is all. How far had you ridden ? " " I cannot tell you, for I do not know. I turned off from the highway, about two miles from here, into a path that led through the woods. It was delightful among those tall trees ; and you know I am so fond of the woods that I went on, Tom going on a gentle pace, until I came to a spot where two paths seemed to unite. I suppose I took the wrong one, for the further I went the less travelled it seemed to be. Again, another road diverged from this one, and, as I thought, in a direction towards home ; and this, too, seemed interminable. At length, on one side of the road, there seemed an opening, and a little pond of water lay there ; so, thinking Tom might be thirsty, I turned toward it ; but the moment he stepped into the water he appeared reluctant to remain, and tried to back out. So I urged him a little, and he plunged in, and then kept plunging forward, sinking every time so far into the soft soil that it required his utmost strength apparently to free himself; but the poor fellow at last planted his feet near to one of the larger bushes, and I suppose the roots gave him a slight support, for he halted; and I, thinking it would relieve the poor fellow, sprang from the saddle on to some moss that surrounded the clump of bushes, and stayed myself by clinging to the bush, with one arm around it, and the other holding Tom by the bridle." " O dear sister ! how did you get out ?" " By a wonderful deliverance. I saw there was no possible way by which I could, without some assistance, ever reach the solid ground, for I perceived I was in a swamp or quagmire, and I had landed on a spot from which I could not make the least headway toward the road ; for the only possible chance of getting through such a morass would be by stepping from bush to bush the roots affording some support to the foot ; but from where I landed to the next bush was all of a rod's distance, and the little trial I made convinced me that the superstratum had no consistency so there I was." " O dear sister ! how did you feel ? I should have screamed for help. I do believe I should have fainted dead away. Do tell me how you got out." " It would not have done to have fainted. The only ho 1 ?* 24 Woman our Angel. in such a situation is in keeping one's senses in full exercise, and to be perfectly calm." "O dear! perfectly calm ! but it must be you to do that I should have gone wild with terror ; but do tell quick how you managed." "Well, I stood still and held fast to the bush with one hand, and to Tom's head with the other. Poor fellow ! he seemed in agony almost, and panted as though he had been violently exercised. It was perfectly still, except occasionally a bird would fly twittering across or a bluejay scream. I lis- tened intently for the sign of a human being. I thought if 1 could have heard the sound of an axe 1 might, by calling aloud, perhaps attract notice. At last, Tom pricked up his ears. I knew he heard something, and I listened to find out, if possible, what had arrested his attention, when, all at once, he whinnied; and to my joy, I could distinctly hear the neigh of a horse, and apparently not far off ; and evidently I heard, too, the tread of a horse coming at a regular, moderate pace. My agitation now was intense. The hope of deliverance over- came me more than my fears had done." " But, dear Mary, how did you know whom it might be, and you all alone ? " "I had no fear on that account; but in a few moments more Tom whinnied again, and almost immediately a gentle- man on a splendid horse came in sight, and stopped and looked toward me. I could see he was surprised, and I thought alarmed. He sprang quickly from his saddle, threv the reins on the horse's neck, and came immediately toward me. He seemed to know where to step, and got along quite fast, until he came to the open place immediately before me. When he reached that spot he put on quite a cheerful coun- tenance, saying, with a smile, ' Don't be alarmed, miss.' I told him I was not alarmed then ; but said I : ' How shall I get away from here ?' 'Can you hold on a little longer ?' said he. 'Oh! yes,' I replied; 'but can you not call this horse ? He is so restless since seeing you that I fear he will get too deep in the mire to be extricated.' With that the gentleman went back the way he came, and when he got to land he whistled in a peculiar manner, and Tom gave a spring, freed himself, and plunged forward once or twice, and then had to stop." " But how did he get you out ? " " He gathered sticks and branches of trees, and made a causeway for me, so that I could reach nearly to where he was, when, with a firm grasp, he drew me close to him, and he held on to me until safely landed on terra firma" Woman our Angel. 25 " Who was he a gentleman ?" " The most of a gentleman that I have ever seen. It was r. Roland, Tom's former owner." "Why, Mary !" And then Mary gave a full and free account of the scene at the bower, of the topics of conversation, of their call at Mrs. Haywood's, and even to the parting salutation at their own door ; and closing, said : " He is a gentleman, I should say, of the purest stamp ; but oh ! I fear, dear Julia, he has some strange, dark views." " He is very handsome, is he not ? " said Julia. " Indeed, I suppose he would be called handsome ; but I never thought about his appearance. I was so taken up with his gentle attention and some peculiarities in his turn of mind ; but I should say he was not one easily forgotten at least I do not think I shall soon forget the scenes of this day, nor his very kind, I might almost say brotherly, atten- tions." The sisters, now having prepared themselves, left their room at the call of the dinner-bell. Mary felt somewhat relieved from having made a full recital of the events of the morning. But Mary had not told all; she did not yet know all. There was a strange commotion within she could not define, and therefore could not communicate ; and these little flashes of feeling that come with the thoughts of the scene she had passed through, are tokens of a sensation entirely new, and of which she herself is not yet conscious. Love is an affection often made light of, and, by not a few, held up to ridicule. It has been so abused, too, by false pretenders to the holy passion, that in our utilitarian age it is almost scouted from our vocabulary, as a word, whose meaning has been lost, if it ever had any beyond the wild fancy of poetic imagination. It has been prostituted to base and sordid purposes, and even at God's holy altar have fair and lovely beings done violence to their better nature, and committed perjury in its sacred name. But the holy principle implanted in the heart by Him whose name the tender passion bears, is still a power with the pure in mind a power superior to the ills of life ; whose holy in- fluence, like a healing balm, mollifies pain, soothes the spirit amid the trials and cares of life, sheds light upon our darkest day, and to all the pleasant things this world has yet for man, imparts a richer charm. Remove this power from its place, cast the sneer of scorn at its high pretensions, smoulder its pure flame beneath the ashes of lust and con- venience, and then adieu to the last relic of human bliss the Fall has left. 26 Woman our Angel. Mary Herbert had been trained in no conventional school. She was a child of nature, but nature purified by grace. Her teachings had been from the Word of God ; and her mind, filled with these holy precepts, moved in freedom ; for the true liberty of the soul rests upon obedience and trust. Her feelings were fresh and in all their virgin purity. Her mind had been diverted from the trifles common to her sex to sub- jects that tended to enlarge and purify. Her companions had been those of higher range of thought than she could have found among her fellows ; and although not well versed in the conventionalities of the refined life of her day, her taste was delicate, her judgment, if not matured, was correct, and hel sense of propriety keen, without being fastidious. She had great confidence in the honour of manhood, when presented in the garb of the gentleman ; and here, perhaps, her teaching may have been at fault. Without guile herself, she was un- suspicious, and perhaps in danger of confiding too easily in false credentials. We shall follow her with deep interest, as she is now thrown almost alone upon her own common-sense, but not without some apprehension. And now it may be in place to say something about the state of things which this interview has produced upon the mind of young Roland. When riding through the woods that day, he had been thinking more particularly of a scene he had enjoyed at the Sandfords' the past evening. He had become quite intimate there. Things had been arranged in the house and well arranged too order and neatness the prevailing characteristics and the sunny aspect of Mrs. Sandford illumined it with unvaried brightness. No matter how cloudy and dark without, there were no clouds nor darkness within. No particular attention was paid to Donald beyond that of any other guest ; but there was such a hearty welcome, such unobtrusive home politeness, such good cheer, such subdued and kindly tones, even to the voices of the host and hostess, that to him it seemed like some quiet haven shut in by beau- tiful land-slopes from the uncertain ocean, where the waters played in gentle ripples beneath a calm, clear sky. Roland had never before witnessed the beautiful vision of a Christian home. He had, indeed, been at houses where the owners went regularly to church on the Sabbath, and were always in their places at the communion-table ; but in their own dwellings he could never distinguish their conduct from those who, like himself, made no pretensions to religious character. At the Sandfords' he could plainly perceive that, without any effort to proclaim thoir principles, there was a Woman our Angel. 27 purifying, elevating power at work, throwing a hallowed charm over their circle. What had made a deep impression on his mind was, more particularly., the closing scene of the evening. He had been engaged in conversation with Mrs. Sandford, and upon one especial point of difficulty and doubt which had long troubled him, and, as usual, he took his stand on the ground of human reason, and1