I m 
 
 mul
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES

 
 LEILA; 
 
 THE ISLAND.
 
 

 
 LEILA 
 
 Ml
 
 LEILA; 
 
 OB, 
 
 THE ISLAND. 
 
 A.NN ERASER TTTLER 
 4trrnoE or "LEILA IN ENGLAND," "LEILA AT HOM," 
 
 WITH ENGRA riNQS BY ORR, FROM ORIGINAL DESIGN*. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 CROSBY AND NICHOLS.
 
 fafend MMRtb* to Act tlOmgn*, to th* JMT HO; 
 
 Br C. 8. rc * Co., 
 
 h tfc. Cr't Otk* efdw DittrM Court of the United 8WM fcr the Smrth.ra 1 
 T New Turk.
 
 PZfe 
 
 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 sea still bore traces of a recent storm, a 
 heavy surge beat upon the. shore, and around 
 a bold promontory which jutted far out into 
 the ocean, the waves dashed, wildly throwing 
 their white foam far up into the blue sky. 
 But the wind was hushed, and amidst the 
 dark masses of luxuriant foliage which at 
 intervals overhung the cliff, scarce a leaf 
 was stirring. Softly swelling hills and smil 
 ing valleys lay beneath the light of a bril- 
 liant sun. Of human habitation or woodland 
 pathway there appeared none; and, far as 
 the eye could reach, one solitary group alone 
 was discernible upon the beach. It consisted 
 of one who had passed the bloom of youth, 
 but in whose noble turn of features and fine 
 form high birth was apparent ; an elderly 
 l* 
 
 484108 
 
 LIBRARY
 
 6 LEILA. 
 
 female in the dress of an attendant stood by 
 his side, and both were bending anxiously 
 over the apparently lifeless body of a beauti- 
 ful child. Hours had passed away in their 
 unwearied efforts to reanimate the object of 
 their anxious care ; but hitherto all had 
 proved vain, and the deepest despondency 
 wajS apparent in the father's face, for such he 
 was. A brown water-spaniel, which lay 
 beside them, completed this melancholy 
 group, and seemed no uninterested spectator 
 of the scene. It crept closer and closer to 
 the object of their solicitude, as if anxious 
 to impart to it a portion of its own life and 
 warmth, and with eyes fixed on the pale 
 features of the child, uttered from time to 
 time a low melancholy whine. 
 
 " Dash, my faithful friend, you have perilled 
 your life in vain. Leila, my child, my child ! 
 O that I too had perished ! forgive me, heav- 
 enly Father! teach me to say, 'Thy will 
 be done!'" Then stooping down and throw- 
 ing back the auburn ringlets which shaded 
 the sweet face of the child, he imprinted a 
 fond kiss on its pale lips; but starting up 
 suddenly he exclaimed, "Raise the head a 
 little more gently, gently, nurse that will 
 do. There was a faint movement, I am sure 
 there was." Mr. Howard continued to breathe
 
 LEILA. -7 
 
 into the lungs, the efforts of both were re- 
 newed, and after a considerable inter ral they 
 were successful. With a deep-drawn sigh 
 Leila opened her eyes, and gazing earnestly 
 on her father, exclaimed, " Where am I, papa? 
 O save me, save me !" 
 
 "You are safe, my child, you are with 
 your papa and with nurse ; your heavenly 
 Father has saved you, and here is your brave 
 Dash, whom Grod has made the instrument of 
 our safety. Yes, without your efforts, my 
 faithful friend, never would this frail raft 
 have reached the shore." The dog looked up 
 in his master's face, and fawning alternately 
 upon him and Leila, seemed to partake the 
 general joy. 
 
 " Now, nurse," exclaimed Mr. Howard, when 
 after a considerable interval a faint tinge of 
 colour showed itself on Leila's cheek "now 
 do you watch my darling while I go for water 
 from that blessed spring. See," he continued, 
 pointing to a small clear rill that fell over 
 the neighbouring rock, " I shall not have far 
 to go a few drops of wine will revive her; 
 how grateful should we be that the chests 
 too are saved, fop I suspect we are on an 
 uninhabited island." 
 
 "Merciful Heaven!" exclaimed the nurse, 
 " what will become of us ?"
 
 8 LEILA. 
 
 "Is this the moment," Mr. Howard mildly 
 answered, "to doubt a Father's care? Has 
 he not brought water out of the stony rock; 
 can he not also spread for us a table in the 
 wilderness?" 
 
 Leila seemed greatly revived by the re- 
 freshing draught; so much so, that Mr. 
 Howard, raising her in his arms and followed 
 by nurse, proceeded to ascend the cliff with a 
 view of finding shade from the oppressive heat 
 of the noonday sun, and also in the hope of 
 discovering, amidst a chain of low rocks which 
 in one part overhung the beach, some friendly 
 cave where they might find shelter for the 
 night. For a while the search was vain, but 
 having seated nurse under the shade of a 
 lofty tree, and placed Leila in her arms, he 
 walked cautiously forward. The rocks in this 
 part rising almost perpendicular, formed, as it 
 were, a wall facing the sea, leaving a narrow 
 path or terrace which immediately overhung 
 the cliff; he had nearly gained the end of 
 this chain, without discovering even a hollow 
 which might afford temporary shelter, when 
 suddenly a bird .flew out from an aperture in 
 a rock above hia head. With some difficulty 
 he raised himself to the height of the opening ; 
 it was greatly too small to admit any one, but 
 by throwing in some fragments of loose stooe,
 
 LEILA. 9 
 
 he ascertained that there must be a deep 
 hollow. To examine the opposite side of this 
 portion of the rock, in the hope of finding 
 an entrance to* this hollow, became his imme- 
 diate object ; and~ hurrying on to the end of 
 the chain, he doubled the point, and a scene 
 of no ordinary beauty lay before him. A 
 luxuriant valley, intersected by a clear rip- 
 pling stream, stretched along at the foot of a 
 wooded hill. Vines were clustering around 
 many of the trees, and grapes, now in their 
 prime, were hanging in rich clusters. The 
 rocks on the opposite side fronting the island 
 were partly covered with brushwood and a 
 variety of creeping plants, and behind a branch 
 of this underwood, which hung down upon the 
 ground, Mr. Howard discovered an opening; 
 it "was not high enough to admit him without 
 bending almost double; but having crawled 
 for a little way on his. hands and knees, the 
 space became greatly enlarged, and he found 
 himself, as far as he could judge from the 
 almost total darkness which surrounded him, 
 in a cavern of considerable extent. As no 
 aperture in the rock was visible, this could 
 not be the hollow he was in search of; but 
 perceiving on one side a faint ray of light on 
 the ground, he was guided by it to an open- 
 ing, and having entered for a little way
 
 10 LEILA. 
 
 through a narrow passage, he suddenly found 
 himself in a spacious cavern with a high 
 vaulted roof; the rays of a bright sun, dart- 
 ing through the aperture, struck upon the sides 
 of this cavern, which reflected a variety of 
 brilliant colours, and the floor was covered 
 with a small sparkling gravel, which seemed 
 perfectly free from moisture or damp of any 
 kind. With a heart overflowing with grati- 
 tude for the blessings which had followed his 
 preservation, he now hastened back to where 
 he had left his child. As she still continued 
 in a state of extreme languor, he thought it 
 advisable to remove her at once into the inner 
 -cavern, and there, with the nurse's assistance, 
 to make her such a bed as the circumstances 
 of the place admitted of. 
 
 And now, my young friends, as I know you 
 like very particular descriptions, I will not only 
 tell you how Leila's little bed was prepared, but 
 mention every other minute circumstance with 
 regard to her which I think likely to interest 
 you ; but first I must go back a little way in my 
 story. In that fearful storm which had raged 
 for three entire days, the ship in which Leila 
 and her papa were proceeding to England, was 
 driven far out of its destined course, and when, 
 after losing their mainmast, the vessel struck 
 against a hidden rock, the danger seemed so
 
 LEILA. 11 
 
 imminent, that the crew and the other passen- 
 gers, regardless of the darkness and the raging 
 sea, with rash impetuosity betook themselves to 
 the long-boat : but Mr. Howard, considering 
 preservation by this means almost impossible, 
 resolved to remain on board, in the hope that 
 the wind might moderate, and the dawn whieh 
 was about to break enable him to make some 
 further efforts for their preservation. Uncon- 
 scious of the extent of injury the ship might 
 have sustained, he bent all the energies of his 
 strong mind to meet the dangers of their situa 
 tion. By tying several planks of wood together 
 he formed a raft, and hastily collecting some 
 Articles of food and clothing in two chests of 
 considerable size, he secured them firmly upon 
 the raft, and, in the beautiful language of Scrip- 
 ture, " longed for day." The wind had now 
 considerably abated, and, before another hour 
 had elapsed, had completely fallen ; and as the 
 morning broke, it was with emotions of the 
 deepest thankfulness that he discovered that 
 they were within a very short distance of an 
 island, which lay to the south-west, and that the 
 wind, which was now no more than a gentle 
 breeze, was setting in directly for the shore. 
 Fearful that the turn of the tide might lift the 
 ship from the rock, and that they might be 
 driven further from the island, he felt that no
 
 12 LEILA. 
 
 time must be lost in attempting to gain the land. 
 The small boat had been detached from the ship 
 by the violence of the storm, and to the raft he 
 found he must commit his treasure ; but Leila, 
 although but just entered her eighth year, had 
 already been accustomed to lift up her young 
 heart to Him who can still the raging of the 
 storm, and say to the angry waves be still, and 
 she submitted without a murmur to all her father 
 told her was necessary to be done. A couple 
 of rosaos, or silk quilts, on which they slept, 
 being spread upon the raft, the nurse and Leila, 
 wrapped in boat-cloaks, were firmly bound down 
 to it with the rest of the bed-clothes ; and Mr. 
 Howard having lashed himself to one of the 
 chests by means of a rope^ round his waist, leav- 
 ing his arms free, he committed himself and all 
 most dear to him to the protecting care of 
 Heaven. Long and fearful was the struggle. 
 The gigantic waves, as they lifted the frail raft 
 upon their swelling crests, swept over the 
 wretched party, leaving but little hope of their 
 escaping a watery grave ; but still the raft rose 
 buoyant to the surface, and the faithful Dash, 
 who had leaped upon it, received into his mouth 
 the end of a rope which his master threw to 
 him, and jumping into the sea, assisted its di- 
 rection to the land with almost more than human 
 Bkill, so that, after a period of intense anxiety,
 
 L E TLA. 13 
 
 the father bore the body of his then inanimate 
 child to a place of comparative safety. 
 
 And now, having landed our party upon the 
 beach, let us return to Leila and her little bed. 
 The warm sun having by this time dried the 
 bed-clothes, and Mr. Howard having observed a 
 species of long dry grass which grew at the foot 
 of the rocks, he proceeded to gather a quantity 
 of it, and having given part of it to nurse to 
 prepare a couch for herself, he selected -a corner 
 in the cavern where the rock, from projecting 
 out a little way, formed a sort of canopy over- 
 head, and spreading the grass upon the ground, 
 he laid the silk quilt upon it, and covering Leila 
 with the rest of her bed-clothes, he-knelt down 
 by her bed-side, and in fervent prayer poured 
 out the overflowings of his grateful heart for her 
 merciful preservation. Earnestly did he pray 
 that the being so miraculously preserved should 
 be devoted to the service of Heaven, that, with 
 the assistance of the Holy Spirit, he should be 
 enabled to bring her up in the beauty of holi- 
 ness, and that either amidst a world of varied 
 pleasures, (should she be restored to it again,) 
 or in this solitary island, she might ever look 
 forward to that heavenly home promised by a 
 Saviour's love, and to those joys " which eye 
 hath not seen nor ear heard, nor hath it entered 
 into the heart of man to conceive, but which 
 2
 
 14 LEILA. 
 
 God hath prepared for those that love Him.** 
 The little girl was not able to repeat her usual 
 prayers, but she seemed to listen to her papa ; 
 for as he concluded, and stooping down kissed 
 her cheek and fondly blessed her, she looked up 
 for a, moment, and faintly smiling, she mur- 
 mured, in a voice scarcely audible, " Thank God 
 for saving dear papa too !" and closing her eyes, 
 she seemed again to sleep. From the extreme 
 languor of her pulse, Mr. Howard could not 
 help still feeling very anxious about her, and 
 thinking that he might' now administer a little 
 more nourishment with safety, he hastened 
 down to the beach where he had left the chests ; 
 they were greatly too heavy to be removed till 
 lightened of their contents, but having taken 
 out a canister of arrow-root, a few biscuits, a 
 bottle of wine, and a small canteen, he returned 
 to the cavern. Short as his absence had been, 
 it proved too much for the fortitude of poor 
 nurse. The sun had gone down, and the de- 
 clining light made Leila's pale countenance 
 appear still paler. " For what is this dear child 
 reserved ?" she murmured to herself as she gazed 
 earnestly upon her; "O what will become of 
 her what will become of all of us shall we 
 never see dear England again ?" And as the idea 
 of being murdered by savages, or devoured by 
 wild beasts, rose to her imagination, she burst
 
 . LEILA. 15 
 
 into teafs. But, on the return of her master, 
 her courage seemed to revive somewhat, and the 
 sight of the canteen appeared still further to 
 refresh her spirits. " Well, if I am not a faint- 
 hearted and ungrateful wretch," she whispered 
 to herself as her eye fell upon it; "here is 
 another especial blessing; we shall do all well 
 now ;" and the savages became civilized, and the 
 wild beasts tame, and nurse was herself again. 
 The preservation of the canteen in their present 
 circumstances was certainly of no small import- 
 ance. Perhaps some of my little friends do not 
 understand the meaning of the word canteen ; it 
 is a box fitted up with a variety of necessary ar- 
 ticles for those who travel by sea or land. Mr. 
 Howard's canteen contained a small tea-service 
 of four cups and saucers, tea-pot, milk-pot, 
 sugar-dish, and slop-basin; the same number 
 of dinner-plates, glasses, tumblers, and knives 
 and forks ; there were, besides, four saucepans, 
 a lamp, a bottle of spirits of wine, a tinder-box, 
 and a ball of cotton-wick. Every thing was 
 made to fit into each other so as to take up 
 little room, and the contents of the whole went 
 into a large brass vessel, with a cover which 
 fitted close to the box. Can you wonder that 
 nurse rejoiced over the possession of those 
 most useful articles, and that she should dry 
 her eyes and tuck up her sleeves, and long to
 
 16 LEILA. 
 
 be at work again ? Mr. Howard havmg struck 
 a light and trimmed the lamp for her, she very 
 soon prepared a sufficient quantity of arrow- 
 root for the refreshment of the whole party. 
 Leila partook but sparingly ; she was too weak 
 to sit up in bed, but her papa supported her 
 in his arms, while nurse fed her ; and after 
 swallowing a few spoonfuls mixed with wine, 
 she was laid to sleep for the night. 
 
 Although Mr. Howard did not allow himself 
 to give way to despondency, he too had many 
 anxious thoughts lest the island should prove to 
 be inhabited by savages, or the resort of wild 
 beasts, and he resolved to watch for the night, 
 with Dash by his side, at the entrance of the 
 cawern. As a further precaution, he collected a 
 quantity of dry branches of wood together, and 
 made a fire, which he kept up during the dark- 
 ness. The air was balmy and refreshing, the 
 moon rose without a cloud to obscure its silvery 
 light, and in the profound solitude which sur- 
 rounded him in the stillness of this first long 
 night, with what deep solemnity and heartfelt 
 gratitude did he raise his thoughts to that mer- 
 ciful Father whose protecting arm had snatched 
 him and his dearest treasure from the jaws of 
 death ! True, he was suddenly cut off from all 
 intercourse with his fellow-men, and the many 
 unknown dangers by which he might still be
 
 LEILA. 17 
 
 Burrounded, at times pressed heavily upon him ; 
 but he felt the immediate presence of God in his 
 state of desolation, and, assured of his pity and 
 protecting care in his severest dispensations, he 
 earnestly prayed that this trial might be blessed 
 to him, in leading him more entirely to trust 
 God alone.
 
 18 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 r PH.E night passed without alarm of any kind ; 
 and as the morning dawned, Mr. Howard, fa- 
 tigued with watching, fell asleep. He awoke 
 strengthened and invigorated, and found Leila 
 standing by his side no longer the pale Leila 
 of the day before, but blooming as a rose, and 
 sparkling with intelligence. Stretching his arms 
 towards her, she clung round his neck, exclaim- 
 ing, " Oh papa, how glad I am you are awake 
 at last ! Dash and I have been watching by you 
 for a long, long time." 
 
 "Yes," answered Mr. Howard, "Dash has 
 indeed watched faithfully ; he has never left my 
 side during the whole night 
 
 ." But Dash is a dog, papa, and I am a little 
 girl;' 7 and Leila's dark hazel eyes were filling 
 fast with tears. Mr. Howard kissed them away. 
 "Yes, you are a little girl, and my own dear 
 little girl; I did not mean, love, that you should 
 have watched by me. No, both papa and Dash 
 were glad to have their little Leila to watch by 
 again. Kneel down, my lovej and repeat your
 
 LKILA. 
 
 nontmg prayers. Ood ASS been Yery 
 
 to you, my chfld; his protecting ana ASS guided 
 
 vou through the deep sea; he has now raised 
 
 safety you have much, my LeOa, to be grate- 
 ful for." 
 
 Leila knelt at her fisher's side, while he, in 
 
 _:: ___ ^ _._-_-, * . : .-.^ :.-___ 
 
 /-r.l~~-r- 
 
 -Xow call muse, my love/' continued Mr. 
 Howard, "and let m pfay togedwr." They afl 
 knelt, while he, in eloquent though simple 
 hnguge, gare thanks to God (or their preser- 
 
 HJ-*^OIX TTa finiahj^l Vv ^fncrriMr tlu HMHMIIMI 
 
 hymn, and tears filled his eyes SB SB echo from 
 
 ~._r LT __- _r:r._; r::^: yr..;i.rTi :_7 >:'i_^f :: 
 praise, and gave back to his ear the sweet youth- 
 
 HaTing finished tkeir devotions, Mr. Howard, 
 at Leila's earnest request, prepared to accom- 
 pany her into the inner care, where she wished 
 him to breakfast with her. 
 
 "Do, papa, come into my new bed-room! 1 ' she 
 exclaimed, "it is sneh a delightful one; I like it 
 much bettor than die cabin, it is so large, and 
 
 or chairs, or washhand stand;, and when I 
 awoke this morning I could not think where I
 
 20 LEILA. 
 
 was, and I called out, ' Norse, nurse, where am 
 I, and why is the ship not moving, and how 
 curious the cabin has grown, and where is my 
 washhand stand?' And then I remembered 
 about the ship, and about your tying me on the 
 raft. papa, I was so frightened when you did 
 that ; I did pray to God a great deal, and I knew 
 he would take care of*me, and of you too, papa, 
 and yet I was frightened. I hope God will not 
 be displeased with me, for indeed I could not 
 help it." 
 
 " No, my child, you have no reason to fear 
 God's displeasure; he knew your weakness, 
 Leila, and he gave you strength; without 
 strength from Heaven, you could not have gone 
 through such danger." * 
 
 " Yes, papa, God was very good to take such 
 care of us all, and bring us safe into this cave, 
 and I will love him very much ; but I hope he 
 will not put us on the raft again, for I don't like 
 it at all. I saw a great big wave coming, and I 
 shut my eyes, and I don't remember any thing 
 more after that till this morning, when I looked 
 up, and saw no washhand stand." 
 
 " And were you very much grieved, Leila, at 
 the loss of your washhand stand ?" 
 
 " No, papa, I am not the least sorry ; I like 
 it much better, for nurse manages me so cleverly. 
 Do you know, papa, how she managed ?"
 
 LEILA. 21 
 
 " No, indeed, love, I do not." 
 
 " Well, papa, you see this was what she did. 
 Y"ou know I could not have been tidy or com- 
 fortable without being washed ; so she wrapped 
 me up in the pink silk quilt, and took me in her 
 arms. Do you know now, papa ?" 
 
 " Yes, I think I can guess." 
 
 '' O no, papa^yoU; are not to guess, I am to 
 tell you. Well, you see but are you listening?" 
 
 " Yes, my love, I am listening." 
 
 " Then don't look melancholy,- dear papa, for 
 it is a funny story. Now I will tell you but 
 where was I ?" 
 
 " You were in a pink silk quilt, Leila, 1 
 think." 
 
 " Yes, so I was, papa ; and now I am glad, 
 for you are laughing again. Well, nurse took 
 me in her arms, and carried me a little way into 
 another room which had no window ; and it was 
 rather dark no light but from the door ; and 
 it was not a right door either, only a hole in the 
 rock, and nurse was too tall for it, and she had 
 to scramble out on her hands and knees, which 
 made me laugh very much ; and when we got 
 out, there you were sound asleep upon the grass, 
 and your head leaning against the rock ; and 
 nurse said it was a hard pillow for poor papa, and 
 I wanted to kiss you very much, but nurse said 
 no, for it would disturb you. Dash lay beside
 
 22 LEILA. 
 
 you, and when he saw me he jumped up, and 
 seemed so happy ; and he followed us a little 
 bit, and then he turned and looked at you, and 
 'went back; and you know, papa, that is better; 
 for Dash is so fond of the water he would have 
 splashed us all, and made me wet." 
 
 " So you were to be kept dry, were you ?" 
 
 " Well, papa is quite wrong*for he was about 
 to guess that his little girl had been bathed in 
 that clear stream which I see at a distance, 
 dimpling and sparkling in the sun." 
 
 " And you have guessed quite right, papa, 
 and I was bathed ; and I liked it so much : the 
 water was not cold at all, and nurse found out a 
 place which was quite smooth and not full like 
 the sea ; and I could see pebbles and sand at the 
 bottom quite well, and a great many little fish 
 were swimming about ; but when I tried to 
 . catch them, they all scampered away : and when 
 we were coming back, I saw a great many beau- 
 tiful birds in the trees, and a great many cats 
 were running up and down the branches ; and 
 sometimes they sat quite still, holding up their 
 heads so well, much better than our cats do ; 
 and they had long feathery tails, which they 
 curled up about their faces. Do you think I 
 could teach my cat to hold up its head and curl 
 up its tail in that way ?" 
 
 " Indeed, my dear Leila, I fear youi poor cat
 
 LEILA. 28 
 
 by this time is not much in spirits to hold up its 
 head and curl its tail. You know we could 
 not bring away every thing with us ; the poor 
 cat was left in the ship : but those little animals* 
 you saw could not be cats, they probably were 
 squirrels. And what more did you see, my 
 love?" 
 
 " I saw grapes, papa, large bunches of grapes 
 hanging from the trees, and they looked so 
 good, but nurse did not stop to gather them: 
 she said you would give me some, if -you 
 thought it right for me to have them. I think, 
 papa, this is the most delightful place I ever 
 was in in all my life. I like it much better than 
 India ; I should like to stay here always, bet- 
 ter than to go to England. Will you stay, 
 papa?" 
 
 Mr. Howard looked at his child, and sighed 
 deeply. " Leila," he said, " listen to me. Do 
 you remember me telling you stories about a 
 desert island and Eobinson Crusoe?" 
 
 " And his man Friday, papa? O yes, I do 
 remember it ; it was a delightful story." 
 
 " Well, my love, from all I have observed, I 
 am convinced we have been cast upon a desert 
 island." 
 
 " 0, how glad lam!" Leila exclaimed joy- 
 fully ; but seeing the melancholy expression of 
 her papa's face, she suddenly stopped. " Why
 
 24 LEILA. 
 
 are you sorry, papa ? Do you not like to stay 
 here?" 
 
 " My dear Leila, you know a desert island 
 %eans a place without inhabitants, where there 
 are no men or women. Would you like to re- 
 main here, alone, my love?" 
 
 " Not alone, papa I should not be alone ; I 
 should have you and nurse with me ; and," she 
 continued, lowering her voice, " you know God 
 is here also, and he will take care of us." 
 
 " Yes, dear Leila, you are right. God is here, 
 and he is all-sufficient he will give us all that 
 is good for us. He has shown us even now that 
 he is mighty to save ; he has preserved us in a 
 great danger, and has added other blessings : he 
 has provided a shelter for us. This cave, Leila, 
 which pleases you so much, is the work of hia 
 hands : he has guided us to find it, he has given 
 us food for the present, and he will provide for 
 the future. Let us trust to him entirely, and 
 cheerfully submit to his will ; he has placed us 
 here, it must be for our good. Oh, with you, 
 my child, and with this treasure," and he took 
 from his breast a small pocket Bible, (his con- 
 stant companion,) " have not I all that is most 
 precious in life and death ?" 
 
 While Leila and her papa were conversing 
 together in this manner, nurse had not been 
 'die : she had rekindled the fire, and prepared
 
 LEILA. 25 
 
 some cocoa and arrow-root. " And now, sir," 
 she said, " where will you be pleased to break- 
 fast?" 
 
 " Why, here, nurse, I think. "We shall hav'0 
 very pleasant shade under the rocks." 
 
 " O no, papa, not here, if you please," Leila 
 exclaimed. " You know you promised to 
 breakfast with me in my bed-room, and there is 
 every thing nice there." 
 
 " Did I, my love ? Well, be it so ;" and, to 
 Leila's no small delight and amusement, Mr. 
 Howard began immediately to scramble into the 
 cave, followed by nurse. Poor nurse found it 
 no easy task to convey the cocoa and arrow- 
 root in safety ; but she did make it out at last. 
 
 " Our first task," observed Mr. Howard, " must 
 be to endeavour to enlarge our entrance, for this 
 is sad work. Papa is too stiff now to be able to 
 creep in and out this way every time he enters 
 his house. And now, Leila, that we have got 
 into your bed- room, where every thing is so nice, 
 where, if you please, is your breakfast- table for 
 us, and your chairs?" 
 
 Leila looked rather puzzled for a moment, 
 but brightening up, she exclaimed, " Now I 
 know what to do; I have a contrivance. 
 You shall sit upon my bed, papa, and the 
 canteen will be your table you like a little 
 table, papa a very little table, eh ?" 
 3
 
 26 LEILA. 
 
 " Yes, dear, I like a little table, and I like 
 still more a little girl who exerts herself to 
 make the best of things. We must all now 
 have our contrivances, Leila, and endeavour to 
 make every thing as comfortable about us as 
 possible. Even a little girl of eight years old 
 can be of great use, and you will from hence- 
 forth assist both papa and nurse in all that 
 your strength is equal to. As soon as we have 
 breakfasted, we will all go down to the beach 
 together and unpack the chests. We shall 
 then see what stores we have to trust to, and 
 bring them up and arrange them. Do you 
 think you will be able to spare us a little 
 corner of your bed-room for a store-closet ?" 
 " yes, papa ; and may I keep the key?" 
 " Yes, my love, when we have a door and a 
 lock on our closet, you shall keep the key. 
 But where are those things to be found here, 
 Leila? However, I have also a contrivance: 
 when the chests are empty, we shall be able to 
 remove them here. One of them will do for 
 the store-closet at present, and they will also 
 make very good seats for us to use till I am 
 able to attempt making others." 
 " But, papa, can you make chairs ?" 
 "Why, not perhaps very well, Leila, for I 
 have not practised of late ; but when a little boy, 
 I lived in the country, and used to be very fond
 
 LEILA. 27 
 
 of looking at the carpenter at work, and assist- 
 ing him ; and my father encouraged me in this, 
 and allowed a sufficient quantity of wood to be 
 given to me to make a set of garden-chairs; 
 although, probably, not very perfect, they were 
 greatly admired by my two little sisters ; and I 
 also made a chair for each of them for the 
 nursery, and a small table for our old nurse ; and 
 a very happy boy I was the first evening I saw 
 her sit down to drink tea at this little table." 
 
 " How nice that was, papa ! I like so much 
 to hear what you did when you were a little 
 boy. Will you tell me something more that 
 you did?" 
 
 " Not now, my love : you have finished your 
 basin of arrow-root, and we have breakfasted ; 
 so let us proceed to the beach and commence 
 our work. Yes, Dash, my good fellow, you 
 are wagging your tail, and preparing joyfully 
 to follow us, though you have had a most 
 miserable breakfast : but you shall have a better 
 dinner, my friend, if I should go without it 
 myself." 
 
 They accordingly proceeded to the beach, 
 Dash keeping close to Leila's side, as if afraid 
 that her papa's arm was not sufficient protection 
 along the narrow pathway that overhung the 
 cliff. On reaching the beach, Mr. Howard ob- 
 served that the ship lay in exactly the same
 
 28 LEILA. 
 
 position, and many a longing eye did he cast 
 towards it ; the distance was not great, and how- 
 much did it contain which it would now be of the 
 last importance for them to possess ! His anx- 
 iety to, reach the wreck greatly increased on 
 examining the contents of the chests, for the 
 stock both of provisions and clothes was ex- 
 tremely scanty in fact, it had been impossible 
 to carry much upon the raft, and in many neces- 
 sary articles they were totally deficient. Mr. 
 Howard felt how necessary it was that he should 
 possess a musket and gunpowder, both as a de- 
 fence against any danger which might threaten 
 them, and as a means also of providing for their 
 future wants when their provisions should fail. 
 Carpenters' tools, also, were requisite to enable 
 him to improve their habitation, and to give 
 them many little comforts which, he felt assured, 
 with the assistance of these, he could, procure 
 them. Of books and writing materials they 
 had none ; and what a resource would the pos- 
 session of them prove in their state of banish- 
 ment I But to leave Leila, even for an hour, to 
 brave a second time a danger which might 
 separate him from her for ever it was not to 
 be thought of; and giving one long look across 
 the expanse of waters to where the vessel lay, 
 he sighed deeply; then turning towards hia 
 child, he clasped her in his arms, and pressed
 
 LEILA. . 29 
 
 aer to his heart. But in the next moment he 
 again felt uncertain if he were acting right. 
 Was he entitled, from the dread of an uncertain 
 danger, to neglect those means for improving 
 their condition which Heaven seemed, still to 
 detain within his reach? He remembered, also, 
 that a small medicine-chest which he had put 
 aside with the other things, had, in the haste of 
 departure, been left behind. He pictured to 
 himself Leila sick and ill, and deprived of those 
 remedies which might bring relief, and he no 
 longer hesitated he would go; and turning to 
 his child, he said, "Leila, I must leave you, 
 but only for a short time, love." 
 
 " do not leave me do not leave me, dear 
 papa 1" she exclaimed, and she clung to his knees 
 and trembled violently. 
 
 Mr. Howard saw that his little girl's spiritb 
 had been much weakened by the trying scenes 
 she had been exposed to. In general, she had 
 great command over herself for one so young. 
 Deprived in early infancy of a mother's care, 
 she had been his sole interest. She was a child 
 of naturally quick temper and strong sensibility ; 
 but he had taken infinite pains to teach her to 
 subdue her feelings ; and, in general, his slight- 
 est wish was to her a law. 
 
 "Leila," said he, "you are forgetting your 
 self; be composed, my love; put your trust in
 
 30 LEILA. 
 
 God, he will watch over my safety, and restore 
 me to you again ; he has placed us here, Leila, 
 and we cannot, know for how long or how short 
 a time ; and I am anxious to reach the ship, that 
 I may bring br,ck more provisions, and many 
 things that will be of use to us." 
 
 " But, papa, you said that God would provide 
 for us : should we not trust in him ?" 
 
 " Yes, my love, in all things we should trust 
 in God ; but in putting our confidence in him, 
 . we must not neglect the means he has put within 
 our power we must not wait in slothful idle- 
 ness, that he may supply our wants ; we must 
 work and do all we can, arid he will bless our 
 endeavours. He is providing for us now, Leila, 
 by stilling the winds and waves, and keeping 
 the ship fixed upon the rocks^ where I can yet 
 reach it. Were the wind to rise again, the ship 
 most probably would bo driven to pieces, and 
 every thing in it will be cast into the sea. I 
 must not lose time : sec ho^v still and quiet the 
 waters are I" 
 
 " Then take me with you, dear papa ; I should 
 like to go." 
 
 " What, Leila ! would y ou venture again upon 
 the raft?" 
 
 Leila shuddered and turned ve^y p^, but ; 
 struggling with her feelmg?, & vii Yea 
 papa, with you I will go."
 
 LEILA. 31 
 
 "My love, I know you would go, were it 
 necessary ; but it is not necessary ; on the con 
 trary, were you with me, anxiety for your safety 
 would occupy too much of my attention, and 
 prevent me from thinking of many things which 
 I might bring back with me, and which will 
 greatly increase our comfort No, you will 
 remain with nurse ; but do not quit the beach ; 
 I shall then be able to keep you in view almost 
 the whole time. Employ yourself, my love, by 
 assisting nurse to unpack your clothes from the 
 chests that will prevent you tiring." 
 
 Leila offered no further remonstrance, but 
 silently moving towards the raft, she began to 
 assist her papa in adjusting the ropes. Mr. 
 Howard unbound an oar which he had lashed 
 to the side, from the idea that it might be use- 
 ful at a future time, and pushed the raft down 
 to the water's edge. " This oar," he said, " will 
 do me good service ; and Dash shall remain to 
 watch by nurse and my little Leila." He lifted 
 her in his arms as he spoke, and carrying her a 
 short distance, he seated her on the beach. 
 " Down, Dash, down I by Leila's side." The dog 
 instantly obeyed ; then bending over his child, 
 he embraced her fondly, and hurrying from her, 
 he leaped lightly upon the raft, and pushed 
 from the shore. 
 
 Leila sprang to her feet, and flew towards
 
 32 LEILA. 
 
 the water's edge, but suddenly stopping, she 
 dropped upon her knees, and throwing up her 
 arms to heaven, and clasping her little hands, 
 she exclaimed, " God ! listen to Leila's prayer 
 let there be no winds in the sky, let there be 
 no waves in the sea send back papa to Leila 
 send him back !" 
 
 Dash looked wistfully at the child, then pur- 
 sued the raft with his eyes, as if to ascertain 
 who most required his aid, when, plunging sud- 
 denly into the water, he stood, the next mo- 
 ment, by his master's side. Mr. Howard saw 
 that opposition was vain ; and, " To the ship, 
 Dash to the ship, my good fellow !" were the 
 last words which were wafted to Leila's ear, aa 
 Mr. Howard threw the rope to the faithful ani- 
 mal, who caught it in his mouth, and, leaping 
 into the" sea, swiftly pursued his way through 
 the unruffled deep.
 
 LEILA. 33 
 
 CHAPTEK III. 
 
 I" EILA stood for some moments irnmoveable ; 
 then drying her eyes, and turning to nurse, 
 she said, " Now let us count my clothes." 
 
 Nurse was too glad to have her dear child 
 employed, but was considerably distressed to 
 find how soon Miss Leila's clothes were count- 
 ed : her wardrobe was indeed sadly deficient. 
 " And not a stocking to put upon your dear 
 little feet 1" she exclaimed in dismay ; " 0, to 
 think your papa should have forgotten your 
 stockings, of a]l things in the world! What 
 will become of you in the cold weather ? And 
 here are only your very oldest frocks ; and your 
 pink gingham, and your beautiful blue, the very- 
 last frocks which were sent you from England, 
 not here." 
 
 " Never mind, nurse, about my stockings," 
 Leila answered ; " perhaps it*will never be cold 
 here : you know papa said that in other places 
 in India it was not nearly so cold as where ws 
 were ; and my old frocks will do very well 
 perhaps papa's friends will not come often to
 
 34 LEILA. 
 
 dinner here. But I wish papa would bring 
 back my cat with him. Do you think he will 
 remember? I should like him to bring my 
 cat much better than my stockings would 
 you?" 
 
 Nurse was a perfectly truthful person, and 
 she found this rather a difficult question to an- 
 swer. She was not particularly fond of cats; 
 and as she had worked all Leila's stockings 
 herself, she had a sort of motherly interest in 
 them, they seemed as if a part of Leila's self. 
 " Indeed, my dear Miss Leila," she said, " as to 
 your stockings, you know there would be no 
 replacing them here; for where am I to get 
 cotton and fine wires to work your stockings 
 in a desert island? And as to your cat, poor 
 thing ! I am sorry for the creature ; but indeed 
 we shall have enough of mouths to fill here 
 without cats. There is Dash, poor fellow ! who 
 has been so useful to us, he will often be ill 
 enough off, I fear." 
 
 "But, nurse, papa is to give half his dinner 
 to Dash, and I will give half mine to my cat, 
 and my breakfast also. And you know papa 
 said, when we went to England, I should have 
 a nice little girl to play with my cousin Seli- 
 na. You know, nurse, I never saw a little 
 cousin, and I wished so much to see one ; but 
 now we are not going to England, so I should
 
 LEILA. 35 
 
 like my cat to play with instead of my cousin 
 Selina." 
 
 Nurse was too fond of her little charge to 
 oppose her wishes farther ; besides, being a per- 
 son of a sanguine disposition, she took a more 
 enlarged view of the subject, and felt assured 
 that Mr. Howard would remember to bring 
 back both the cat and the stockings ; and that 
 the cat would show a reasonable discretion, and 
 not take Leila at her word. 
 
 Having finished their employments, they ad- 
 vanced again to the water's edge, to watch the 
 return of the raft. They soon observed it ad- 
 vancing rapidly ; Mr. Howard stood erect upon 
 it,, waving something in his hand it was Lei- 
 la's guitar. In a few nrnutes more she was in 
 his arms, and covering his cheeks with kisses, 
 "My dear, dear papa," she exclaimed, "I am 
 so happy you are come back to me again; and 
 how good in you to bring my guitar !" 
 
 " 1'es, Leila, I saw it tying in your cabin, and 
 I could not resist bringing it ; but I have been 
 obliged to leave much behind, my love. I must 
 go back to the ship yes, it is quite necessary 
 I should go back. By the time I had arranged 
 an additional supply of provisions, of clothes, 
 and the chest of carpenters' tools, I found the 
 raft sufficiently loaded ; I must now return for 
 the books, and some other article* "
 
 3Q LEILA. 
 
 " Then, sir, will you be pleased to remember 
 Miss Leila's stockings," observed nurse. 
 
 Mr. Howard relieved her anxiety by assu- 
 ring her that they had already been remem- 
 bered. 
 
 " And please, papa, bring my cat when you 
 come again ; for I am to play with her instead 
 of my cousin Selina you know we are not 
 going to England now." 
 
 " Dear innocent child I" exclaimed Mr. How- 
 ard, " yours is indeed a happy age. Come here, 
 Dash 1" he said, as he advanced towards the raft, 
 and lifted up a small covered basket; "carry 
 that to Leila, but take great care, my good fel- 
 low, of your precious burthen take care of 
 cousin Selina." 
 
 Dash placed the basket at Leila's feet ; she 
 opened it, and her cat sprang into her arms. 
 The meeting between the real Selina and Leila 
 could not have been more affectionate ; she was 
 overjoyed to see her favourite again. Dash did 
 not quite enjoy the tenderness she lavished on 
 cousin Selina, (as we must now call her,) yet in 
 general they were excellent friends ; indeed, she 
 took strange liberties with him brushing up 
 against him with her side, or sneezing in his 
 face when he seemed inclined for sleep, and fre- 
 quently leaping on his back and playing with 
 his ears.
 
 LEILA. 87 
 
 Mr. Howard, meanwhile, having unloaded 
 Che raft, pushed again from the shore, to com- 
 mence his second voyage ; but the wind was no 
 longer favourable, and had considerably in- 
 creased, and the sea now presented an unsettled 
 and somewhat gloomy aspect. Nurse called loudly 
 after her master, to entreat his return ; but Mr. 
 Howard, although conscious that it would be 
 more prudent to do so, felt most unwilling to 
 resign his books, which, next to his child, were 
 his greatest treasure ; and he was standing up 
 eagerly examining the appearance of the sky, 
 when a sudden gust of wind had nearly pre- 
 cipitated him into the sea. Leila screamed, and 
 exclaimed, " O, papa ! do not go ; you will be 
 blown into the sea you will be drowned. Dash, 
 Dash ! come back ! come back I" 
 
 Dash, who had no inward struggles of a 
 literary nature to warp his judgment, seemed to 
 consider that it were better that all the books in 
 the kingdom were at the bottom of the sea, than 
 that his master's life should be risked, or Miss 
 Leila's orders disobeyed ; and turning quickly 
 round, still holding fast the rope which was 
 attached to the raft, he pushed boldly for the 
 shore. Mr. Howard yielded without further 
 struggle to Dash's superior judgment in this 
 matter ; indeed, he was thankful that the point 
 had been thus settled for him: and Leila re- 
 
 4
 
 38 LEILA. 
 
 ceived the sagacious animal, all dripping wet as 
 he was, in her arms. 
 
 " Miss Leila," nurse exclaimed in dismay, 
 "your clean frock! and here, too, where you 
 have so few to change." 
 
 But Leila was quite indifferent as to the wet 
 frock, so grateful was she to Dash for bringing her 
 papa back to her again. 
 
 "Now," observed Mr. Howard, "we must 
 make haste to remove those things you have 
 unpacked up to the cavern, for I suspect that 
 before evening we shall have a complete change 
 of weather. Let us tie up the clothes in parcels, 
 and then Dash will be an able assistant, for he 
 can go and return in shorter time than we can." 
 Dash was perfectly accustomed to fetch and 
 carry, and had long been considered a most use- 
 ful member of the family : if any thing were 
 missing, you had only to show him a similar 
 article, and pronounce the word "seek," and he 
 would hunt for it with unwearied diligence all 
 over the place. With Mr. Howard it was al- 
 leged he had obtained rather undue influence ; 
 for it had happened more than once, that when 
 the good old nurse's remonstrances to induce 
 Mr. Howard to leave his books, and take neces- 
 sary exercise, had failed, Dash's superior elo- 
 quence and active exertions had succeeded. On 
 those occasions he would hunt about the room
 
 LEILA. 89 
 
 for his gloves, and lay them before him ; then 
 run for his hat, and stand wagging his tail, and 
 looking up in his master's face, till Mr. Howard 
 was forced to remember that the walking hour 
 was come, and to shut the volume before him, 
 however interesting it might be. Dash was clearly 
 of opinion that exercise was absolutely neces- 
 sary, both for dog and man and he had been 
 nearly the death of a little puppy which Mr. 
 Howard was bringing up with great care, by in- 
 ducing the little creature to accompany him in 
 rambles far beyond its strength. He had been 
 in the habit of disappearing every morning after 
 breakfast with this little pup, and remaining 
 mysteriously absent for hours ; and Mr. Howard 
 finding that all remonstrance with Dash on the 
 subject was vain, and that he would give no 
 explanation of his conduct, attached a chain 
 about the puppy's neck, with a heavy log at the 
 end of it, so as to prevent it running any length 
 of way ; but what was his astonishment, when 
 seated in the verandah, next morning after 
 breakfast, to see Dash, at the accustomed hour, 
 stealing round the house, carrying the heavy log 
 in his mouth, and the little puppy trotting mer- 
 rily by his side. But Dash is occupying too 
 much of our attention ; let us now return to the 
 other members of our party. 
 
 Having loaded themselves with as much as
 
 40 LEILA. 
 
 they were able to carry. they proceeded toward* 
 the cavern. Leila carried the basket with the 
 
 eat Selrna. nmch against her inclination, being 
 obliged to lake up her abode in it again. Xarse 
 had also her basket of live stock to lake charge 
 oi Mr. Howard having presented her with a 
 m&^Tiiicent cock aad four beautiful white hens, 
 which he had brooght from the ship, as a most 
 nadfia! addition to their other stoines. He had 
 ' also carried away all the dead poultry he fommd 
 in the lazier, so that for thai day, at least., they 
 had the psvasNet of a luxury they might not 
 soom p&nake of ajgain : but. even daring their 
 walk to the caverr. Mr. Howard had the com- 
 tonable asssrA^oe thai the ssHasd wss by no 
 mre&as dedcieat ia the naeaas of sopjaSying iheir 
 foture wa^.i ; he had o^6rred, al a distance 
 
 their kids by tiueir side ; Leila had assured him 
 that she smeaia abounded with ifish: they had 
 a great many cocoa-trees, ami liraea, aad 
 ala> : and foom massy of them the vines 
 LEg in rich laarariaace, Clearing mrsre 
 
 they pssssvi alo^ng. amd fo>3>! tieai delicaouis, 
 si Mr. Howard I'esisilved that, c-se of Hs nrst 
 shonald be to gather a gp-aTmty of 
 a^d siATag uuesa mp in the san to 'dry. It 
 wae SMresaase for hka that
 
 LEILA. 41 
 
 pressed upon him as to leave little time for the 
 indulgence of melancholy thoughts, for the 
 doubtful fate of those with whom he had so 
 lately associated hung heavy on his spirits. 
 There were not, however, amongst them any to 
 whom he was particularly attached; for on 
 reaching Calcutta, from a distant station far up 
 the country, Leila had been seized with a 
 dangerous illness, and he had been obliged to 
 secure an immediate passage in a merchant's ship 
 as a means of preserving her precious life, the 
 physicians having prescribed a sea voyage as 
 affording the best hope of her recovery. There 
 were few other passengers, and not many of 
 them such as he was much inclined to associate 
 with; but still they were his fellow-men, and 
 he felt de'ep anxiety for them. 
 
 As the wind had again moderated in some 
 degree, they were aftle, in the course of the 
 forenoon, to remove a great part of the things 
 from the beach ; but as exercise had rendered 
 them more than usually hungry, Mr. Howard 
 thought it advisable to defer the completion of 
 this work till next day, and to give nurse what 
 assistance he could in providing her the means 
 of preparing a dinner for them. There was still 
 too much wind to allow the fire to burn steadily 
 ^n the open air ; and while nurse and Leila were 
 husily employed in collecting firewood, Mr. 
 
 4*
 
 42 LEILA. 
 
 Howard, having previously found the necessary 
 tools in the carpenter's box, was able to make a 
 very tolerable vent for the smoke in the outer 
 cavern, by striking out a hole in the rock above ; 
 he found both this and enlarging the entrance, 
 which he then commenced, an easier task than 
 he had anticipated, from the rock proving of a 
 sandy substance, and easily worked ; but before 
 he had completed his labours, he was called to 
 dinner by Leila, who had been indeed a busy 
 little woman, and who was now most impatient 
 that he should partake of the produce of her 
 work.
 
 LEILA. 43 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 "T)0 come to dinner, papa," Leila exclaimed ; 
 "do come quick, or it will be cold, for 
 nurse says there are no silver covers in the 
 wilderness. And do you know what I was' 
 going to say, papa ? I was going to say, ' If you 
 please, dinner is on the table,' and lo and be- 
 hold there is no table! that was a mistake 
 indeed; but come and see, papa, if you think I 
 have managed well." 
 
 Leila had spread a table-cloth on the ground 
 in the inner cavern ; the useful canteen she had 
 placed as a seat for her papa, and her own seat 
 was composed of a parcel of her own clothes. 
 At the top of the table, or rather table-cloth, 
 waa a. magnificent plate of grapes which she had 
 gathered herself, and dressed up with green 
 leaves and wild flowers. The bottom dish,/ if 
 not quite so elegant, was rather more substau 
 tial : nurse had contrived to stew a fowl with 
 rice, in a manner which reflected the highest 
 credit on her ; and never was a dinner partakeu 
 of with more grateful hearts or better appetite.
 
 44 LEILA. 
 
 Mr. Howard oould not, however, prevail upon 
 nurse to sit down. It had been both her duty 
 and her pleasure, she said, to wait upon him for 
 many a long year, and please Heaven, she 
 would do so still ; so taking the water-bottle in 
 her hand, she left the cavern, and returned with 
 water clear as crystal, into which she squeezed 
 a couple of limes, and made for them a refresh- 
 ing and most excellent sherbet. 
 
 Dash and Selina were not quite so modest as 
 nurse ; appearing to consider themselves as mem- 
 bers of the party, {hey took their seats one on 
 each side of Leila, who stood opposite her papa; 
 in other respects, however, they were perfectly 
 well bred, asking for nothing till helped by her. 
 
 Soon after they had dined, Mr. Howard "re- 
 turned to his work, and Leila watched the prog- 
 ress of it with impatience, for she had set her 
 heart on having a long talk with her papa. 
 Nothing delighted her so much as to get upon 
 his knee, and have him all to herself: and as the 
 evening was not a pleasant one for walking out, 
 she thought there could not be a more favour- 
 able opportunity for this indulgence. 
 
 " Now, papa," she said, " I am sure you have 
 made the door quite big enough; youshould meas- 
 ure it by nurse ; you know nurse is the broadest, 
 and I think she could get in quite well now." 
 
 " Yes, Leila, but I am the tallest, and you see
 
 LEILA. 45 
 
 * 
 
 I still must stoop a good deal ; but there is very 
 little more to be done there, now, that will do, 
 I think. And now shall I make a little door 
 for you, to get in and out also ?" 
 
 " Papa, you are laughing at me ; can't I get 
 in and out at the same door ? See how easily 
 I can get out," and Leila darted out into the 
 open air, and in her turn stood laughing at her 
 papa ; the wind blowing her luxuriant hair all 
 about her blooming face, and threatening every 
 moment to lift her light figure from the ground. 
 
 " Come in, my love, come in, or you will be 
 blown away ; I am quite convinced now the door 
 will answer ; and I am convinced also that my 
 little girl is in this respect wiser than Sir Isaao 
 Newton. Do you know, Leila, that it is said of 
 that great man, that when deeply engaged in his 
 studies, being much disturbed by a cat which 
 was constantly wishing to get in and out of his 
 room to its kitten,, he, as a sure means of pre- 
 venting this annoyance, cut a hole in the door 
 for the cat, and a little hole for the kitten." 
 " And who was Sir Isaac Newton, papa ?" 
 " Sir Isaac Newton, my love, was one of the 
 greatest philosophers and mathematicians that 
 ever appeared in the world, and was as" remark- 
 able for his modesty as for the superiority of hia 
 genius. While yet a young man, not more than 
 four-and-twenty, he made many of his most im-
 
 46 LEILA. 
 
 portant discoveries, and he was the first person 
 who gave us a true account of the laws which 
 regulate the motions of those beautiful planets 
 which I have pointed out to you so often from 
 the deck of the ship. When you are older, you 
 shall read a life of him. I hope this wind will 
 fall before to-morrow morning, and allow me to 
 get to the ship for my books. We shall be sadly 
 ill off without them ; how shall I be able to in- 
 struct my little girl, if I cannot get at my books ? 
 and this high wind makes me tremble for the 
 ship. I almost fear that before to-morrow morn- 
 ing it may be shattered to pieces." 
 
 " Well, papa, but don't look sorry, for if you 
 cannot get any books, never mind, for you can 
 instruct me out of your own head. You know 
 so many things, that you can tell me every 
 thing I wish to know, and I will be very atten- 
 tive I won't forget. Now, I will not forget 
 that you told me to-day that Sir Isaac Newton 
 was a great philosopher, and that he cut a large 
 hole in his door for the cat, and a little hole for 
 the kitten." 
 
 " Well, my love, I think, in this respect, you 
 are a very nice little philosopher, and I shall try 
 to follow your example, Leila, and make the 
 best of things." 
 
 "And will you try to make a table, papa, 
 and some chairs ?" '
 
 LEILA. 47 
 
 " So that is your idea of the best of things, 
 Leila. Well, we shall see what can be done 
 in this way ; but there are other things still 
 more necessary, which must be attended to 
 first." 
 
 " Then, papa, let me sit on your knee, and 
 you will tell me about them. Now I have got 
 into my particular corner how nice this is ! 
 And now we will make some plans. I like so 
 much when I sit upon your knee, and you tell 
 me plans, and chat with me a great deal ; and 
 I am so glad that here, you know, nobody will 
 come to disturb us." 
 
 Mr. Howard sighed deeply as he gazed upon 
 his child. Leila raised herself upon her knees, 
 and fondly kissed his cheek ; then throwing her 
 arms round hfs neck, she whispered, "Papa, 
 are you sorry to stay here with me ?" 
 
 " No, my love, I am most deeply grateful to 
 have you with me." 
 
 " Then why did you sigh, papa?" 
 
 "I was thinking of those friends I had hoped 
 soon to meet with, Leila." 
 
 " Well, papa, you know I cannot be a big 
 friend, but I could be a little friend, maybe. 
 Will you take me for your little friend, 
 papa ?" 
 
 " Most willingly, my love." 
 
 " O, I am so glad ! Now, that is one plan
 
 48 LEILA. 
 
 \ve have made, and I think a very good one ; 
 and now we will make some more plans." 
 
 " Yes, Leila, but you must think of the con- 
 sequences of the plan you have made ; if you 
 are to be my friend, you must do all you can to 
 improve yourself, and to gain information, that 
 you may be able to converse with me; you 
 must read history and geography, that we may 
 talk together of what formerly happened in the 
 world, and that you may know the places where 
 these events did happen ; you must attend to 
 your music lessons, that we may be able to play 
 and sing together ; above all, you must endeav- 
 our to get the better of that bad habit which 
 makes it difficult for my little girl to learn any 
 thing well ; you must not allow your eyes to 
 wander all over the room while I am explaining 
 things to you, or be thinking of your cat, as 
 you were doing the other day, while I was tell- 
 ing you about William the Conqueror. You 
 know, Leila, I am frequently obliged to make 
 you repeat your French verbs with your eyes 4 
 ehut, and your hands clasped behind your back 
 to keep -you steady, and even then you are often 
 still fidgeting and standing first on one leg and 
 then on the other. What would you have 
 thought, if you had seen my friend Mr. Morley 
 conversing with me with his "eyes shut, and 
 standing on one leg?"
 
 LEILA. 49 
 
 " 0, papa, I should have laughed very much ; 
 but I don't think he could have stood on one 
 leg he is so fat." 
 
 " Well, Leila, if my only hope of your steadi- 
 ness consists in your becoming as fat as Mr. 
 Morley, I believe I must be more moderate in 
 my expectations, and not wish for quite so 
 much." 
 
 " But, papa, I will try to be steady though I 
 am not fat, and I will do all I can to be your 
 little friend. Do you know, papa, that I find 
 it much easier to be good with you than with 
 nurse yes, I do ; I like nurse very much, and 
 she is very kind to me indeed, but then every 
 day she teases me with those long frills to hem, 
 and makes me do such a great piece, and take 
 such little stitches, and so close together, that I 
 cannot get patience for it ; I like to take large 
 stitches, that I may be soon done, and then she 
 is angry, takes it all out, and makes me do it 
 over again." 
 
 "Nurse is quite right, my love. Whatever 
 you do, Leila, you should try to do well. I 
 am sorry you do not like needle-work, for it is 
 most useful : but if you persevere, you will 
 come to do it well, and then you will like 
 it; meanwhile it is a good exercise for your 
 patience. You should pray to God, Leila, 
 that he would enable you to get over that injr 
 5
 
 50 LEILA. 
 
 patience of temper, which is your greatest 
 fault." 
 
 " yes, papa, I do pray very often for the 
 Holy Spirit to make me good, for I did a dread- 
 ful tiling one day when I forgot to pray. It 
 was just the day the storm began. It was a 
 little windy when I did the thing, and I was 
 corning to tell you, but then the wind blew a 
 great deal more, and I was frightened and for 
 got; and now I should like to tell you, but 
 then I am afraid, papa, you will not love me, 
 or have me for your little friend, when you 
 know." 
 
 " Yes, my child, I will love you more than 
 ever, if you have been sorry for your fault, and 
 have asked God to forgive you." 
 
 " yes, papa, I have ; I have prayed a great 
 deal, and I hope God has forgiven me, for you 
 know he took care of me on the raft, and brought 
 me safe into this delightful cave; and now I 
 will tell you. You see it was about those frills. 
 Nurse gave me a great piece to hem, and she 
 put in a pin, and said, ' Now, Miss Leila, you 
 will please to hem up to that pin, and take very 
 small stitches, and close together.' Well, it was 
 a greater piece than she had ever given me be- 
 fore, and she had not her good-natured face on ; 
 and when I wished to go on deck and talk with 
 you, she said I must finish my work first. I
 
 LEILA. 51 
 
 did take little stitches at first, but when I looked 
 sind looked at the pin, it was- never growing a 
 bit nearer; so then I am coming to the wicked 
 part, papa, but I must tell you so then I 
 thought I would just take out the pin and put it 
 nearer, and nurse would never know. If I had 
 prayed to God then, papa, he would have strength- 
 ened me, but I did not pray; I snatched it 
 out very quick, and put it a great deal nearer, 
 and I did not care for any thing after that but 
 took as big stitches as ever I could, and when 
 I brought the work to nurse, I was just going 
 to say, 'I have hemmed to the pin, nurse,' 
 when something came in my throat, and was 
 like to choke me ; so I laid it down, and was 
 sorry to be done, instead of happy.- Well, then, 
 nurse looked at it, and she said, 'What is this, 
 Miss Leila ? I think the pin has been removed ;' 
 and she put on her spectacles to look, but I 
 jumped up and pulled them off her nose, and 
 ran away with them. She caught me at the 
 cabin-door, and brought me back, and said, ' Miss 
 Leila, stand before me instantly, and don't move ;' 
 and she put on her spectacles, and took the pin 
 and put it into the holes where it was before, 
 and she took the end . of the thread, and drew 
 out all my hemming. The thread gave a great 
 crack, and it put me in such a passion, papa, 
 that I stamped with my foot, and I pulled jthe
 
 52 LEILA. 
 
 frill out of nurse's hands, and danced upon 
 it." 
 
 " Leila ! " exclaimed Mr. Howard, " this is 
 a sad, sad account indeed." 
 
 Leila hid her face upon her papa's breast, and 
 bursting into tears she exclaimed, " papa, you 
 are angry with me." 
 
 "Compose yourself, my love, be comforted; 
 I am not angry with you ; no, Leila, I feel as- 
 sured, from the sorrow you are now feeling, that 
 you will watch over yourself more than ever to 
 get the better of this fault, and that you will daily 
 pray to God to give you strength to do so ; for 
 you see, Leila, into what sinfulness this impa- 
 tience of temper has led you. You have been 
 accustomed from your infancy to consider God 
 as ever present, looking upon every action, and 
 acquainted with every thought; you have been 
 accustomed, if uncertain how to act, to ask your- 
 self this question, ' What would God wish me 
 to do ?' You know, if you dare not ask God 
 this question, and try to put away this remem- 
 brance from you, that you must be wishing to 
 do what is wrong, wishing to obey the wicked 
 spirit, rather than to obey God." 
 
 " no, papa, not wishing to obey the wick- 
 ed spirit, but sometimes I cannot help being 
 bad." 
 
 u Yes, Leila, you can. We have all evil im-
 
 LEILA. 53 
 
 pulses, and often wish to do what is wrong ; but 
 if, at such moments, we pray to God to strengthen 
 us by his Holy Spirit, he will listen to our prayer, 
 he will lead us back into ,the right path, he will 
 love us, and look upon us as his children. And 
 now, my child, tell me everything that hap- 
 pened ; what did nurse do ?" 
 
 " She looked at me very sorrowfully, papa ; 
 and then she said^ ' Miss Leila, you might 'per- 
 haps have deceived me, but you could not have 
 been happy, for you could not have deceived 
 God, and until you are sorry for your fault, 
 and pray to him to forgive you, I do not wish 
 to be in your company;' and she went out of 
 the cabin and shut the door." 
 
 "And what did you do, Leila?" 
 
 " I cried a great deal at first, papa, and then 
 I remembered that verse which you told me to 
 think of when I did any thing wrong, and I said 
 quite low to myself, ' I will arise and go to my 
 Father, and will say unto him, I have sinned 
 against Heaven and before thee, and am no 
 more worthy to be called thy son.' And I knelt 
 down, papa, and prayed to God to forgive me, 
 and to give me a better heart, and to take the 
 impatience out of it ; and I asked him to make 
 me love my work, and never, never to wish to 
 deceive nurse again ; and when I got up, papa, 
 there was nurse standing behind me; she had 
 
 5*
 
 54 LEILA. 
 
 come into the cabin quite softly. When I saw 
 her I began to cry again, but she dried my eyes, 
 and said, ' Miss Leila, I see you have been ask- 
 ing God to forgive you, and that you have re- 
 pented of your fault ; therefore I am sure he 
 has forgiven you, and I will forgive you also ;' 
 so she kissed me, and I felt a great deal happier ; 
 but I wanted to go on deck and tell you, that I 
 might be quite happy again." 
 
 " And why did you not tell me ?" 
 
 " Because, papa, nurse said the wind was 
 blowing very hard on deck, and you were busy, 
 and wished me to stay below ; and all the loose 
 things in the cabin began rolling about, which 
 amused me very much ; all the water dashed 
 out of the ewer and came upon my frock, and the 
 tumbler jumped out of the washhand-stand and 
 rolled on the floor, and I ran after the tumbler, 
 and nurse ran after the cups and saucers; and 
 there was such a nice clatter, and then nurse 
 came against me and popped me down in the 
 middle of the floor, which made me laugh more 
 than any thing ; but that was the last of the 
 funny things which happened, for the wind blew 
 so hard that nurse was frightened, and so was I ; 
 and after that, papa, you know, always when 
 you came down into the cabin, you gave me 
 books to read to interest my mind, or verses of the 
 Bible to learn, and you put my blue sash round
 
 LEILA. 65 
 
 my waist, and tied me with it to the table ; but 
 I don't like to think of that time, we won't talk 
 about it any more." 
 
 " No, my love, there is no occasion that we 
 should now dwell upon the danger we have suf- 
 fered, but we should think often, and with the 
 deepest gratitude, of God's goodness in having 
 delivered us from it." 
 
 " Yes, papa, I will thank God, and I am very 
 grateful to him, for he has made the verses which 
 comforted me so much in the cabin, come quite 
 true. Don't you remember, papa, in the psalm 
 you gave me to learn, it is said, ' So when they 
 cry unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivereth 
 them, out of their distress, for he maketh the 
 storm to cease, so that the waves thereof are 
 still." 
 
 "'Thus are they glad because they are at 
 rest, and so he bringeth them unto the haven 
 where they would be.' 
 
 " And we are glad, papa ; and don't you think 
 He has brought us into the haven where we 
 would be ? I am sure this cave is a very good 
 haven ; I like it much better than the ship ; and 
 will you tell me now, papa, some more plans to 
 makers comfortable ?" 
 
 " Not now, my love, for it is getting late, and 
 I am anxious you should go soon to bed, as we 
 must breakfast early to-morrow, that I may get
 
 56 LEILA. 
 
 off to the ship as soon as possible. So go now 
 and assist nurse in preparing a bed for me in the 
 outer cavern ; let her take one of the mattresses 
 I brought from the ship to-day, and then return, 
 and I will read the Bible to you as usual, and 
 hear you say your prayers before you go V> 
 bed."
 
 LEILA. 57 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 \. 
 
 "JJEXT morning the wind had greatly fallen, 
 although the weather seemed still somewhat 
 unsettled ; but as Mr. Howard could see from 
 the window in the inner cavern that the ship 
 still lay upon the rock, he repaired with Leila 
 and nurse to the beach as soon as breakfast was 
 over, and leaving them to unpack the rest of the 
 articles in the chests, he proceeded to the ship J 
 but, alas I on reaching it, he found the cabins 
 were so much under water that nothing could 
 be removed; and as the wind seemed again 
 to be rising every moment more and more, he 
 saw, with feelings of much disappointment, 
 that he must give up all idea of saving any 
 thing further from the wreck, and that not a 
 moment must be lost in endeavouring to regain 
 the shore. Even with the assistance of the 
 faithful Dash, he found this a matter of such 
 difficulty, that all sense of his recent disap- 
 pointment was lost in gratitude to Heaven, 
 when he was once more permitted in safety to 
 embrace his child.
 
 Eki . LEILA. 
 
 " \ w, .eila," he said, " again has a mercifuJ 
 God delivered me from, imminent danger. He 
 has preserved my life, and he has in you pre- 
 served also my greatest treasure. Let me no 
 longer dwell with regret on what it seems his 
 good pleasure to withhold. I shall make no 
 further effort to possess myself of my books ; 
 you must now trust to papa's memory for your 
 knowledge of history and geography, and that 
 general information which it is desirable you 
 should acquire ; but the book of life has been 
 preserved to us, Leila, and what is all human 
 knowledge, compared with what we can learn 
 there ? Where shall we meet with such poetry 
 as in the Psalms of David, or such eloquence 
 as flowed from the unlettered fishermen of Gal- 
 ilee ? And where shall we find a model of 
 sinless purity, yet of lowly meekness and com- 
 plete submission to a Father's will, but in pur 
 blessed Saviour Jesus Christ? It now seems 
 to me that in the Bible, being the only book 
 preserved to us, God himself is saying, ' This 
 is sufficient for you here you have the words 
 of eternal life ; let them be simply received 
 and earnestly prayed over, and more and more 
 light will be given to cheer and guide you on 
 your way.' Yes, my child, each promise of 
 the word of God will be found a staff to leais 
 upon, able to bear the whole weight of sin, of
 
 L K i r, A . 59 
 
 sorrow, and of trial. In our Bibles we have a 
 rich treasure-house, furnished with every source 
 of delight, every ground of present peace and 
 future joy." 
 
 While Mr. Howard was talking in this way 
 to Leila, nurse had removed to a little distance, 
 and appeared intently examining something on 
 the sand, while Dash's low, short bark seemed 
 also to be inviting Mr. Howard to follow. On 
 advancing to the spot, he found that the recent 
 storm had thrown up a large turtle into a cleft 
 of the rock, which Dash had discovered, and 
 now stood sentry over, wagging his tail, and as 
 if enjoying in anticipation the many good din- 
 ners which nurse was at that moment arranging 
 in her fertile brain. 
 
 " Where shall we get a fish-kettle?" she was 
 exclaiming to herself as Mr. Howard approached. 
 " to think that such a grand creature should 
 be lost "for want of proper conveniences! it 
 is a heavy trial. Well, sir," she continued, 
 as M>. Howard stooped to examine the turtle, 
 " has not Dash, poor fellow ! provided well for 
 your dinner for some days to come ? and I dare 
 say I shall be able to manage a kind of turtle 
 soup not just so badly either." 
 
 "I have no doubt of it," Mr. Howard an- 
 swered ; " and in this unlooked-for blessing we 
 have another instance of God's goodness to ug,
 
 60 LEILA. 
 
 My mind feels more at res^now that I have 
 given up all hope of saving more from the 
 wreck; so come, let us exert ourselves to se- 
 cure what has been so unexpectedly given." 
 
 It was some hours of hard labour before Mr. 
 Howard, with the assistance of his companions, 
 had succeeded in removing every thing to the 
 cave; for the wind rising in sudden gusts at 
 times completely obstructed their progress in 
 their undertaking. By taking the raft to pieces, 
 he was able by degrees to remove it also to 
 the cave; and while nurse and Leila busied 
 themselves in the domestic arrangements for 
 dinner, Mr. Howard, with the materials which 
 it afforded him, was able to put together a sort 
 of temporary table, which gave an air of infi- 
 nitely more comfort to the inner apartment ; he 
 also put up a bench by the side of the kitchen 
 fire, for nurse's accommodation ; and the chests 
 being deposited in the inner cave, in front of 
 the table, served at the same time as seats and 
 as store closets for their provisions. 
 
 Leila was much delighted with these arrange- 
 ments, and particularly interested in the work 
 which Mr. Howard commenced as soon as dinner 
 was over. Before the evening closed, her papa 
 had partly succeeded in making a shelf in the 
 rock, where her wardrobe was to be arranged ; 
 and to complete this, and put up pins of wood,
 
 LEILA. 61 
 
 where different articles could be hung up, was 
 to be the work of a new day. 
 
 So soundly did Leila sleep after her labours, 
 that she heard not the storm, which now raged 
 without with such fury, that several of the tre.e.s 
 which grew near their place of shelter were torn 
 up by the roots. Mr. Howard lay awake listen- 
 ing to the roaring of the wind, and to the crash 
 of the falling trees ; and as soon as the morning 
 dawned, he stole gently into Leila's apartment, 
 wishing to look out upon the sea, which could 
 only be seen from the inner cave. He found 
 that Dash wasxwatching by Leila's side, and her 
 cat lay purring at her feet ; but no outward 
 storm had disturbed her peaceful slumbers she 
 lay like a summer rose, in dreamless sleep. He 
 looked at her in silent thankfulness, then, ap- 
 proaching the window, gazed earnestly on the 
 sea. The fury of the storm had now abated, 
 and as the light of morning increased, he be- 
 came aware that the ship was no longer visible ; 
 it must have been sunk or driven on the rocks. 
 That this last had been the case was soon ap- 
 parent, for on going down to the beach next 
 morning, Mr. Howard found it strewed with 
 many fragments of the wreck ; several barrels 
 also, some containing gunpowder, and others 
 meat and bread, were cast on shore, but so 
 much injured by the sea water as to be of little 
 6
 
 62 LEILA. 
 
 <ase; the bread, however, after being well 
 steeped in fresh water, was found very service- 
 able in feeding the poultry ; and it was pleasing 
 to see the white hens flocking round Leila in 
 he morning, eagerly picking up the food she 
 had prepared for them at the entrance of the 
 cave, and at early dawn to hear the gallant 
 cock crowing quite as cheerfully as if he had 
 not been on a desert island. 
 
 Several days had now passed away, and as 
 the weather had been unfavourable for visiting 
 the interior of the island, they had occupied 
 themselves in securing all the fragments of the 
 wreck, and in making every thing within the 
 cave wear such an air of comfort, that the first 
 Sabbath morning found them not only with 
 hearts deeply grateful for the blessings by 
 which they were surrounded, but with a degree 
 of cheerfulness of spirit which it astonished Mr. 
 Howard he should himself so fully partake of. 
 
 In arranging Leila's clothes, a morocco case 
 was found, containing a Bible and Prayer-book, 
 which her papa had given her on her eighth 
 birth-day ; and in the open air, under the shade 
 of a beautiful spreading tree, he read aloud the 
 service to his little audience. Never had his 
 heart been touched with deeper devotion, and 
 the whole scene was in unison with his feelinga 
 Removed from the world and its busy cares,
 
 LEILA. 65 
 
 they formed a little group kneeling at the foot- 
 stool of their Father's throne, amid the loveliest 
 scenes of his creation ; the deepest solitude was 
 around, the most profound stillness reigned, no 
 cloud was in the sky, no bird in the air; but 
 the glad sunbeams glittered on the jewelled 
 earth, and innumerable flowers, decked in living 
 lustre, filled the atmosphere with fragrance. 
 They arose from their knees with hearts deeply 
 touched with that holy peace which the world 
 cannot give, for faithful is He that hath promised 
 that, for his children, " the wilderness and the 
 solitary place shall be glad for them, and the 
 desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." 
 
 As soon as the service was over, Leila re- 
 minded her papa of his intention of taking a 
 long walk with her into the interior of the 
 island; and the little troop, consisting of Mr. 
 Howard, Leila, nurse, Dash, and Selina, accord- 
 ingly set out to view the property they had so 
 unexpectedly become possessed of. Their pro- 
 gress was slow, so many were the objects of 
 admiration they met with on their way. Turn- 
 ing in the opposite direction from that which 
 led to the beach, they found themselves, when 
 but a Very short distance from the cave, under 
 the shade of a banyan-tree, whose innumerable 
 slender branches, bending down and taking 
 root again, formed pillars, as it were, to this
 
 64 LEILA. 
 
 temple of nature's workmanship. Leila was 
 enchanted with the beauty of this summer bower, 
 and darting forward, and clapping her hands 
 with joy, there flew out from amidst its green 
 canopy a variety of birds turtle-doves, wood- 
 peckers, and beautiful green and scarlet parrots, 
 such as Leila had never seen before. On she 
 ran through its green alleys, exclaiming with 
 fresh delight'at every step, till emerging again 
 at the opposite side, she found herself on the 
 margin of the little rivulet which has been 
 already mentioned ; here her further progress 
 being arrested, she was joined by the others. 
 
 "0 papa!" she exclaimed, " surely the little 
 fairy elves which nurse tells me about have 
 built this bower, it is so beautiful. And what 
 are those lovely scarlet balls, which are hanging 
 down amongst the green leaves ?" 
 
 " They are Indian figs, my love ; and those 
 birds and beautiful parrots you have scared away 
 were probably feeding upon them." 
 
 " I think, papa, the birds here have a very 
 merry time ; they have such a pretty house, 
 and such nice dinners, I should like to stay here 
 always." 
 
 " What, Leila ! and forsake the friendly cave 
 which sheltered you so well during the storm ?" 
 
 " I was forgetting, papa, I think. I would 
 not forsake the cave, that would not be kind ;
 
 LEILA. 65' 
 
 I like my room there very much, I always liked 
 it, and now I like it better than ever, since my 
 clothes were put so neatly on the shelves, and 
 my work-box beside them ; and my shoes are 
 put in a corner all in rows, and my dressing- 
 gown and my towel hung on pins, and my 
 bonnet. But, papa, only look at my bonnet ; 
 nurse says it is good for very little since the 
 waves came dashing over it. What am I to 
 do for another bonnet?" 
 
 "Why, Leila, I think we must contrive to 
 make you a bonnet of the palm-leaves ; I have 
 heard of bonnets being manufactured in this 
 way." 
 
 " That will be delightful, papa ; I am sure I 
 shall like it much better than my English bon- 
 net ! What good contrivances you have ! Will 
 you tell me some more plans ? But what were 
 we speaking about before the bonnet ? Here we 
 have so many things to speak about, papa, that 
 I am brimming full of them. We have a great 
 many more things to speak about in the island 
 than in the ship. ! I remember, now, I waa 
 going to say that it would be a good plan to 
 keep the cave for our house just as it is now, 
 and to make this a green parlour to teach me 
 my lessons in." 
 
 " A very good plan, my love ; only I am 
 afraid you would see too many objects around
 
 66 LEILA. 
 
 to distract your attention. You would be peep- 
 ing out between the branches, watching the 
 goats with their little kids skipping amongst the 
 rocks, as I have been doing at this moment. 
 Hold ! what is that I got a glimpse of just now ? 
 I am sure I saw a monkey.in that tall cocoa-nut 
 tree. Leila ! if monkeys are to be seen from 
 your school-room windows, I am afraid your 
 green parlour would not long contain you. You 
 would be off from my side like an arrow from 
 a bow." 
 
 " But, papa, could you not twine the branches 
 thick together to keep me in ? that would be a 
 good contrivance, papa eh?" 
 
 " A very good contrivance, my love the 
 very same idea had struck me. I am sure that, 
 by weaving in additional branches, which we 
 can cut off from the other trees, and making use 
 also of those tall reeds which I see growing at 
 a little distance, we shall be able to form a wall 
 strong enough not only to keep you in, Leila, 
 when a monkey is in view, but to make this 
 green temple a very pleasant habitation, for part 
 of the day at least." 
 
 " And do you think I could do a little good ? 
 Could I help you, papa ?" 
 
 "Yes, my love, I dare say you could; I 
 think you will be able to manage weaving in 
 the tender branches and the reeds, that is to
 
 LEILA. 67 
 
 gay, as long as the wall is not above you* 
 height." 
 
 "And then, you know, I could stand up on 
 the canteen, papa, to make me tall. it will 
 He so delightful ! I hope you will begin to-mor- 
 row. I long to be at work. I will get up 
 early ; whenever the sun comes in at my win- 
 dow, and the cock crows, I will jump up." 
 
 "You will do quite right, my love ; we must 
 all be up to-morrow morning by the crowing of 
 the cock; but we cannot to-morrow, or even 
 for some days to come, -begin the wall. No, 
 Leila, here there is so much to be done, that we 
 must arrange our work, and begin with wha,t is 
 most necessary. We have already made the 
 cave tolerably comfortable ; we must now con- 
 sider how we can add to our store of provisions. 
 It seems to me as if a great deal of rain had 
 fallen here lately ; and while the ground is still 
 moist, I wish to sow the Indian corn which I 
 was taking home with, me to England, and also 
 to plant a small plantation of rice on the banks 
 of this rivulet. The stream will form a good de- 
 fence on one side, and also will give us the means 
 of watering our grounds; but I must put in 
 stakes, and then you can assist me in weaving in 
 branches, so as to form a sort of fence on the 
 other side ; without this, the goats would quickly 
 devour the grain ; not to speak of your white
 
 68 LEILA. 
 
 hens, Leila, which, in spite of their wings being 
 cut, woulcj soon make their way down to our 
 corn and rice-fields." 
 
 " O no, papa, I don't think they would, for 
 they are not mischievous hens, and they 'know 
 me so well now one carne upon my shoulder 
 to-day." 
 
 "And so you think that they are such honest, 
 affectionate hens that they would prefer sitting 
 on your shoulder, rather than stealing a good 
 dinner of rice? I am not sure, Leila, that we 
 could trust quite so much to their principles a 
 good dinner is a strong temptation to a hungry 
 hen." 
 
 "But, papa, they are not hungry hens, for 
 every time I come out of the cave they come 
 flocking about me, and I always give them 
 something. I take it out of the bag for the 
 poultry, or out of the bread-barrel. I never 
 take it out of. the store-chest, for nurse says I 
 must not. Nurse, may I tell papa the secret 
 about the chickens ?" 
 
 'Certainly, Miss Leila, you may tell your 
 papa any thing. You know it is only that you 
 wished to surprise him." 
 
 " Yes, papa, I wanted to surprise you with 
 ;he chickens ; but then it is such a long time 
 to wait, I cannot keep the secret so long. You 
 know, nurse and I have made nests of the dry
 
 LEILA. 69 
 
 grass in the rock for the hens, and we picked 
 up round white stones on the beach, and put 
 one into each nest, and the hens think that they 
 are eggs, and they go into the nests and put 
 another egg beside them; then we go in the 
 morning and take away the eggs, but we always 
 leave the white stone. Sometimes we get four 
 eggs, and sometimes we get only three, for one 
 of the hens is very stupid. Now, papa, you see 
 I wanted to give you all the eggs, but nurse 
 said there could be no chickens; and that you 
 would like chickens better; so when I bring 
 you the egg for your breakfast, she puts the 
 others into a safe place till there are thirteen. 
 To-morrow there will be thirteen, if that hen is 
 not stupid, and then, papa, we are to put one of 
 the hens to sit upon them, and in three weeks 
 the chickens are to come out. Will it not be 
 delightful, papa, to see the little chickens ?" 
 
 " Yes, my love, and it will be a good exer- 
 cise of your patience, for three weeks is a long 
 time for you to \yait ; but meanwhile you w'ill 
 have such constant employment, that it will 
 make the time pass much more quickly. .Come 
 now, let us walk further up the stream; if I 
 am not mistaken, the source of it is at no great 
 distance ; I think it rises probably where these 
 reeds are growing." 
 
 Mr. Howard was right : the source was
 
 70 LEILA. 
 
 amongst the reeds, and they had not walked far 
 before they came upon'a beautifully clear foun- 
 tain, from which the rivulet immediately flowed. 
 A noble-spreading tree, of a species unknown 
 to Mr. Howard, shaded the spot ; a vine clung 
 to its branches, from which the grapes were 
 hanging in rich clusters almost into the water, 
 and the sloping banks of this fountain were 
 of emerald green. They seated themselves 
 on the banks, they plucked and ate of the 
 delicious grapes, and dipped their hands into 
 the cool clear water. Mr. Howard's mind 
 was filled with silent admiration of the beau- 
 ties around him, and Leila was in ecstasies of 
 pleasure. 
 
 " 0, papa I" she exclaimed, " surely we never 
 saw any place before so lovely as this ; it makes 
 me feel so glad, it makes me think of the psalm, 
 papa. You know the psalm says, 'The Lord is 
 my shepherd, therefore can I lack nothing. 
 And are not these ' green pastures,' papa, and 
 ' the waters of comfort?' I think God is very 
 good, for he has led us, papa. You know it is 
 God that has brought us here." 
 
 " Yes, my child, that beautiful psalm is very 
 applicable at this moment to our situation, for 
 we, Leila, have been walking ' through the val- 
 ley of the shadow of death ;' but God has been 
 with us, ' his rod and his staff have comforted
 
 LEILA. 71 
 
 us.' Kepeat the last verse of this psalm, my 
 child." " 
 
 " 'But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall 
 follow me all the days of my life ; and I 
 will dwell in the house of the Lord for 
 ever!'" 
 
 " That is my daily prayer for you, my child. 
 
 may you dwell, Leila, in the house of the 
 Lord for ever 1" 
 
 " But, papa, you said when I went to Eng- 
 land, I should visit God's house, but now, you 
 know, we are not going to England." 
 
 " My dear Leila, God does not dwell alone in 
 temples made with hands, but in the hearts of 
 all his faithful children. If you endeavour in 
 all things to do his will, if you earnestly pray 
 for strength to enable you to do so, He will put 
 his Holy Spirit into your heart, and make his 
 temple there. He is every where, and in all 
 places; He will dwell in you, and you 'in Him; 
 for 'Who is like unto the Lord our God, that 
 hath his dwelling so high, and yet humbleth 
 Himself to behold the things that are in heaven 
 and earth?' " 
 
 "Papa, it makes me frightened sometimes 
 when I think how great God is, for you know 
 
 1 am not good : I often do a great many wrong 
 things ; I always pray not to do wrong things ; 
 and many times in the day I ask God to make
 
 72 LEILA. 
 
 me good. But then I forget, and the badness 
 comes upon me before I remember, and that 
 makes me sorry. Do you think God will go 
 on forgiving me, if I am sorry?" 
 
 " Yes, my child, God looks upon your sorrow 
 with a pitying eye : ' For like as a father pitieth 
 his own children, even so is the Lord merciful 
 unto them that fear him.' ' For he knoweth 
 whereof ^we are made, he remembereth that we 
 are but dust.' " 
 
 " But do you think, papa, if I were to live 
 rery long, I should grow perfect ? If I were to 
 ave as long as Methuselah, nine hundred and 
 . J .ixty-nine years, papa, do you think I should be 
 perfect?" 
 
 " No, Leila ; even in nine hundred and sixty- 
 nine years you would not be perfect. No human 
 being is perfect in the sight of God, for we have 
 all sinful natures ; our sins are many, too many 
 for us to bear. But who was it that took the 
 burden of those sins upon himself, and laid down 
 his life, that we might be forgiven ?" 
 
 " Our Saviour, Jesus Christ, papa." 
 
 " Yes, Leila ; it is through him that we are 
 pardoned ; it is only by believing and trusting 
 in him that you can be saved, and enter into 
 everlasting life. Do .you remember that beauti- 
 ful verse in Isaiah ? ' But he was wounded for 
 our transgressions; he was bruised for our ini
 
 L E I I. A . 73 
 
 quities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon 
 him, and with his stripes we are healed.' " 
 
 " Yes, papa, I remember it quite well, for you 
 explained it to me, and the other verses too, and 
 now I read the chapter sometimes to myself. I 
 always like the chapters best when you have 
 explained them to me. I am so glad the Bibles 
 were not left in the ship, for then you could not 
 have gone on explaining. But what are you 
 looking at so earnestly, papa ?" 
 
 " I am looking at those trees on the opposite 
 side, at the foot of the hill. I think I see the 
 casava or bread-tree amongst them a most valu- 
 able discovery for us, if it be so. Come, let us 
 cross the stream, that I may ascertain this point." 
 
 Mr. Howard lifted Leila across, and then 
 assisted nurse. Dash required no one's aid ; but 
 Selina, poor Selina, had an antipathy to water : 
 she had no admiration for a fountain, however 
 clear, and particularly disliked a running stream. 
 There she. stood trembling and looking most 
 wo-begone, and her melancholy mew would have 
 melted a heart of stone. 
 
 " Why, Dash, my good fellow I" exclaimed. 
 Mr. Howard, " this will never do this is shame- 
 ful what of gallantry on your part -fetch, Dash, 
 fetch," and he pointed to where poor pussy 
 stood, with one paw in the water, shaking as if 
 in an ague fit. 
 7
 
 74 LEILA. 
 
 Dash sprang across. His first intention evi- 
 dently was to have seized Selina by the neck, 
 for a jealous pang did sometimes assail him ; 
 but he thought better of it, and stooping down, 
 she jumped upon his back, and the next moment 
 was deposited in safety at the feet of her little 
 mistress. The party proceeded towards the 
 grove of trees, amongst which Mr. Howard was 
 only able to discover a single casava tree ; but 
 still this was a pleasant discovery, as it gave him 
 hopes that there might be more in other parts 
 of the island. 
 
 Leila looked eagerly up amongst the branches, 
 and then turning to her papa in evident disap- 
 pointment, she exclaimed, " But, papa, I see 
 nothing like bread." 
 
 " And did my dear little girl expect to find 
 loaves and hot rolls hanging from the branches? 
 It was a hungry idea, Leila : and I think we 
 must delay climbing the hill till another day, 
 and bend our steps homeward, and prepare foi 
 dinner. Do you see those little apples, my love, 
 amongst the branches of the casava tree ? It is 
 of those the Indians make a kind of bread when 
 they are ripe. We shall gather them, and keep 
 them in sand, and also make use of them in this 
 way: meanwhile, here are other things which 
 will be very valuable to us ;" and Mr. Howard,. 
 as he spoke, picked up several large cocoa-nuts
 
 LEILA. 7 
 
 from the ground, which the wind had thrown 
 down, and giving several of them to nurse to 
 carry, they returned home. After dinner, he 
 read aloud the Evening Service and a portion 
 of the Bible, and having heard Leila repeat her 
 Catechism and hymns, she retired to bed at an 
 early hour, anxious for the business of the 
 morrow.
 
 76 LEILA 
 
 CHAPTER YL 
 
 morning they were all up by sunrise, 
 and as soon as prayers were over, Leila, 
 impatient of delay, darted into the open air, and 
 scampering about like a mad thing, seemed as 
 if intoxicated with the pure elastic feeling of 
 early day; but Mr. Howard, just as he was 
 about to join her, was alarmed by an unusual 
 noise among the poultry ; and fearing a wild cat 
 might have got amongst them, and flying to 
 their rescue, found Leila before one of the nests, 
 shaking with violence the poor, unhappy hen 
 who was seated upon it. She stopped on seeing 
 her papa, and the poor, frightened bird took 
 shelter between Mr. Howard's legs. 
 
 "Leila," he exclaimed, "I can scarcely be- 
 lieve what I see before me:" 
 
 " O papa," she answered, and her face and 
 neck became the colour of scarlet; "indeed I 
 could not help being angry ; I got an egg from 
 each of the other nests, but this bad, stupid hen 
 will not give me one ; and how can we set the 
 hen to-day when we have only twelve ?"
 
 LEILA. 77 
 
 "Leila, it is not the hen that is either bad or 
 stupid, but it is you who are unreasonable ; it is 
 not its nature at present to give you an egg 
 every day ; you will probably find one in the 
 nest to-morrow ; but I shall not now allow nurse 
 to set the hen for two days to come. I am sorry 
 to be obliged to punish you, my child ; but it is 
 my duty to endeavour in every way to check 
 this impatience of temper, which may lead you 
 into the most frightful faults. You had but just 
 risen from your knees, Leila, where you had 
 been asking your God and Father to love you 
 as his child, to put his Holy Spirit into your 
 heart, and to make you more obedient, more 
 meek and lowly like himself, and fitted to be a 
 lamb of his flock. Do you think he could love 
 you at the moment you were giving way to such 
 different feelings ?" 
 
 "Ono, papa, he could not; but he sees me 
 now, and he knows I am sorry indeed, in- 
 deed I am sorry!" and she clasped her little 
 hands together in strong emotion. "But, papa, 
 am I never to grow good when I wish it so very 
 much ? Am I always to go on struggling, strug 
 gling?" 
 
 " Yes, Leila, we must always go on struggling 
 with our inclination to do evil ; but God has 
 said, ' My grace is sufficient for you ;' and he is 
 the same ' faithful God who will not suffer us to
 
 78 LEILA. 
 
 be tempted above what we are able to bear, but 
 will, with the temptation, also make a way of 
 escape, that we may be able to bear it.' We 
 shall never be free from sin as long as we are in 
 this world ; but if we have deeply repented for 
 having offended, and constantly pray for God's 
 holy Spirit to strengthen us against giving way 
 to sin, we shall, after .this life, be received into 
 everlasting happiness; for if we humbly seek 
 for grace to guide us in obeying God's holy will, 
 he has promised to help all those who feel their 
 weakness, and put their trust in him; and he 
 will give you strength, and bring you to his 
 heavenly kingdom, where there will be no more 
 struggle with evil ; you will be made pure even 
 as he is pure, and fitted to dwell with your Lord 
 and Saviour in perfect happiness for ever. And 
 now, my child, go and tell nurse to get ready to 
 accompany us, and let us begin our walk in this 
 cool and lovely morning. Look, Leila, how 
 that glorious sun an emblem of God himself 
 is rising above the hill, shedding its glowing 
 light on each surrounding object, chasing away 
 the shades of night, and drawing up the dews of 
 heaven in those clouds of soft transparent mist 
 which are still sleeping on the valleys! So 
 may the pure light of the Gospel rise upon our 
 dark hearts, and shed everlasting peace and 
 happiness around us !"
 
 LEILA. 79 
 
 It was the work of some weeks before the 
 fence was complete, and Mr. Howard had suc- 
 ceeded in putting the seed into the ground ; but 
 this necessary business being effected, he re- 
 solved to take the other projected improvements 
 more leisurely, and now to devote regularly a 
 portion of every day to Leila's studies. The 
 want of books was a sad drawback to her im- 
 provement ; but the cultivation of Mr. Howard's 
 own mind enabled him to impart to her much 
 useful information. 
 
 After her religious duties were over, and he 
 had read and explained the Bible with her, he 
 gave her a lecture on history every day ; and 
 they then regularly went down to the beach 
 together ; and before the heat of the day com- 
 menced, she received instructions from him in 
 geography, writing, and arithmetic. With a 
 sharp-pointed stick she traced the different 
 countries on the sand, and summed up many 
 a long list of figures ; and her writing lesson 
 #as always given in French : in that language 
 she had already made considerable progress, 
 having been accustomed to hear her papa speak 
 it with a French gentleman who had been his 
 secretary, and who had kindly given Leila 
 a daily lesson: she now wrote it every day 
 on sand, her papa dictating to her simple 
 phrases in English, and she writing them
 
 80 LEILA. 
 
 down in French. Her stock of hymns was 
 kept up by constant repetition; and many a 
 piece of poetry was added from the stores of 
 Mr. Howard's memory: he often employed him- 
 self by writing them down on the leaves of the 
 palm-tree; and Leila would frequently amuse 
 herself by writing a little letter to her papa on 
 a palm-tree leaf, and tying it up with a tendril 
 from the vine ; for although there were a few 
 reels of cotton in her workbox, nurse watched 
 over them with a jealous eye. 
 
 To Leila's infinite delight, there were no more 
 frills to hem; but the cotton was sufficiently 
 necessary in repairing the many rents which 
 her frocks sustained in climbing the trees an 
 accomplishment in which she soon became so 
 expert, that the very squirrels themselves were 
 lost in astonishment. 
 
 Many were the nests of the wood-pigeon and 
 the turtle-dove which she made acquaintance with 
 in her researches amidst those higher branches 
 of natural science ; for as she generally carried 
 a few crumbs with her for the young birds, they 
 soon learnt to know Leila's cheerful " chirp, 
 chirp !" and would open wide their little mouths 
 to be' fed, and look up to her with eyes of 
 respectful tenderness and truly filial affection. 
 Her papa allowed her to remove some of the 
 nests down to the rocks ; and the old birds, see-
 
 LEILA. 8Jk 
 
 ing no further harm was intended them, continu- 
 ed still to take charge'of their domestic concerns, 
 ancl gave Leila many useful hints in the man- 
 agement of their infant nurseries. She would 
 watch with the greatest interest the proceedings 
 of the parent birds, and was astonished at the 
 affection and unwearied patience and activity 
 they displayed. She tried to keep account 
 of how often they would return to the nest 
 during an hour with food for their young, 
 but found it was beyond all counting it 
 seemed to her as if soon there would not be a 
 worm, a fly, or a white ant, left in the whole 
 island. 
 
 It was a fresh delight to her when the young 
 birds first began to receive instruction in the art 
 of flying. Leila would seat herself at a little 
 distance, and watch their first attempts with the 
 keenest enjoyment. ^ 
 
 " papa," she excliamed one morning, " 1 
 have had such delightful amusement to-day 
 I have seen all my six little turtle-doves fly 
 out of their nest. You know, papa, I gave them 
 names there were Bob, Harry, and Billy, and 
 Fanny, Lucy, and Kitty. Well, papa, the 
 mamma came to them this morning, and she 
 chirped and chirped and spoke to them for a 
 long time, and told them what to do, and they 
 nodded their heads and said 'Yes.'"
 
 '82 LEILA. 
 
 " Now, Leila, don't let your imagination run 
 away with you." 
 
 " Well, papa, I mean that they understood 
 for they did understand, papa. The mamma 
 fiew down upon the grass, and chirped and 
 chirped again ; and they all got up and stood 
 on the edge of the nest, and fluttered their 
 wings, and then they took courage, and three 
 of them flew down. Bob and Harry flew .quite 
 they are the biggest birds in all the nest; 
 but Fanny went round in a curious way in the 
 air, and came tumbling down : then the mamma 
 went to her to comfort her, I fancy, and she 
 chirped again, and flew a little way towards the 
 nest, but she did not go into it ; and Billy and 
 Lucy flew to meet her, and came down quite 
 safe ; but Kitty was a great coward, and she 
 would not come down ; she stood on the edge 
 of the nest fluttering her wings, but she would 
 not try to fly ; and then, papa, do you know 
 what the mamma did ? she flew up and gave 
 her a push, and she came rumbling tumbling 
 down, just as Fanny had done. And so now 
 they are all out of the nest, and flying about 
 and hopping on the grass, quite merry : and 
 may I have some crumbs to feed them ? for I 
 am sure they like crumbs better than worms and 
 flies : besides, it is cruel in them to eat the poor 
 worms and flies."
 
 LEILA. 83 
 
 " No, Leila, it is not cruel, it is God's inten 
 tion that it should be so ; this earth would be 
 overrun with worms and flies, if their numbers 
 were not diminished in this way ; these insects 
 are given them for food, just as many birds and 
 animals are given us for food. I am always 
 sorry when I am obliged to shoot a bird, or one 
 of those pretty little rabbits which you see run- 
 ning about in such numbers ; but still it is neces- 
 sary that it should be done." 
 
 " I am very sorry too, papa ; and I was very 
 sorry that day when you shot the little kid. Do 
 you think you could catch me a kid alive ? I 
 should like so much to have one. Dash runs 
 after them very often, and nearly catches them ; 
 but then they get on the rocks, and give such 
 skips. I wish I could follow them on the rocks, 
 I should like so much to get hold of one." 
 
 " O no, Leila, you must not attempt to get 
 upon the rocks; your climbing the trees, as you 
 do now, often gives me serious alarm : besides, 
 my child, you should have some compassion on 
 poor nurse's feelings; she is quite heart-broken 
 with the state of your wardrobe she tells me 
 you are tearing your frocks most sadly ; and you 
 know, my dear Leila, it will be impossible tc 
 replace them here." 
 
 " But, papa, nurse has made such a good plan 
 for that ; she is keeping all the rabbit-skins, and
 
 84 LEILA. 
 
 when she has enough, she is* to sew them to- 
 gether, and make them into a little dress for me : 
 and when I climb up* into the trees with my 
 rabbit-skin frock on, may be the squirrels will 
 think I am another little squirrel, and let me 
 catch them ; but will you try to get me a squir 
 rel, papa, if you cannot get me a kid ?" 
 
 " I would rather endeavour to get you a kid, 
 my love ; I have often been wishing of late that 
 we could contrive to catch some of those goats 
 with their kids; their milk would be a very 
 great luxury to us. Nurse was regretting very 
 much the other day that we could get no milk 
 for you ; and she tells me that when she was a 
 young girl, she was accustomed to take charge 
 of her mother's dairy, and that if we had a few 
 goats, she could take charge of them, and milk 
 them for us, and even make a little butter ; but 
 how she is to contrive making butter I know 
 not, as we have no churn." 
 
 "She told me about it, papa; she said she 
 could make it in the glass bottle which is in the 
 canteen, but that she would be able to make 
 very little at a time ; and she said if we had 
 goats she could teach me to milk them, and to 
 make the butter. that would be so delight- 
 ful ! I hope you will try to catch them im 
 mediately, papa. Will you begin to-day ?" 
 
 " But, Leila, how is it to be done ? You that
 
 LEILA. 85 
 
 are fond of making plans should tell me how I 
 am to contrive to catch them. Well, I see you 
 are racking your little brain ; what do you ad- 
 vise?" ' 
 
 " Would it be a good plan, papa, to come up 
 to them very, very softly, when they are not 
 looking, and put a rope round their necks, and 
 oia^e them come home ?" 
 
 " A very good plan, Leila, if they would look 
 another way, and would stand still to have a rope 
 put round their necks. Your plan reminds me 
 of my own little sisters going out day after day 
 with a handful of salt, to catch pigeons with. 
 Their nurse told them that if they could only 
 contrive to throw salt on the pigeons' tails, they 
 would stand still and allow themselves to be 
 caught ; but the pigeons were refractory ; they 
 always flew away as the little girls approached 
 them, and the goats would soon scamper off also. 
 No ; you must think of some other way. Do 
 you remember what Robinson Crusoe did ?" 
 
 " O yes, now I remember he dug pits, and 
 the goats fell into them." 
 
 " Well, Leila, I mean to try that method of 
 catching them. In all our improvements I have 
 taken a great many useful hints from Robinson 
 Crusoe. Do you recollect that he also hung up 
 the grapes to dry on the branches of the trees, 
 just as we have been doing ; and that he sowed
 
 86 LEILA. 
 
 Hce and corn, which I am sure could not have 
 come up better than ours has done ? But I 
 don't think I could be as successful as he was 
 in making bowls and different vessels of clay, 
 and burning them in the fire, so as to make 
 them fit for containing any kind of liquid. If 
 we were to succeed in catching the goats, we 
 should be much at a loss for vessels to hold^the 
 milk. I mean, however, to attempt making 
 some wooden bowls: those trees which were 
 thrown down by the storm will furnish me with 
 ample materials. Now that we have made use 
 of the smaller branches for our chairs, the stems 
 will answer well for the bowls; and I think I 
 might even contrive to hollow out a portion of 
 one of them, and form a sort of churn at any 
 rate, it is well to make the attempt : let us get 
 every thing in readiness for the goats, in the 
 hope that they may be caught. The enclosing 
 a small field for them, with a fence all round, will 
 be another great work for us ; but we shall 
 probably have time to complete it before we 
 have a flock to confine ; and if we should find 
 a goat in the pits, or even two, we can manage 
 to keep them from running away, meanwhile, 
 by your plan, Leila, of putting a rope round 
 their necks, and tying it to one of the trees, so 
 as to enable them to feed around the sides of 
 the cave."
 
 LEILA. 8? 
 
 " Papa, I hope you will always be making 
 Borne more improvements ; for I like so much 
 to hear you talk about them, and to see you 
 working, and to help you a little. You know 
 the great event, ,as you call it, papa, will soon 
 happen now. Look, here are my leaves !" and 
 Leila took from her breast five small green 
 leaves. " I gathered twenty leaves," she con- 
 tinued, "and I have put away one every night; 
 to-night I will put another away, and then there 
 will be only four, and in four days we will go 
 into the beautiful green parlour. Do you re- 
 member that, papa?" 
 
 " Why, Leila, it is not very probable that I 
 should forget, as I think you generally remind 
 me of it at least five times a day. But do you 
 remember, my little girl, that for two days be- 
 fore you are not to go near your green bower 
 no, not to have the slightest peep at it?" 
 
 " yes, papa, I remember that quite well ; 
 for you are to surprise me, you know. What 
 can the surprise be? I am always thinking 
 what it can be. It is very pleasant to have a 
 surprise to think of I think of it every night 
 when I am in my bed ; and when I awake, I 
 know that something is making me very happy, 
 and then I remember that it is the surprise." 
 
 " And do you remember also, my child, who 
 it is that puts it into my heart to make you
 
 88 LEILA. 
 
 happy, and who gives you a healthful body, 
 and a peaceful mind, and the power of enjoy- 
 ing happiness ?" 
 
 "Yes, papa, I do; and I think " Leila 
 
 stopped and coloured. 
 
 " What do you think, my love ?" 
 
 " I think, papa, that I love God more since 
 I came into the island; and I pray to him 
 more not pray to him, but I say short things 
 to myself: when the sun is setting, and the sky 
 is full of purple and gold, and every thing is 
 shining with it, I say to myself that God is 
 very good to have made this island so beautiful 
 for us ; and when you are kissing me, and look- 
 . ing at me so kindly, then I love God more for 
 keeping you alive to kiss me, and to be so 
 good to me. You know, papa, I read the 
 Bible a great deal more now ; I am often read- 
 ing it under the trees, when I am not busy with 
 you, and that makes me know more about God, 
 and then I love him better." 
 
 "Leila, my child, you cannot think how 
 very, very happy you have made your papa 
 by saying so ; and now leave, me, dearest, that 
 I may alone, and on my knees, thank God for 
 having touched your little heart, and given you 
 his grace, which alone enables you to have such 
 feelings."
 
 LEILA. 89 
 
 CHAPTER YIL 
 
 CTVE days of Leila's young and happy life 
 glided away, and on the sixth morning she 
 sprang up and sought; her father Mr. Howard 
 was nowhere to be found. 
 
 "Compose yourself, Miss Leila," observed 
 nurse, " and don't keep racketing about in that 
 way; your papa has gone to the bower, and 
 expressly forbids that you should follow him 
 so you are not to go." 
 
 " And do you think I would go, nurse, with- 
 out his leave ? I wonder how you can be so 
 very " 
 
 Leila meant to have said "so very cross," 
 but she checked herself in time, although she 
 grew red with indignation. Her papa entered 
 at this moment. 
 
 " Papa," she said, (as she ran up to him, and 
 hid her face on his breast, as he stooped to 
 embrace her,) " papa, will you hear me say my 
 prayers ?" 
 
 Poor Leila felt that at that moment there 
 was no security for her but in prayer ; she
 
 '90 LEILA. 
 
 knelt at her father's knee, and rose with a calm 
 and peaceful countenance. 
 
 " Leila," said Mr. Howard, " your happy day 
 and your happy hour have come at last. Let 
 us go to your green parlour ; we will read the 
 Bible together after breakfast, for I am not 
 sure that at this moment you could give it your 
 whole attention. 
 
 Leila looked about for nurse, and was told 
 that she would find her already there. She 
 bounded on before her papa; then running 
 back to meet him again, she seized his hand 
 and pulled him forward. At the entrance of 
 the green bower she was met by Dash, who ap- 
 peared to consider himself as master of the 
 ceremonies, and seemed anxiously to invite her 
 entrance ; but she paused on the threshold for 
 some minutes to read and admire the word, 
 Welcome, which her papa had traced in bright 
 flowers above the door ; then darting forward, 
 she stood lost in admiration. The bower was 
 beautifully ornamented inside with festoons of 
 wild flowers, and breakfast was laid out on a 
 table in the middle, and rustic chairs were 
 placed around ; but neither this table^ nor those 
 chairs were new to Leila: she had watched 
 over the progress of the work, and had herself 
 assisted her papa in selecting the materials. 
 But in a sweet corner close to the window
 
 LEILA. 91 
 
 which looked upon the rivulet, there was a 
 little table and a little chair she had never seen 
 before a pretty cage of white wicker work, 
 with a pair of turtle-doves hung upon a branch 
 by the window ; and on this little table stood a 
 beautiful basket of the same materials ; it was 
 covered with green leaves, intermixed with 
 bright flowers. She removed the leaves, and 
 two little rabbits, white as snow, met her de- 
 lighted eyes. Leila clasped her papa's knees, 
 then springing up into his arms, she covered 
 his cheek with kisses. Mr. Howard was almost 
 as happy as his child ; her pure joy was balm 
 to his heart, and he watched her in silent grati- 
 tude as she flew from one spot to another in all 
 the restlessness of delight. 
 
 " And now, Leila," he said, after every corner 
 had been examined again and again, and every 
 exclamation of admiration exhausted, "now 
 take your guitar, and let us sing together the 
 morning hymn, and then proceed to breakfast." 
 
 Nurse had also performed her part well. 
 The breakfast was excellent chocolate, hot cakes 
 of the casava-apple, arrow-root, new-laid eggs, 
 and a magnificent plate of grapes from the 
 fountain tree. What little girl would not have 
 thought such a breakfast superb ? Leila con- 
 sidered nurse to be the most amiable of women. 
 
 After breakfast, they visited the enclosure
 
 92 LEILA. 
 
 of lice and Indian corn, which looked most 
 flourishing, and then walked towards the foun- 
 tain. On their way, Leila discovered what she 
 thought at first was some sort of building. 
 
 "Look, papa !" she exclaimed, " people must 
 have been here to make this building. How 
 curious it is! it looks like a number of sugar- 
 loaves standing quite close together; only they 
 are brown, and some little and some big. Look 
 what a tall one is in the middle; I cannot near 
 ly reach up to it. May I try to climb up, 
 papa ?" 
 
 " No, my love, you had better not : this is not 
 a building, Leila, made by the hands of man ; 
 it is a complete city, built by the white ants, 
 with roads and bridges, leading to galleries, 
 royal apartments, nurseries, and magazines of 
 provisions." 
 
 " O, papa, how curious! do tell me more 
 about it. 
 
 " Well, Leila, let us go to the fountain, and 
 Beat ourselves in the shade under our favourite 
 tree ; we shall be far more comfortable there." 
 
 Leila bounded on before, and soon was seated 
 in eager expectation. 
 
 "And now, papa," she exclaimed, as Mr. 
 Howard placed himself by her side, " do begin." 
 
 " Why, Leila, I am afraid I cannot tell you 
 much more on the subject ; but I recollect realing
 
 LEILA. 95 
 
 a very interesting .paper by Smeathman relating 
 to white ants, and he describes them as a very 
 interesting little nation, consisting of kings, 
 queens, soldiers, and labourers. The birds, as 
 you know, are sad enemies to white ants ; they 
 are constantly darting upon them when they ara 
 running about on the surface of the ground, and 
 conveying them off to feed their young, and in 
 some countries they are used as food by th 
 natives, and considered as a great delicacy : they 
 are said to be, when fried, lilie sugared cream, or 
 a paste of sweet almonds; however, there are still 
 a great many white ants which escape both birds 
 and men, and at certain seasons of the year the 
 labourers run about on the surface of the ground 
 in search of a king and queen to rule over them, 
 and when they meet with a couple of handsome, 
 well-shaped, perfect ants, with four wings apiece, 
 they choose them for their king and queen ; and 
 to protect them from birds and frying-pans, 
 they immediately enclose them in a royal cham- 
 ber built of clay, and appoint soldiers and at- 
 tendants to watch over them. A number of 
 other chambers and nurseries are built all 
 around the royal apartment, which, for security 
 is always placed in the centre of the building , 
 and still further to ensure their -safety, the en- 
 trance is made too small to admit of their ever 
 having it ; for the king and queen, enjoying a
 
 94 L E I L A . 
 
 life of ease and luxury, soon become such large 
 majestic-looking ants, that they would assuredly 
 stick in the door-way were they to attempt get- 
 ting out; whereas the soldiers and labourers 
 who have the flesh worked off their little bones 
 with constant employment, continue to pass 
 swiftly and easily out and in. The eggs which 
 the queen deposits are carried to the nurseries 
 by the labourers who take Charge of the young 
 when they are hatched, and as their numbers in- 
 crease, and those nurseries become too small, 
 they pull them down and build larger." 
 
 " What clever ants, papa ! I am sure I could 
 not do that." 
 
 " Indeed, Leila, you could not. Your green 
 parlour, which you have been admiring so 
 much, and all the different arrangements I have 
 been contriving there, dwindle into insignifi- 
 cance compared to the contrivance and wonder- 
 ful arrangement of these little creatures. It 
 would seem as if they were aware from the first 
 that their nurseries would require to be enlarged ; 
 the royal apartment, the different chambers for 
 the soldiers and labourers, and the magazines 
 for their provisions, are all built of clay, which 
 soon hardens and becomes like mason work ; 
 but the nurseries are built entirely of wood, 
 joined together by a species of gum, and easily 
 taken to pieces. At first they are aU built
 
 LEILA. 96 
 
 to the royal apartment, but as the numbers 
 of the young increase, more and more room is 
 requisite, and additional nurseries are construct- 
 ed both beyond the other chambers and above 
 them, and as the ceilings of those are all arched, 
 and also the passages and galleries leading to 
 them, they help to support each other ; but in 
 this increased state of the building the soldiers 
 and labourers seem to consider themselves as 
 rather oppressed with work; and no wonder, 
 for they have to wait upon the king and queen, 
 who require more attendance as they advance in 
 life. They have to carry wood, and water, and 
 provisions, and to trot about with the eggs to 
 the different nurseries, and to watch over the 
 young ; so to make those new rooms more easy 
 of access, they sometimes build staircases to 
 them, and when they are far removed from the 
 queen's chamber, they shorten the distance by 
 throwing a bridge across. Smeathman mentions 
 one of those bridges, which was half an inch, 
 broad, a quarter of an inch thick, and ten 
 inches long." 
 
 " 0, papa, do not stop, tell me more about 
 them. How can such little creatures make 
 such a large building ?" 
 
 "They do* it, Leila, by the most constant 
 patience and industry; they are never a mo- 
 ment idle; they are not like some little girls
 
 96 LEILA. 
 
 who used to the sadly when they had long frills 
 to hem." 
 
 " But, papa, you know I have no frills to hem 
 here, or I think, may be, I should not tire now." 
 
 "No, my love, you certainly have not frills 
 to hem, but you have many other things to do, 
 which require patience and perseverance. You 
 must now try to resemble those little ants, and 
 patiently pursue your task till you have made 
 it perfect." 
 
 " But how can they work it up so high, 
 papa?" 
 
 " I see, Leila, you are breathless at the very 
 idea of such a labour, and no wonder. Do you 
 know that those buildings are more than five 
 hundred times the height of the ants themselves ? 
 Only think of our attempting to build houses five 
 hundred times as high as ourselves ; why, they 
 would reach to the clouds; and those little 
 creatures show the most wonderful skill and 
 contrivance in their buildings, which first make 
 their appearance above ground by a little turret 
 or two in the shape of sugar-loaves ; soon after, 
 whilst those are increasing in height and size, 
 they raise others, and go on adding to their 
 number, aud widening them at the bottom, till 
 their works below are covered with those tur- 
 rets;' for they have chambers, and galleries, 
 and passages below ground as well as above*
 
 LEILA. 9i 
 
 The highest turret is always in the middle, and 
 by filling up the space between each with clay, 
 they collect them into one roof or dome, and 
 when by their joining them the roof is comple- 
 ted, for which purpose the turrets answer as 
 scaffolds for them to work upon, they take 
 away the middle turrets entirely, except the 
 parts which, joined together, make a kind of 
 crown or cupola ; and that nothing may be lost, 
 they carry water and moisten the clay which 
 they have taken down again, and make use of 
 *t in building the chambers, and nurseries, and 
 galleries within." 
 
 " Papa, it is as wonderful as a fairy tale I 
 hope you are not going to stop yet ?" . 
 
 " Yes, my love, I am ; we will talk more 
 about the ants to-morrow or another day ; but 
 let us return now. As this is to be a "holiday, I 
 have promised nurse to endeavour to procure a 
 dish of trout for dinner : and are you not im- 
 patient, Leila, to get back to your green parlour, 
 and see what the rabbits and turtle-doves are 
 about? Both nurse and I have been taking 
 great pains for some time back to train Dash 
 and Selina to be on good terms with them, but 
 we must not trust too much to such friendships." 
 
 " And so nurse knew the secret of the surprise, 
 papa ? and did she help you to make the beau- 
 tiful basket and the cage ?" 
 9
 
 98 LEILA. 
 
 " No, my love, that has been my morning's 
 work for some days past, when you were fast 
 asleep. Had this been my first attempt at 
 wicker work, I could not have accomplished it 
 so easily. I used to make baskets for my little 
 sisters. There was a basket-maker in our vil- 
 lage who had a large family, and my sisters often 
 employed themselves in making clothes for his 
 children. He was very grateful, and allowed 
 me to come and see him at work, and then he 
 offered to teach me to make a basket for each 
 of my sisters. You see, Leila, it is well to learn 
 as much as possible in youth, for we cannot tell 
 of what importance it may prove at some one 
 time or other in one's life. , Now let us proceed, 
 my love, and return to our green parlour." 
 
 " Yes, papa ; and I will try to persevere like 
 the ants ; and when I have played with my 
 rabbits and my turtle-doves for a little, I will go 
 back to the cave to my tiresome job again." 
 
 " And what is your tiresome job, Leila ?" 
 
 " Seeking for a needle in the gravel, papa, 
 which I threw away yesterday when I had 
 finished mending my frock." 
 
 " Threw away, Leila 1" 
 
 ." Yes, papa. You see I wished very much 
 to go and walk with you, but nurse said my 
 frock must first be mended ; so I worked as fast 
 as ever I could, and when I came to the end of
 
 LEILA. 99 
 
 the great, long tear, I snapped off my thread in 
 a great hurry and threw away the needle. So 
 then nurse was angry : she said it would require 
 the patience of a saint to manage me ; and she 
 made me sit down on the ground and look for 
 the needle for half an hour ; and she says I am 
 to look for it every day for half an hour till I 
 find it. 
 
 " Nurse is quite right, my child, and you see 
 into what errors this impatience of temper is 
 constantly leading you. I entreat, Leila, that 
 you may watch over yourself, and never cease 
 to implore God's assistance to enable you to get 
 the better of this fault ; and never let me hear 
 of your throwing away another needle." 
 
 " No, papa, I will not ; for you see we have 
 very few needles here ; we had only eleven 
 when nurse counted yesterday morning, and if 
 I don't find this one there will be only ten, 
 which will make her look very sorry for a long 
 time, for she counts the needles here every 
 morning, just as she used to do the silver tea- 
 spoons at home." 
 
 Poor nurse ! she was a person of but limited 
 capacity, although of deep feelings : and the loss 
 of a needle, in her present circumstances, cer- 
 tainly for some days afterwards did materially 
 affect her spirits. She would willingly have laid 
 down her life for her master or his child : but
 
 100 LEILA. 
 
 although an almost daily sufferer from Leila's 
 impatience of temper, she did not, in her re- 
 monstrances with the child, strike at the root of 
 the evil. On such occasions, as the throwing 
 away of a needle, she would dwell upon the loss 
 itself, not upon the want of temper which led to 
 that loss; and, for more serious faults, would 
 overwhelm Leila with a number of weak reasons 
 for her displeasure, at the moment that the child 
 was beyond the power of all reason. But from 
 Mr. Howard's unceasing care and judicious man- 
 agement, Leila derived incalculable advantages. 
 Aware how difficult it is for even the wisest and 
 the best of men to preserve always the same 
 calm, cheerful temper, and conscious there are 
 seasons when a kind of morbid sensitiveness and 
 uncalled-for irritability preys upon the spirits 
 of all, he felt that the greatest sympathy and 
 forbearance were requisite with regard to a child 
 who, with the most affectionate disposition and 
 the keenest feeling of what was right, had yet 
 to struggle with a temper naturally hasty and 
 impatient of control. There were times too, 
 when, from some slight bodily indisposition, 
 Leila could not give her attention to what she 
 was about, and when all employment of a grave 
 nature was irksome to her: at such moments, 
 Mr. Howard was always careful to avoid every 
 thing which could jar upon her feelings ; and,
 
 LEILA. 101 
 
 far from exacting that attention which she could 
 not have given, and which would only have 
 produced unpleasant irritation, he would, by in- 
 viting her to some lighter study, or engaging 
 her in interesting conversation, lull to sleep 
 those unpleasant tempers, which she never gave 
 way to without strong feelings of remorse. Thus 
 did he, by a steady, yet gentle sway, watch 
 over and dispel those little clouds which, under 
 nurse's well-meaning but unskilful management, 
 would soon have produced the whirlwind and 
 the storm. 
 9*
 
 102 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. . 
 
 morning, as soon as the daily lessons 
 were over, Leila was all impatient to lead 
 her papa back to the subject of the ants, which 
 had taken strong possession of her imagination. 
 
 "Papa," she said, "I have been thinking a 
 great deal about those ants ; I wonder if I ever 
 shall become as industrious and as patient as 
 they are. But then you know, papa, they have 
 a great deal of variety too, and the little ants 
 had nice large nurseries to play about in, and 
 they would see the improvements going on 
 when their nurseries were making larger, and 
 that's just what I should have liked very much ; 
 and then the old ants had nice trotting about, 
 carrying the water and the provisions, and ar- 
 ranging the eggs, and taking care of the little 
 ones ; but do you think' they would have pa- 
 tience to look after a needle for a half an hour 
 every day till they found it?" 
 
 " Why, Leila, as to that, I rather think they 
 would consider a needle as a very formidable 
 weapon, and probably better lost than found ;
 
 LEILA. 103 
 
 but as to their patience, the younger Huber tells 
 us of .a single ant wh, without any assistance 
 from others, began and completed an avenue or 
 gallery of two or three inches long, leading from 
 one of the stories to the underground chambers. 
 It was an ant of the dark ash coloured species 
 for there are many different kinds of ants and 
 it selected a rainy day for its operations, which 
 they are fond of doing, as it saves them the la- 
 bour of carrying water to moisten the earth. 
 This active little labourer began by digging the 
 ground near the entrance to the ant-hill. It placed 
 in a heap the earth it had scraped up, and formed 
 it into little balls, which it deposited here and 
 there upon the nest ; then traced a straight line 
 to the under chambers, by at first slightly hol- 
 lowing the ground, and afterwards, by giving 
 this line greater breadth and depth, completed 
 an avenue of the most perfect regularity." 
 
 " I think, papa, the ants are even more clever 
 than the bees which you used to tell me about 
 in India : I shall be more sorry than ever now 
 when I see the birds snapping them up, for I 
 like them very much." 
 
 " My dear Leila, you know I have already 
 explained to you the necessity there is for one 
 creature preying upon another, that their num- 
 bers may not increase too rapidly ; but, in spite 
 of this, you will be sorry to hear that your little
 
 104 LEILA. 
 
 favourites have another enemy to contend with, 
 quite as formidable as tUfc birds." 
 
 " And what is that, papa?" 
 
 " It is the grub of the ant-lion, my love. Iff 
 is an insect of a gray colour, with a body com- 
 posed of rings, like a caterpillar; it has only 
 six legs, but a most formidable pair of jaws, in 
 the form of a reaping-hook, with which it sucks 
 the juices oTthe ants, on which it feeds." 
 
 " the cruel wretch ! I just hate it, papa ; 
 but can it go quick? Caterpillars do not go 
 quick : why do the ants not run away ?" 
 
 " So far from going quick, Leila, it can only 
 walk backwards; and even that movement it 
 performs in a very slow and awkward manner." 
 
 " Well, I am very glad ; for the ant runs 
 so cleverly, that it will not be able to catch 
 one." 
 
 " Yes, my love, the activity and swiftness of 
 the ants would indeed render it impossible for 
 it to make a single capture, and it would fare 
 but sparingly were it not for the ingenuity of its 
 stratagems ; but the benevolent Creator of all 
 has given in this, as well as in almost every 
 other case, additional powers to the animal, 
 to balance its privations. The ant-lion is ex- 
 tremely sagacious ; and although it cannot run 
 after its prey, it can prepare the means to en- 
 trap it."
 
 LEILA. 105 
 
 " And how does it do that, papa?" 
 
 " Bonnet, who has written on the subject, my 
 love, tells us that he has repeatedly watched 
 over the whole operation. The snare which 
 the ant-lion empfoys is a pit formed of loose 
 sand, at the bottom of which it lies in wait for 
 the ants which chance to stumble over the mar- 
 gin, and cannot, from the looseness of the walls, 
 regain their footing and effect their escape. Its 
 traps are of various s~izes, from one to three 
 inches round. When it intends to make one 
 of considerable size, it proceeds as methodically 
 as the most skilful architect could do. He says 
 that at first 'it examines the nature of the 
 ground, whether it be sufficiently dry and firm 
 for its purpose ; and if so, it begins by tracing 
 out a circle where the mouth of the trap is in- 
 tended to be : having thus marked the limits of 
 its pit, it proceeds to scoop out the interior: 
 getting within the circle, and using one of its 
 legs as a shovel, it places with it a load of sand 
 on the flat part of its head, and then throws 
 this sand with a jerk some inches beyond the 
 circle.' " 
 
 " What a curious creature, papa ! I should 
 like to see it make its trap ; but how tired its 
 little leg must be !" 
 
 " Yes, Leila, were it always to use the same 
 leg, it would i>e tired indeed ; but it seems to
 
 106. LEILA. 
 
 be quite of opinion that time-about is fair play ; 
 it never uses but one leg at a time, and always 
 tliat one nearest the centre of the circle. Work- 
 ing with the greatest industry, it quickly makes 
 the round, and, as it works backward, arrives 
 at the point where it began ; but instead of 
 proceeding in the same direction as before, it 
 considers that this leg has already done good 
 service; so, wheeling round its body, it works 
 a round in the contrary direction, and in this 
 way avoids throwing all the fatigue of the la- 
 bour on one leg, changing them at every round 
 of the circle. If it had only sand and loose 
 earth to remove, it might work away with its 
 shovel till the whole operation was completed ; 
 but what is to be done when a stone comes in 
 its way, which would materially injure the per- 
 fection of its trap? and this very often happens 
 in the course of its labours,- and sometimes just 
 as it has been about to finish them." 
 
 " Well, papa, I am very glad it meets with 
 stones ; and I hope its trap will always be quite 
 spoilt, and that it will go away as angry as can 
 be." 
 
 " No, Leila, its patience and industry are inex 
 haustible, and such obstacles as this only make 
 it redouble its efforts to remove the obstruction. 
 If the stone be small, it contrives to jerk it out 
 in the same way as it does the sand ; but should
 
 LEILA. 107 
 
 the stone be two or three times larger than its 
 own body, it is a more serious business; it 
 generally leaves it till the last, and when all 
 the sand which is necessary has been removed, 
 it sets about this grand operation with a sort of 
 desperate resolution. Crawling back to the 
 place where the stone is, and thrusting its tail 
 under it, it contrives, with a jerk of its body, 
 to get it properly balanced on its back : this is 
 no easy matter ; but having been accomplished, 
 off it sets again, to crawl carefully up the sides 
 of the pit, most anxious to deposit its heavy 
 burden on the outside of the circle ; but fre- 
 quently these stones are round, and then it is 
 no small difficulty to preserve the balance, 
 travelling, with its load upon its back, up a 
 slope of loose sand, which is ready to give way 
 at every step ; and often when the creature has 
 got up almost to the very top, and is drawing a 
 long breath, down rolls the stone off its back to 
 the very bottom of the pit again." 
 
 Leila clapped her hands with delight : " O 
 dear, I am so happy I" she exclaimed ; " and 
 now I hope it never tries to take it up any 
 more, but goes away, nasty beast, and lets the 
 poor ants alone." 
 
 " No, Leila, it, is not so easily discouraged ; 
 it will renew the attempt five or six times till it 
 succeeds ; or if that is impossible, or if it finds
 
 108 LEILA. 
 
 a stone which is too big for it to attempt re 
 moving at all, it immediately begins another 
 pit in a fresh situation." 
 
 * " Then, papa, I think it has a great deal too 
 much patience, and I wish it would rather get 
 into a passion and stamp its foot, and then all 
 the sand would fall down and bury it. I don't 
 like the ant-lion at all I cannot like it." 
 
 "But, Leila, you forget that it does all this 
 to preserve its own life ; it could not exist with- 
 out food." 
 
 " Well, papa, if it must eat so much, tell me, 
 then, what it does next, if the stone does not 
 roll off its back?" 
 
 " Why, my love, when the pit is completed, 
 it is generally about two inches deep, and con- 
 tracts into a point at the bottom, where the ant- 
 lion stations itself to watch for its prey, and 
 buries itself in the sand, leaving nothing but its 
 jaws above the surface ready to seize the poor 
 little ants, who, running too near the edge of the 
 pit, slide down amongst the loose sand, and be- 
 come its victims ; it sucks their blood only, and 
 then tosses the dry carcass beyond the pit; then 
 mounting up to the top, it carefully repairs any 
 damage the sides of it may have sustained, and 
 again buries itself as before, to watch for an- 
 other victim." 
 
 " Indeed, papa, I quite hate this cruel ant-lion,
 
 LEILA. 109 
 
 and if I saw the poor little ants going near its 
 trap, I should always push them away." 
 
 " Well, Leila, I see it is in vain to plead ita 
 cause with you, and I fear it is quite useless now 
 that I should go on digging those pits for the 
 goats -which you have been taking such an in- 
 terest in lately, for you will be warning them 
 also off the ground ; indeed, I begin to suspect, 
 from the constant disappointments I have hith- 
 erto met with, that you have been doing so 
 already." 
 
 " O no, papa ; indeed I have not, for you do 
 not" lie at the bottom of the pit with two great 
 jaws, and suck the blood of the poor goats." 
 
 " No, Leila, it is not quite such a bloody busi- 
 ness, to be sure ; our intentions with regard to 
 the goats are very innocent at present, whatever 
 our necessities may one day lead us to do ; but 
 go, my love, to your green parlour, and remain 
 with nurse; it is too hot for you to attempt 
 climbing the hill to-day." 
 
 "Then why should you go, papa? I am 
 sure it will make you ill too, and you never see 
 a ship, although you go every day, papa." 
 
 " Because, my love, I think it right to avail 
 myself of every possible chance of making our 
 situation known. From the hill we see all 
 around, and, by using my telescope, to a great 
 distance ; and were I to discover a vessel, I 
 
 10
 
 110 LEILA. 
 
 should immediately light a fire on the top of the 
 hill, in the hope that either that or the flag, 
 which we have already hoisted there, might be 
 seen. In short, it is my duty, Leila, to make 
 every possible effort to effect our removal from 
 this island ; the rest is in the hands of God." 
 
 " O papa, I should be so sorry to go away I 
 I like the cave and my green parlour so very 
 much ; and I have so many friends here : I have 
 you, papa, and nurse, and my four white hens 
 and my cock, and Dash and Selina, and thirteen 
 chickens, and my two white rabbits, and my two 
 turtle-doves ; and then I have my family of little 
 boys and girls, Bob, Harry, and Billy, Fanny, 
 Lucy, and Kitty. Do you think, papa, that the 
 captain would let me take all my birds and beasts 
 into the cabin with me ? }> 
 
 " Indeed, Leila, I am afraid he would not." 
 
 " Then I should not like to go away at all. 
 How sorry my little boys and girls would be I 
 They know me quite well now, papa. When 
 they see me come out in the morning, they come 
 down from the rocks to be fed ; they never go 
 far away, although they can fly quite well. And 
 do you know, that this morning Fanny came up 
 quite close and hopped upon my shoe, and then 
 she looked up in my face and laughed." 
 
 " Get along, you little fairy," exclaimed Mr,
 
 LEILA. Ill 
 
 Howard ; "I am sure it would make any one 
 smile to hear you run on in this way." 
 
 Leila sprang from her father's side, her light 
 step seeming scarce to touch the ground as she 
 flew along : and before Mr. Howard had crossed 
 the rivulet to ascend the hill, she was in her 
 green arbour, holding her rural court amidst her 
 little favourites.
 
 112 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 many days after this period, Mr. Howard 
 and Leila continued regularly to inspect 
 the pits for the goats every morning, but met 
 only with disappointment ; and the little girl's 
 patience was almost exhausted, when one 
 morning, having as usual bounded on before 
 her papa, she fley back exclaiming, 
 
 " Come quick, papa, come quick, for I am 
 sure something has happened. The branches 
 have been disturbed, I am sure they have; 
 and there are two little kids stretching their 
 necks, and peeping down into the hole, and I 
 do believe that their mamma has popped in, 
 and they are wishing to go to her. Do come 
 .quick, papa;" and she took hold of her papa's 
 hand, and drew him along. 
 
 Mr. Howard quickened his pace, but Leila 
 was not satisfied. 
 
 " Papa, are you ill ?" she inquired. 
 
 " No, my love ; what makes you think so ?" 
 
 " Because you age walking so slow, papa 
 so much slower than you used to walk."
 
 LEILA. 113 
 
 " You are mistaken, Leila ; it is your own 
 impatience which 'makes you think so ; and why 
 should you hurry on in this way, and put your- 
 self out of breath ? it will make but the differ- 
 ence of a very few minutes." 
 
 "But, papa, we are keeping the poor goat 
 waiting for us so very long." 
 
 " Why, Leila, depend upon it, the poor goat 
 is by no means impatient for our arrival ; she 
 will not be much pleased when she does see us, 
 I fear." 
 
 " Will she not, papa ?" I am sorry for that ; 
 but then we shall be so very kind to her that 
 she will soon like us, and I will play with her 
 little kids, and make them some butter." 
 
 But the little kids, not being aware of Leila's 
 kind intentions, were much frightened on her 
 approach ; and although they did not seem to 
 wish to go any great distance, they ran round 
 and round the pit in much consternation, and it 
 was in vain that she attempted to secure them 
 they eluded her grasp with the greatest 
 nimbleness. 
 
 "Leave the poor little things," said Mr. 
 Howard; " I do not wish you to catch them at 
 present. I am glad to see they are old enough 
 to crop the tender grass which is around, so 
 there will be no fear of their starving ; but, 
 Leila, we must do what will appear to you very 
 10*
 
 114 LEILA. 
 
 cruel. We must leave the poor goat without 
 food till to-morrow morning." 
 
 " papa, why should you do that ? I shall 
 be so very sorry for the poor goat." 
 
 " Because, my love, it is the only method we 
 have of taming it ; the kids are young, and will 
 easily be reconciled to their new mode of life ; 
 but with the goat, who has so long been ac- 
 customed to ramble about at large, more severe 
 methods are necessary. Were we to attempt 
 to lead it home now, and to feed it, it would 
 make strong resistance; but by to-morrow 
 morning, when subdued by hunger, we shall 
 probably have no trouble in securing it, and I 
 have no doubt it will gladly take its food from 
 our hands. Now, my love, let us proceed to 
 examine the other pits, for the goats generally 
 come down from the high grounds in flocks, 
 and I have great hopes that this may not be 
 the only prisoner we have entrapped." 
 
 Mr. Howard was right, for although the two 
 next pits were empty, in the fourth they found 
 another goat, with a little kid by its side ; the 
 kid was lying down, and the goat stood over it 
 in a melancholy attitude. Mr. Howard seemed 
 to think it had probably been bruised by its fall, 
 and Leila was all eagerness that her papa 
 should go down into the pit to ascertain the 
 exact nature of the injury it might have re-
 
 LEILA. 115 
 
 ceived: but this he declined doing, for, 01 
 Dash's sudden approach, the little kid sprang to 
 its feet, and although lame, it evidently was not 
 much hurt. 
 
 Dash appeared willing to have taken the in- 
 vestigation upon himself, and .seemed much 
 inclined to leap -into the pit; but Leila, not 
 quite satisfied with the nature of his intentions, 
 clung round his neck to prevent him ; and her 
 papa, terrified that they might both roll in to- 
 gether, gave the word of command that they 
 should follow him, and was instantly obeyed. 
 
 They had proceeded but a few yards, when 
 they met Selina panting and out of breath with 
 the exertions she had made in searching after 
 them. She had been first to the rice-grounds, 
 and then to the green parlour, but found only 
 nurse, looking so stolid and sedate as to offer 
 but a tiresome substitute for her lively little 
 mistress. 
 
 " My poor Selina !" exclaimed Leila, " you are 
 too late to see the goats and the little kids ; how 
 sorry I am that you are disappointed, and you 
 look so tired and so hot ; but you shall have a 
 ride home to make up for it. Come here, Dash :" 
 and as she spoke, she placed Selina on his back, 
 and Dash proceeded, wagging his tail and in 
 high good-humour. 
 
 "Look, papa," she continued, "Dash is quite
 
 116 LEILA. 
 
 accustomed now to carry Selina ; see, he likes 
 . it, for he is wagging his tail, and she does not 
 sneeze at him now, or huff or put up her back. 
 They like one another very much now ; I have 
 been teaching them to be kind friends, for every 
 day when I go out to feed all my animals, my 
 chickens, and my turtle-doves, and my rabbits, 
 I always take Dash and Selina with me, and 
 then we take a walk together to the rice-grounds 
 or to the green parlour, and 1 put Selina on Dash's 
 back when we are coming home, to teach him 
 to be polite and kind to her. I am glad, papa, 
 to see Selina so happy, and Dash so good. I 
 should like if all the animals in the world were 
 happy and good, but the poor goats are not 
 happy. When I am eating my dinner, I shall 
 always be thinking they have no dinner it 
 makes me sorry. Are you sorry, papa ?" 
 
 " Yes, my love, I am sorry for the poor 
 goats ; but you know, Leila, we are doing it for 
 their good. .We are punishing them in this 
 way, that they may be more happy afterwards." 
 
 "Yes, papa, and that is what you tell me 
 God does to us ; he punishes us, and makes us 
 sorry, that we may grow good, and be more 
 happy after ; but then we know that God is al- 
 ways there, and that he will do the best for as, 
 and that comforts us ; but the poor goats do 
 not know about God, and they do not know
 
 LEILA. 117 
 
 that to-morrow God will send us to take them 
 out of the pit, and bring them home to such a 
 pleasant cave, and to give them food. I wish 
 they knew that God is taking care of them. . I 
 am glad I am not a goat or a little kid. Is this 
 one of the blessings, papa, that I should be 
 grateful for?" 
 
 " Yes, my love, you should be deeply grate- 
 ful that God has made you above the brutes 
 which perish, that he has given you an immor- 
 tal soul capable of everlasting happiness. Think, 
 Leila, how precious in the sight of God must be 
 that soul. Will not He that has given us his 
 own Son to die for us, freely give us all things ? 
 that is, Leila, if we do not forget God.'V 
 
 " But, papa, do any people forget God ? How 
 can they forget him, when all the things in the 
 world put them in mind of God ? Do they not 
 know, papa, that he made every thing? and 
 then he has made a great many things very 
 beautiful. They should look at the green trees, 
 papa, and at the beautiful clear water when the 
 sun is dancing in it. If they were to sit under 
 the fountain-tree, they would not forget God; 
 but perhaps they have not a fountain-tree in 
 their country ; but they have flowers. Have 
 they not flowers in England, papa ?" 
 
 " Yes, my love many beautiful flowers." 
 
 " And does not that make them think about
 
 118 LEILA. 
 
 God? Do they not knew that he made the 
 flowers ? When I am walking with Dash and 
 Selina, I am always gathering flowers and put- 
 ting them together, but I never can find two 
 the same; and then, when I sit down and 
 spread them 1 all out on the grass, it makes me 
 think how wonderful it is that God can make 
 them all different, and paint them all so beauti- 
 fully, and with such bright colours. I did a 
 thing yesterday I don't know if you will think 
 it a right thing for me to do : I pulled a flower 
 all to pieces, that I might see if I could put it 
 together again ; but, papa, I could not. I tried 
 a long time, but I could not get a single leaf to 
 stand upon the stalk, they always fell down ; 
 so I threw it away, for I was sorry to see it de- 
 stroyed. But I was not impatient then, papa ; 
 for I said to myself, Leila, it is only God that 
 can make the flowers ; he has made them all 
 out of nothing, but Leila cannot make even one 
 leaf. So then I came home to tell you about 
 it, but you were not there, and I wanted to go 
 to the rice-grounds, where I thought you would 
 be working ; but nurse was watching for me, 
 and she caught me up, and sent me to look for 
 half an hour for that abominable needle. I am 
 sure I shall never throw away another needle 
 in all my life. 
 
 "Leila, you must not talk in that way; and il
 
 LEILA. 11& 
 
 this daily tasrc which nurse has imposed on you 
 has had the effect of making you more patient^ 
 and also of your resolving to be more careful in 
 future, I shall think your half hour each day 
 has been very usefully employed." 
 
 "More patient, papa!" Leila repeated in a 
 low voice, while the colour mounted to her 
 forehead. 
 
 " Yes, my love ; have you not been rather 
 more patient of late ?" 
 
 " Not yesterday, papa ; that is, not when nurse 
 caught me up, for it made me angry, and I 
 spattered the sand all about, and kicked it up ; 
 and when nurse was not looking, I made a face 
 at her, and I took up a handful of sand to 
 throw." 
 
 " O Leila, my child I" exclaimed Mr. Howard. 
 
 "Now, papa, don't look frightened, for the 
 end was good. I stopped, papa ; I did not throw 
 the sand at nurse ; I put it down quite softly, 
 and I smoothed it over with my band, more 
 smooth than it ever was before, and then I lay 
 down on the ground, and I looked for half an 
 hour for the needle, and in all my life I never 
 was so patient before ; so you see it was a good 
 end. Nurse is always saying, ' A good begin- 
 ning commonly makes a good end ;' but it was 
 a bad beginning, papa, that made that good end ; 
 but I see nurse watching for us, and I must run
 
 120 LEILA. 
 
 and tell her about the goats and the kids. How 
 glad she will be ! and to-morrow she will begin 
 to milk them, and I will help her. Good-bye, 
 papa, I wish you could run as fast as Dash and 
 Selina and I ;" and in a minute she was gone, 
 followed by her faithful companions. Nurse 
 received Leila's intelligence with quite as deep 
 an interest as she had anticipated. Various were 
 the plans which they arranged together during 
 the rest of the day for the management of their 
 little dairy, and they both retired to rest, equally 
 anxious for the arrival of the morrow.
 
 LEILA. 121 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 CURSE'S dreams were of milkpails and 
 churns, Leila's of goats and little kids ; and 
 when in full pursuit after a kid of milk-white 
 appearance, and just as she was about to seize 
 it, she awoke in breathless agitation, clasping 
 the pillow to her breast. 
 
 The sun had been some time risen, the sides 
 of the cave were sparkling in its bright beams, 
 and from the open casement the cool, refreshing 
 air of eaijly day had been for some time fanning 
 Leila's cheek, and giving elasticity to her whole 
 frame. She started from her bed, and, with 
 nurse's assistance, was quickly dressed. 
 
 Mr. Howard's slumbers had been more pro- 
 found, yet he too had had his morning dream. 
 He fancied himself under the fountain-tree, lis- 
 tening to the gentle murmur of the running 
 stream, and to the cooing of the turtle-doves in 
 the neighbouring thicket. Leila lay on the 
 grass beside him, surrounded by the brightest 
 flowers. "See, papa!" she exclaimed, "how 
 n
 
 122 LEILA. 
 
 beautifully God has painted them all for us, and 
 how sweet they smell I" 
 
 Mr. Howard opened his eyes; Leila stood 
 bending over the bed, holding a nosegay of 
 bright flowers towards him, her blooming self, 
 in his eyes, the brightest flower of all, and 
 Heaven's best gift to him. 
 
 " I knew the smell of the flowers would awa- 
 ken you, dear papa," she exclaimed, "and I 
 thought it would be a pleasant wakening." 
 
 " Yes, Leila, to see you well and -happy must 
 always be a pleasant awakening to me." 
 
 " Papa, I think I am always well and happy ; 
 but do you know that in the morning I am 
 mpre and more happy, for then I am expecting 
 all the pleasures of the day, and every day, here, 
 we have so many pleasures! But this is the 
 happiest day of all, for this is the day the little 
 kids are to come home the dear, darling, de- 
 lightful kids are you not very happy, papa ? 
 And nurse is to milk the goats to milk the goats, 
 papa only think of that. O do, do get up 
 quick ; think how hungry the goats must be." 
 
 " And how can I get up quick, if you scram- 
 ble up upon my bed in this way, and keep 
 hanging round my neck; begone, you little 
 fairy, and leave me to my toilet." 
 
 " I am begone, papa, and good-bye ; I hope 
 you will be very quick, and I will go to the
 
 LEILA. 123 
 
 rocks and search the nests for eggs for break- 
 fast, and feed my hens and count my chickens ;- 
 and that will keep me in patience till you come.* 1 
 
 As soon as Mr. Howard had dressed, and pray- 
 ers were over, he set out, accompanied by Leila 
 and nurse, to release the prisoners, having first 
 taken the precaution of shutting up Dash in the 
 outer cave. The poor goats, who were found in 
 a very low condition, were raised by means of 
 ropes which Mr. Howard had brought with him 
 for that purpose, and the little kid which had 
 been hurt by its fall was carefully placed in a 
 basket, and committed to nurse's care, while 
 Mr. Howard led the way towards hpme with 
 the unresisting goats, and Leila followed, leading 
 the two little kids, which were tied together, 
 and which seemed quite as anxious to follow 
 their mother as she was to lead them on. 
 
 It was a distress to Leila when, on arriving 
 at the enclosure prepared for them, her papa 
 told her they must be separated, and she saw 
 her little favourites shut into a smaller space of 
 ground set apart for them ; but soon her whole 
 attention was engrossed by the long-expected 
 pleasure of seeing the goats milked for the first 
 time an operation which nurse most success- 
 fully accomplished as soon as Mr. Howard had 
 given them a little nourishment. 
 
 It would be difficult to describe Leila's de-
 
 124 LEILA. 
 
 light, when a bowl of milk, still warm and 
 covered with froth, was set before her at the 
 breakfast-table. 
 
 " Papa," she said, " I should like to give more 
 thanks this morning, for God has been very 
 gracious to us about these goats. First, he 
 made these goats, then he led them into the 
 pit, and now he has brought them home to us, 
 and given us the milk." 
 
 It was a subject of deep thankfulness to Mr. 
 Howard to witness the increasing growth of 
 religious feeling in Leila's young heart. Not a 
 day passed that he did not see her reading her 
 Bible under the shade of some green tree or 
 projecting rock, and many beautiful psalms 
 and chapters she had got by heart. From being 
 conversant with no other book, her language 
 was often scriptural, but with a simplicity and 
 feeling of expression which made it extremely 
 interesting. Her pure pleasures were all derived 
 from the beauties of creation, by which she was 
 surrounded : to her the noble descriptions in the 
 book of Psalms were as so many living pictures. 
 " The fields were joyful, the little hills seemed 
 to laugh and sing, and all the trees of the wood 
 to rejoice before the Lord." 
 
 In conversing with her father, she was con- 
 stantly led to raise her thoughts from creation 
 to the Creator of all, to " Him who layeth the
 
 LEILA. .125 
 
 beams of his chambers in the "waters, and 
 maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon 
 the wings of the wind." In her admiration 
 of all the magnificent objects around her, she 
 silently acknowledged his power, and in all 
 the innumerable blessings bestowed upon her 
 she felt his love. Devotion with her was not 
 an occasional, feeling, or a set form of words ; 
 t was a simple but constant lifting up of the 
 heart to Him who had made a world so beauti- 
 ful, and placed her in it. 
 
 " Will you look at this sum, papa, and tell 
 me if it is right?" exclaimed Leila next' morn- 
 ing, as she finished adding up a long list of 
 figures which she had traced upon the sand. 
 " Do look, papa, I am trembling, trembling 
 I hope it is right." 
 
 " Yes, my love, it is quite right." 
 
 " Well, I am so glad ! for you . see, papa, I 
 was thinking of something else a good deal of 
 the time." 
 
 "Were you, Leila? I am serry to hear it, 
 for you know how anxious I'am that you should 
 endeavour to give your whole attention to the 
 subject on which you are employed, and not 
 , allow your thoughts to wander. I never keep 
 you long engaged at a time, on purpose that 
 you may give me your whole attention. Wan- 
 dering thoughts, my dear child, may lead you 
 11*
 
 126 LEILA. 
 
 into very grievous sin, for if indulged in at 
 other times where attention is necessary, they 
 will also intrude when engaged in your higher 
 duties. You will be praising God with your 
 lips, Leila, while your heart is far from him, 
 and in this way become guilty of breaking the 
 third commandment, by taking the name of the 
 Lord your God in vain. Were your mind to 
 be wandering on other subjects while addressing 
 me, or asking any favour of me, I should be 
 ^seriously displeased with you, my child; but 
 how much deeper would be the guilt, were you 
 to presume to address your heavenly Father, 
 1 who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity,' 
 while your mind was wandering on the vain 
 trifles by which your were surrounded ?" 
 
 " Papa, I will try not to think of other things : 
 . and I do try, but to-day I was thinking of 
 something that I wished to tell you, and now 
 that my lessons are over, may I tell it you ?" 
 
 " Certainly, my love." 
 
 " It is not a great thing, papa ; but it is, that 
 nurse is preparing a surprise for you at dinner, 
 and I am going to tell you what it is." 
 
 " Then, Leila, if you tell me, it will not be 
 much of a surprise, I think." 
 
 " No, papa, not at dinner, but now it will be, 
 and I asked nurse if I might tell you, and she 
 said I might. You see, papa, the thing is, that
 
 LEILA. 127 
 
 I like to tell you every thing that is good, and 
 every thing that is bad I like to tell you. 
 Nurse says it is a great event, but I think it one 
 of the kind of things you call a trifle." 
 
 " Well, tell me now, you little woman I am 
 all impatience to hear." 
 
 " It is, papa, that nurse is making custards 
 for dinner to-day." 
 
 Mr. Howard smiled. " Well, Leila, you are 
 right it certainly is one of the things I should 
 sail a trifle. However, as it is the first time 
 you have had custards since we have been here, 
 there is some excuse for your little mind wan- 
 dering on the subject rather too much." 
 
 " Yes, papa, it is because it is the first time 
 that nurse calls it a great event ; for she says 
 how could she have made custards before of the 
 sea water, or even of the fountain spring they 
 would have been poor trash ; but now she has 
 the goat's milk, and she is to make them so 
 good, she says. I am glad I have told you, 
 papa, that you may have the pleasure of think- 
 ing of them as well as I, for I like you to have 
 all ray pleasures, both my great pleasures and 
 my little ones, for you are my papa, and my 
 friend, and my every thing : and what am I to 
 you, papa?" 
 
 " You are my dearest earthly blessing, Leila, 
 and still more dear to me from being the living
 
 128 LEILA. 
 
 image of her who is now an angel in heaven. 
 When your beloved mamma was taken from 
 me, it was your infant smiles, my child, next to 
 the consolations of my heavenly Father, that 
 first spoke peace to my sad heart." 
 
 " Papa, I hope God will not take you away 
 from me as he did my dear mamma, for I could 
 not bear it. If nurse were away, and Dash and 
 Selina, I should be sorry ; but you would be there 
 and you would comfort me ; but if you were to 
 die, papa, I should not care for any of them 
 any more I should not like to see the beautiful 
 sun rise, or the golden skies, or to sit under the 
 fountain-tree, or have any of my pleasures ; I 
 should like to lie down in my green bower and 
 shut my eyes, and never open them again till I 
 was in heaven with Jesus Christ, and with you, 
 papa. You know JesuS Christ took little chil- 
 dren in his arms and blessed them ; how happy 
 I should be if he took me in his arms in heav- 
 en, and blessed me, and gave me to you, papa, 
 'and to my dear mamma ; then we should all be 
 angels together singing his praise ; we should 
 never die any more, but be always good and 
 always happy." 
 
 Mr. Howard was for some minutes too much 
 agitated to speak, but struggling with his emo- 
 tion he said, " Yes, my beloved child, my daily 
 petition is, that we should all one Jay meet
 
 LEILA. 129 
 
 around the throne of God, never more to be sepa- 
 rated ; bat it must be his will that must be done 
 in removing us, not ours. You must not say, 
 dear child, that you could not bear any event 
 which God might think good to send ; he would 
 give you the strength to bear it, and be more 
 to you than any earthly parent. We must leave 
 all in his hands ; he only can make all work 
 together for our good ; let us trust to him en- 
 tirely, for he is that support which can never 
 fail. Our daily prayer should be, that we may 
 be enabled to bless his holy name, equally for 
 what he gives, what he takes away, and what 
 he withholds. Now go, my little girl, home to 
 nurse, for I mean to take a longer walk this 
 morning than you would be able for, and when 
 we meet at dinner, I will give you a history 
 of my travels, and tell you all the wonderful 
 discoveries I have made."
 
 130 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 I" EIL A sped fearlessly along the narrow path- 
 way which overhung the cliff, custom now 
 having made her familiar with its giddy height. 
 As she gained the end of the chain of rocks, 
 and turned the point, she caught sight of nurse 
 at a distance, who, after placing something with 
 great care on a ledge of rock close to the en- 
 trance, disappeared again into the interior of the 
 cavern. Leila darted forward, exclaiming 
 
 "It is the custards, I do believe, and nurse 
 has filled our tea-cups with them what a good 
 contrivance." 
 
 But just at that moment one of the white 
 hens, emerging from the thicket, flew towards 
 the object of her observation, and, before Leila 
 could reach the spot, buried her head in the con- 
 tents of one of the cups. 
 
 " You lazy, greedy, abominable hen !" she ex- 
 claimed, " get out with you ; you give us hardly 
 any eggs, and now you would steal our custards 
 get away, get away !" And she flew after the 
 offending hen with no gentle intentions. Dash,
 
 LEILA. 131 
 
 who in general was kept in strict order with re- 
 gard to chasing the poultry, 'seemed to think 
 that, on the present occasion, he might venture 
 to follow the example of his little mistress ; so 
 joining in the pursuit, followed also by Se- 
 ll na, the luckless hen had nothing for it but 
 to take wing, and flying into the air, she 
 perched the next moment on the branch of a 
 neighbouring tree, cackling out a torrent of 
 wrath and indignation on her discomfited foes 
 below. 
 
 Leila retraced her step:: io the rock, and stood 
 for a moment lost in admiration at the taste 
 nurse had displayed. The dish which contained 
 the custards was filled with green moss, the four 
 cups were inserted in it, and surrounded with 
 flowers ; each cup had a gentle sprinkling of 
 cinnamon on the top, which greatly heightened 
 the effect. The appearance of the whole was 
 indeed tempting in the extreme ; but the smell ! 
 there was no resisting that. Eight years old 
 that dangerous age for custards! 
 
 " how good they must be 1" Leila inwardly 
 exclaimed; "and how I should like to taste 
 them I And why should I not ?" she continued ; 
 " here are four cups full we cannot eat all that 
 at dinner why should I not have a little now ?" 
 She was about to take the cup into her hand, 
 but paused " Why was I angry at the hen ?"
 
 132 LEILA. 
 
 she said to herself " I said it was greedy to 
 steal the custards, and what am I wishing to do? 
 No, I will not do it." She turned to enter the 
 cave, but stopped again to take one more look. 
 That look, how much did it increase her danger 1 
 " Here is one of the cups," she said, " that the 
 hen has quite deranged; the cinnamon is all 
 scattered about on the top I cannot make it 
 worse ; surely I might take a little of this when 
 the hen has taken it. I will lift it very gently ; 
 but how my hand shakes ! why does it shake? 
 how provoking ! there now, I have managed 
 it nicely." The cup had nearly touched her 
 lips, when again she paused. " Is this stealing ?" 
 she whispered to herself. " If papa were at a 
 little distance looking at me, would I do this ? 
 And is not God always seeing me ?" She gently 
 replaced the cup, and, dropping on her knees, 
 she clasped her little hands together, and raised 
 her eyes to heaven: for a few moments she 
 remained motionless, then getting up, she slowly 
 entered the cavern. 
 
 " Nurse," she said, " if you please, I will look 
 for the needle now for half an hour." 
 
 How now, Miss Leila, what is this? You 
 have been engaged all the morning with your 
 papa, and he said that, after lessons were over, 
 you might amuse yourself and walk out with 
 Dash and Selina. Here is Dash, poor fellow !
 
 LEILA. 133 
 
 looking up at you now, and wagging his tail, 
 quite impatient to accompany you." 
 
 "I am sorry Dash will be disappointed," 
 Leila answered, in a mournful tone of voice ; 
 " but I would rather look for the needle now : if 
 there is any more time before dinner, I can 
 walk, and if not, never mind, it is no matter." 
 
 Nurse did not question her further; she 
 knew that Leila was in the habit of imposing 
 some restraint upon herself at those times when 
 she felt dissatisfied with her own conduct, and 
 she supposed that some cause for self-reproach 
 must have arisen. 
 
 Leila stretched herself upon the sand, and 
 Dash venting his disappointment in a few short 
 barks, took up his station by her side. Patiently 
 and in silence did she look for some time, but 
 the search was vain. "Nurse," she exclaimed 
 at last, "I do believe I never, never shall find 
 that needle." 
 
 " Indeed, Miss Leila, I think so too ; and as 
 you have now looked for it so long a time, and 
 really patiently for you, I think I must just 
 make up my mind to the loss, and let you off 
 now with your penance." 
 
 u no, nurse, not to-day don't let me off to- 
 day. And do you know, now that I have 
 looked so long, I am so interested to find it, I 
 don't know if I should like to give it up. So I 
 12
 
 134 LEILA. 
 
 will look to-day and to-morrow ; and the next 
 day is Sunday, you know, our day of rest so 
 it is on Monday you should let me off, if I havfe 
 not found it before that. How little the weeks 
 are here, they go off so quick! it just seems 
 two days since it was Sunday, and I took that 
 long walk with papa which interested me so 
 much. Don't you like our island now, nurse? 
 I dare say you like it better than England 
 now." 
 
 " Indeed, Miss Leila, I cannot say that ; for 
 I have many friends in England that I should 
 like very much to see again. When I was in 
 England I often had a friend to step in to take 
 a sociable cup of tea with me, and I was hoping 
 all the voyage that I should soon have that com- 
 fort again ; but it will be long before any friend 
 of mine will step in here : I may put on my 
 best cap and lappets, and my broad cherry- 
 coloured ribbon that I have saved with such 
 care ; but where is the friend that will tell me 
 here that I am just looking wonderful for my 
 time of life, and that a better cup of* tea could 
 not have been made by any lady in the land ? 
 Oh! but those were happy days, Miss Leila, 
 and my heart is heavy to think of them." 
 
 " And I am very sorry for that too, nurse; 
 but then, you know, I like the island because 
 so many pleasant things are here, and papa
 
 LEILA. 135 
 
 here to take a sociable cup of tea with me ; but 
 he does not do it, for he says sweet things are 
 bad for me. A sociable cup of tea means a cup 
 with a great deal of sugar, does it not?" 
 
 "No, Miss Leila; you don't understand me 
 the least." 
 
 " Then what does it mean, nurse?" 
 
 " Dear me, Miss Leila, how am I to make 
 you understand a sociable cup of tea? A so- 
 ciable cup of tea is just a cup of tea, with a great 
 deal of speaking about it." 
 
 " Then, nurse, papa does not give it me, for 
 he never speaks about my tea : but he tells me 
 about a great many things which, are interest- 
 ing; and then, you know, I have my other 
 pleasures my beasts, and my birds, and my 
 trees, and my trouts, and my good hens, and 
 my bad hens, and my " . 
 
 " Miss Leila, it would confuse any body's 
 head to hear you run on in this way 1" 
 
 "Well then, nurse, I will not speak about 
 my happiness; but you know I have a mis- 
 fortune too for if we don't go to England, 'I 
 shall never see my little cousins, and I am often 
 sorry when I think of that. I wish you could 
 tell me more about them I like to hear of them 
 BO much. What sort of faces have they are 
 their faces like yours, or like mine ?" 
 
 "Dear me, Miss Leila! but they would be
 
 136 LEILA. . 
 
 fearful witches if they were like me. Would 
 you have the little misses to have wrinkled 
 faces, like so many withered apples, and spec- 
 tacles on their noses ? No, no ; their faces are 
 more like yours than mine, that's certain. But 
 you know there are not two faces the same, 
 which is a most wonderful thing, Miss Leila, 
 when one thinks about it." 
 
 "Yes, that is just the same as the flowers; 
 I never can find two flowers the same. But 
 has not every little girl one mouth, and one 
 nose, and two eyes ? how then can they be dif- 
 ferent?" 
 
 " I can't tell you, Miss Leila ; but they are 
 different." 
 
 " 0, I know how it will be, nurse ; I fancy 
 some little cousins have a nose going west, and 
 some have a nose going east, and one eye up, 
 and one eye down ; that would make them dif- 
 ferent, you know." 
 
 " Different ! it would make them fearful to 
 look upon, poor little things ! But here am I 
 chattering away to you in this way, and for- 
 getting that I have the rent of the dinner to get 
 ready." And nurse was just about to pass into 
 the outer cave, when her t \eps were arrested by 
 a joyful exclamation from Leila. 
 
 "The needle! the needle! nurse!" and she 
 eagerly darted at what she thought the long
 
 LEILA. 137 
 
 hidden treasure ; but, alas ! it proved to be only 
 a little bit of a slender stalk of hay, to which 
 some of the sparkling sand had adhered. The 
 heavy sigh . of disappointment which Leila 
 breathed, went to nurse's heart. 
 
 " Never mind, my dear child," she said, " don't 
 rex your little heart about the needle any 
 more ; go to your walk now, and amuse yourself." 
 
 " Just in a few minutes, nurse, I will go," 
 Leila answered, for a sudden thought had darted 
 into her mind; and as nurse left the inner cav- 
 ern, she got up, and taking a needle out of her 
 pocket-book, she held it up to Dash, then point- 
 ing to the sand, exclaimed, " Seek, Dash, seek !" 
 
 In a moment his nose was thrust into the 
 sand, which, to Leila's infinite amusement, he 
 kept spattering about in all directions; sud- 
 denly he uttered a quick short bark, as if in 
 pain, and tossing up his head in the air, she be- 
 held the needle sticking in his nose. Snatching 
 it out she burst into a peal of laughter. Dash 
 looked up in her face in astonishment, and 
 Selina, springing from the other side of the 
 cave, leaped on his back, to investigate the 
 matter more nearly, while nurse, trotting in as 
 fast as her short little legs would permit from 
 the outer cave, stood in the midst of the group, 
 a keen partaker both of Leila's joy and merri- 
 ment. 
 
 12*
 
 138 LEILA.. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 TT was after a ramble of more thaa an houi 
 
 that Leila, on returning homo, saw her papa 
 at a distance, and ran joyfully towards him, ex- 
 claiming, " I have found it ! I have found it 1" 
 
 "Found what?" asked M^. Howard. 
 
 " Found the needle, papa." 
 
 " And where did you find it, my love?" 
 
 " Sticking in Dash's nose, papa." 
 
 " In Dash's nose", Leila?" 
 
 " Yes, papa ; was it not such a good thing 
 that it came into my head ?" 
 
 " Into your head, Leila? Why, you told me 
 this moment it was in Dash's nose." 
 
 "And so it was, papa; but you make me 
 laugh so, I can't tell you. You see, papa, the 
 way was this it came into my head to make 
 Dash look for it, so I showed him a needle and 
 bade him seek ; and how he spittered and 
 spattered about the sand, and made such a fuss ; 
 and then he tossed up his head with a bark, to 
 tell me the needle was in his nose and there 
 it was sticking. The excellent good dog, papa,
 
 LEILA. 139 
 
 to make a needle-cushion of his nose for me ! 
 not a pin-cushion, you know, papa, but a needle 
 cushion ; was it not funny ?" 
 
 " Indeed, Leila, I do think it was very funny ; 
 and what other strange sight is this we have 
 got here ; what new species of flowering shrub 
 is this springing up amongst the rocks ? Nurse 
 seems to have implicit confidence in the honesty 
 of your four-footed favourites, Leila, when she 
 could leave any thing so tempting within their 
 reach." 
 
 Leila coloured deeply she placed her hand 
 on Mr. Howard's arm, as if to detain him from 
 entering the cave ; he felt that she trembled ex- 
 ceedingly. 
 
 " Leila, my child, what has happened?" 
 
 " Papa," she answered, still trembling, " do 
 not go in to nurse yet ; stop with me one mo- 
 ment ; I cannot be happy till I have told you 
 every thing." 
 
 - And she did tell every thing, and with such 
 perfect openness and simplicity, as carried 
 instant conviction to Mr. Howard's mind of the 
 truth of her statement ; for, on closer obser- 
 vation, he had observed the suspicious appear- 
 ance of one of the cups. 
 
 " And 0, papa," she exclaimed, as she con- 
 cluded, " I am so glad I did not do it, for you 
 would have been so sorry."
 
 140 LEILA. 
 
 " I should indeed have been sorry, ray child ; 
 and had you yielded to this temptation, it 
 might have led you into other grievous sins 
 you might have been tempted, Leila, to tell an 
 untruth to conceal your fault. O give thanks 
 to God, my child, for his having given you his 
 grace at that moment of weakness, which alone 
 enabled you to act as you have done,. and to fill 
 my heart with joy at this moment, instead of 
 bitter sorrow !" 
 
 "Yes, papa, I prayed for strength, and I did 
 not feel the least wish to do that wicked thing 
 after that. The first time I was going to take 
 it I did not pray, I only said, ' No, I will not 
 do it ;' and then I turned to look at it again, 
 and wished to take it more than ever ; but the 
 second time, papa, when I went upon my knees, 
 I prayed to God to take the wickedness out of 
 my heart, and to give me good thoughts, that I 
 might not wish to do wicked things any more ; 
 t and I was so comfortable, papa, after that, that 
 I am sure he heard me." 
 
 " Yes, my dear child, God is ever near to 
 help those who in sincerity lift up their hearts 
 to him. At first you were trusting in your own 
 strength, and were on the point of a very griev- 
 ous fall. But remember that even in the most 
 trifling things, where your heart condemns you, 
 if you yield to the temptation, forsaking the
 
 LEILA. 141 
 
 perfect- -aw of God, you have, like Eve, suffered 
 the wicked spirit to beguile you. Do not sup- 
 pose, because it seems a small offence, that you 
 are free from the charge of breaking God's law. 
 Eve only took the fruit from the tree and tasted 
 it ; but God had said, ' Of the fruit of this tree 
 thou shalt not eat ;' and by this act of disobe- 
 dience she not only ruined her own happiness, 
 but brought a curse on this fair world, which 
 has already occasioned nearly six thousand 
 years of sin, of sorrow, and of death. To re- 
 deem us from the power of that death was our 
 Saviour sent ; but it is only in heaven that war 
 will be ended in a glorious victory and eternal 
 peace. Think, my child, what it will be to have 
 no more fear of falling into sin, no bitter tears 
 of repentance to shed, to dwell for ever in 
 the unspeakable happiness of God's love, to be 
 with that blessed Saviour who has loved you 
 from the beginning, to feel yourself pure even 
 as he is pure, your whole soul filled with 
 his glory, your whole heart overflowing with 
 his praise. O Leila, how should we love 
 Him who has prepared such a heaven for 
 us!" 
 
 " Papa," inquired Leila, as they entered the 
 cave together, " what is that you have got in 
 your pocket-handkerchief, which is slung across 
 your shoulders ?"
 
 142 LEILA. 
 
 " What have I got ? why, Leila, you must 
 guess. It is something for you something, you 
 will like very much, I think." 
 
 "Shall I, papa? Shall I like it as well as 
 the custards ? Does it taste sweet ?" 
 
 " Why, my love, I hope you will not insist 
 on ascertaining that point, for it certainly would 
 not be improved by tasting ; yet I trust it may 
 turn out both sweet and clever." 
 
 "Clever, papa? What can it be? dear 
 me, I do believe I saw it move ! It is some- 
 thing alive, I am sure it is. There now ! it 
 moved again. It is a squirrel, I do declare. 
 No, no, it is not. It is putting out its little 
 head, and it is the head of a bird of a green 
 bird, papa." 
 
 " And of a scarlet bird, Leila," continued Mr. 
 Iloward, as he untied the handkerchief and 
 presented her with a beautiful scarlet and green 
 parrot. 
 
 "A parrot, papa! is it not a parrot? O 
 dear me, how delightful ! and just what I was 
 wishing so much to have you lovely, beautiful 
 bird ! And I was wishing to eat you ; only 
 think of Leila wishing to swallow you up, you 
 dear pet ! but there is no fear of that, pretty 
 creature; only I am so happy, I don't know 
 what to do. I should like to squeeze you to 
 death," and she kissed and caressed the poor
 
 LEILA. 143 
 
 little frightened bird so, as really to put its life 
 in no small danger. 
 
 " Leila," interposed Mr. Howard, " you must 
 restrain your affection; for you are alarming 
 this poor little thing exceedingly. It is quite a 
 young parrot, so it will not be difficult to tame ; 
 but feel only how its heart is fluttering now. 
 We had better put it into the basket while we 
 are at dinner ; and when it is quieter, then we 
 must try to feed it." 
 
 " Yes, papa ; and then I will begin to teach it 
 to speak I will teach it to speak both English 
 and French, and I will begin to-night." 
 
 " I think, my love, you had better not at- 
 tempt those serious studies for some days, till it 
 is more accustomed with the novelties which 
 already surround it. Consider, Leila, it is in- 
 some respects in the same state with yourself- 
 it is in a new world, and it has never seen a 
 little girl before, nor has it ever seen an old 
 gentleman either ; and I dare say it is frightened 
 out of its wits." 
 
 "But, papa, you are not an old gentleman; 
 and I am sure you could not frighten any body. 
 I am not the least frightened for you, papa, 
 when you are teaching me my lessons ; indeed 
 I am never frightened for you, I am always 
 wishing to be with you ; and when you go these 
 long walks, I am so impatient for you to come
 
 144 LEILA. 
 
 back, I think every minute that you are coming, 
 and I stand still to listen for you calling ' Leila, 
 Leila !' how glad I am when I hear ' Leila !' 
 sounding in the air ! and it comes nearer and 
 nearer. But sometimes I do not see you ; for 
 it is only a bird, and it is the wind which has 
 brought the sound. How pleasant it is to listen 
 lo the sounds which the wind brings ! And 
 often I think I see you a far way off. To-day 
 I thought I saw you sitting down ; but when 
 I came near, it was only a stump of an old 
 tree." 
 
 " An old tree, instead of an old gentleman ! 
 Ah, Leila, Leila!" 
 
 " Now, papa, you are not to say you are an 
 old gentleman, for you are quite young. But 
 here comes our dinner ; I am very glad, for I 
 don't think I ever was so hungry before." 
 
 Nurse was much gratified by the approbation 
 bestowed on the second course, and by Mr. 
 Howard's assurances that no custards had ever 
 had, to him, so sweet a flavour. Nurse congrat- 
 ulated herself on the skilful manner in which 
 she had mixed the different ingredients, and 
 Leila felt the happy consciousness, that both 
 her papa's enjoyment and her own would have 
 been very different, had she acted otherwise 
 than what she had done. 
 
 " And now, papa," she said, as she seated
 
 LEILA. 145 
 
 herself upon his knee after they had finished 
 dinner, " tell me all your travels and all your 
 discoveries, as you promised, and begin at the 
 very beginning." 
 
 " Why, my love, the beginning was not so 
 prosperous as the end ; I walked on for a long 
 wa} r without discovering any thing new which 
 could be of use to., us, and at last, fatigued 
 with the heat, I sat down under a tree. I soon 
 became sensible of a pleasant hum of bees near 
 the spot on which I was seated, which pro- 
 ceeded from the stump of -an old tree not the 
 old gentleman you met with in your rambles, 
 Leila, but probably his elder brother, for he 
 was a very old stump indeed, quite hollow in- 
 side, and from this hollow the bees were flying 
 merrily out and in ; and on nearer inspection, I 
 could discover combs richly filled with honey. 
 Those combs will be a great treasure to 'us ; but 
 we must try to save the poor bees, and also 
 must leave them sufficient honey to support 
 them till they have made more. I have a pow- 
 der in the medicine chest which I mean to burn 
 close to the hollow, and the smoke from it will 
 put the bees to sleep while I take part of their 
 honey from them." 
 
 " That will be delightful ; and do you re- 
 member about the goats? Now we can say, 
 papa, that we are come to ' a land flowing with 
 13
 
 146 LEILA. 
 
 milk and honey.' I wish nurse would not be 
 like the children of Israel, and murmur." 
 
 "At what does nurse murmur, Leila?" 
 
 " She murmurs, papa, about a sociable cup of 
 tea, with a great deal of speaking about it ; and 
 she says, ' nobody steps into the cave to tell her 
 she is looking well for her time of life.' " 
 
 Mr. Howard could not refrain from smiling ; 
 but he represented to Leila, that poor nurse 
 certainly had a great trial in being separated 
 from all her friends, and having no one to talk 
 to. 
 
 "But she has me, papa; and I often talk 
 to her a great deal indeed, and then she says 
 I deafen her. But tell me what more discov- 
 eries you made?" 
 
 " Well, my love, I returned to the tree to rest 
 a little longer, but suddenly the pleasant hum 
 of the bees was lost in such a clatter of strange 
 sounds, as made me start to my feet ; and on 
 entering a grove of trees which was close to 
 where I was seated, I saw such a congregation 
 of monkeys as would indeed have astonished 
 you ; and some were leaping up and down, 
 others sitting upright or hanging by their tails, 
 and all grinning and chattering in a frightful 
 manner." 
 
 " O, papa, do take me to see lbe;n ; I should not 
 be the least afraid I should '.ike so much to go !"
 
 LEILA. 147 
 
 " Why, my love, I rather think it is too far for 
 you to walk, but when the weather becomes 
 cooler, I will endeavour to get you as far as the 
 grove of monkeys. I am, however, very well 
 pleased that they are at such a distance from us, 
 for they might prove very unpleasant neigh- 
 bours." 
 
 " Then, papa, perhaps you would not like me 
 to have a young monkey?" 
 
 " Indeed, Leila, I should not. I like to see 
 you fond of your different pets, and to-day you 
 have had a very pleasant addition to your num- 
 bers ; but a young monkey would soon become 
 the plague of your life ; young or old, they are 
 the most mischievous creatures in the world ; they 
 would chase your hens, worry your chickens and 
 your beautiful parrot, and fear your frocks all 
 to pieces ; poor nurse would be in a sad state 
 were we to introduce a monkey into our society." 
 
 "Well then, papa, I don't wish to have a 
 monkey to worry my chickens and my beauti- 
 ful parrot; I like my little kids much better; 
 to-day, when I went to feed them, the kid which 
 was so much hurt did not run away from me. 
 although it can run quite well now; it stood 
 still, and ate out of my hand. But tell me 
 what more you saw what did you discover 
 next?" 
 
 " My next discovery, Leila, was a much more
 
 148 LEILA. 
 
 useful one. On walking a good deal farther on, 
 I came upon a plantation of very tall reeds, and, 
 on cutting*one of them, I discovered them to be 
 sugar-canes. They are not yet ripe, but in a 
 very short time some of them will be fit for 
 gathering; I will then cut them into small 
 pieces and bruise frhem, that the sap or juice 
 may run from them, and we must boil this juice 
 and make it into sugar. Look here, Leila, I 
 have brought home a piece of cane which is 
 almost quite ripe; I will cut it again at this 
 point, that the j uice may flow out, and you shall 
 taste it. The little negro children in the West 
 Indies are very fond of sucking the sugar-cane ; 
 they got quite fat at the time the sugar is ma- 
 king, for it is very nourishing. There now, 
 you may suck that ; how do you like it ?" 
 
 " It is excellent, papa I like it very much 
 indeed. But how is this juice made into sugar ?" 
 
 "By being frequently boiled, my love; the 
 coarse or impure parts rise to the top when 
 boiled, and this scum is taken off as it rises, tiU 
 the juice becomes clear ; it is then put into very 
 shallow wooden vessels, and in cooling, the su- 
 gar separates itself into grains from the treacle, 
 which is drained off from it. It is very lucky 
 for us that the canes which I saw to-day are in 
 different stages of ripeness, for we can manage 
 to make very little sugar at a time, for want of
 
 LEILA. 149 
 
 proper vessels to boil it in ; and the whole boil- 
 ing must be done in a day, or the juice would 
 ferment and spoil it would become vinegar in- 
 stead of sugar; but vinegar also will be of use 
 to us; so that altogether, Leila, I am much 
 pleased indeed with the discovery I have made. 
 My next adventure was with your young parrot ; 
 very probably to-day it may have left its nest 
 for the first time, for, as I was walking towards 
 home it suddenly flew down from a tree, and 
 alighted near my foot; it again took wing, but 
 it could not rise to any height in the air, but, 
 after pursuing it for a little way, it became ex- 
 hausted, and I took it prisoner, tied it up in my 
 handkerchief, and brought it home to you." 
 
 " I am so glad you brought it home, papa, for 
 I did wish so very much to have a parrot. When 
 it is able to speak, will you let it sit at dinner 
 with us, for I am going to teach it to be very 
 polite, and always to say, ' A little more meat, 
 if you please, Miss Leila ;' and ' I will thank you, 
 sir, for a glass of wine.' 0, I wish I had been 
 with you to help you to catch it ! I had a chase 
 too, papa ; but it was not a nice chase, after a 
 parrot or any kind of bird. I saw something 
 white flying in the air like feathers, and I ran 
 after it, and Dash and Selina ran too ; we ran, 
 and ran, a great way, and at last it alighted on 
 a bash, and I came up to it as quickly as I could j
 
 150 LEILA. 
 
 but the breeze rose and carried it away again in 
 the air, and it mounted up so high I scarce 
 could see it ; then down it came again, softly, 
 softly; and I caught it just as it was getting 
 near the ground. I have kept it to show to you, 
 papa, for it is like cotton ; but how did cotton 
 come here?" and Leila, as she spoke, took a 
 small tuft of cotton from her breast. 
 
 " Why, Leila," exclaimed Mr. Howard, " you 
 also have been fortunate in your discoveries to- 
 day, for it certainly is cotton, and may be most 
 useful to us. This seems to have been from a 
 cotton plant, which is a finer species than that 
 which the tree produces which way did you 
 walk to-day ?" 
 
 " Beyond the fountain, papa." 
 
 " Well, my love, I was just about to propose 
 that we should finish this pleasant day by a 
 short walk ; so take up your guitar, and we will 
 have a little music together under the fountain- 
 tree. I have not heard you sing, ''Where the 
 bee sucks, there lurk I,' or, ' Come unto these 
 yellow sands,' for some day past. There is not 
 much hope of meeting with any cotton plants 
 by the way, for I am sure I should already have 
 discovered them, had they been so near us. 
 The wind may probably have carried this tuft 
 of cotton from a distance, but to-morrow I shall 
 try to discover more on this subject, We must
 
 LEILA. 151 
 
 walk in the same direction in which the wind 
 blew to-day, and if cotton is to be found within 
 our reach, I will make a distaff both for you 
 and nurse, that you may spin it into thread ; 
 then you will always have a supply for mend- 
 ing your clothes, and will also be able to 
 knit more stockings when required you have 
 wires in your workbox, have you not ?" 
 
 " Yes, papa, I have the whole easeful of wires 
 which were sent to me from England ; I have 
 not lost one ; and nurse is always wishing she 
 had cotton to work more stockings ; so she will 
 be very glad. We must tell her the good news 
 as we pass."
 
 152 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 IT was not the least pleasant hour of this 
 pleasant day in which Mr. Howard sat singing 
 and conversing with his child; and as Leila 
 sang to her guitar, and the beams of the setting 
 sun fell on her youthful countenance, she seemed 
 so nearly allied to the spirits of the air, that her 
 papa suddenly caught his own Ariel to his 
 breast, as if anxious to ascertain the reality of 
 his treasure. 
 
 The sun had sunk into its bed of rest, the stars 
 were out, and still they lingered, for Leila had 
 always some remark to make, or question to 
 ask. 
 
 " Papa," she said, " do not let us go home 
 just yet, for it is so pleasant here. The sea- 
 breeze is so refreshing when it comes upon our 
 faces; and don't you like to hear that sweet 
 sound from the rivulet, and to smell the flowers ? 
 how much I like this fountain-tree ! I do be- 
 lieve it is the most delightful tree in all the 
 world. Do you think, papa, there are any other 
 fountain-trees as delightful ?"
 
 LEILA. 153 
 
 <( Why, my love, perhaps you might not think 
 so, but you know that it is we ourselves that 
 have given it this name, because I was ignorant 
 of the species to which it belonged ; but there 
 are fountain-trees in different parts of the world, 
 and they are so called from being themselvea 
 the fountains from which the water flows." 
 
 " How very curious, papa ! but how can that 
 be?" 
 
 " The most remarkable of those trees, Leila, 
 of which I have read an account, is said to grow 
 in one of the Canary Islands, and is so large aa 
 to furnish the chief supply of water to all the 
 inhabitants and cattle of the island. Its leaves 
 are large, and, coming out in constant succes- 
 sion, are always green. A thick mist rises 
 every morning from the sea, which is driven by 
 the breeze against the rocky cliff on which this 
 tree is situated ; and this heavy mist falling on 
 the thick leaves of the tree, distils into water 
 during the day, just as you have seen the rain 
 dropping from a tree after a heavy shower ; 
 but this fountain-tree, having wide-spreading 
 branches, distils such a quantity of water, that 
 two large cisterns are dug at the side of it, in 
 which the water is collected. One of these cis- 
 terns is for the people, the other for the cattle ; 
 and a person is employed to give out the water. 
 He is paid so much yearly for doing so, and a
 
 154 LEILA. 
 
 house is appointed for him to live in close to 
 the tree." 
 
 " If we had not this rivulet, papa, which is 
 BO useful to us, then we should be very glad to 
 have one of those trees. But I like our own 
 fountain-tree much better, with those beautiful 
 grapes hanging down from it, and no drops of 
 water to come upon us, to make us uncomfort- 
 able." 
 
 "Yes, Leila, we are indeed peculiarly fa- 
 voured; we are surrounded with blessings 
 which should call forth the deepest thankful- 
 ness. Here we are cast upon this pleasant land, 
 where there are no wild beasts to devour us, 
 no venomous serpents to make us afraid. A 
 table has been richly furnished for us in the 
 wilderness ; and, amidst refreshing streams and 
 clear fountains, we know nothing of the misery 
 the weary traveller must experience, who is 
 wandering on those burning shores, where no 
 rain falls for months to refresh the earth, and 
 where there are no clear springs or running 
 streams to bless his sight. Think, Leila, what 
 it must be to him, when worn with fatigue and 
 parched with thirst, to meet with one of those 
 dropping trees, or fountain plants." 
 
 " And are there fountain plants, papa, as 
 A ell as trees ?" 
 
 "Yes, my love, there are different plants
 
 LEILA. 155 
 
 which contain a considerable supply of wafer; 
 there is one in particular, a sort of wild pine 
 which grows in Jamaica, which contains from 
 a pint and a half to a quart of water; it is a 
 parasitical plant, which means a plant growing 
 upon another. The seed has long woolly 
 threads, and, when carried away by the wind, 
 it sticks, by means of those threads, to the 
 branches of the trees, and generally takes root 
 on some part of the stem. The leaves of this 
 plant are thick and long, they rise up from the 
 roots in folds, one within another. In. these 
 folds the water collects, and when the reservoir 
 is full, they close at the top, so that the water 
 is not dried up by the sun. The weary travel- 
 ler knows this plant well ; he strikes his knifo 
 into the leaves just above the roots, and the 
 clear water rushes out, to his joy and comfort." 
 
 " How very good God is, papa 1 he contrives 
 every thing so well : always -now, when I sit 
 under this tree, I will be grateful to Him thai 
 we are not weary travellers, but have this beau- 
 tiful fountain beside us, and are never parched 
 with thirst. Are you going, papa? I am so 
 sorry !" 
 
 " Yes, my child, the moon has now fully 
 risen. We shall have a delightful walk komft 
 by its silvery light." 
 
 in pleasant talk, and in constant employnv.^
 
 156 LEILA. 
 
 the weeks and months passed swiftly. The first 
 crop of Indian -corn and rice was gathered in, 
 and it was now part of nurse's employment 
 daily to grind a portion of each in the rice-mill 
 which Mr. Howard, in his first successful trip to 
 the wreck, had brought back with him. Two 
 additional goats had been added to their little 
 flock ; and a churn, which, although rather of 
 rude workmanship, was found to answer ex- 
 tremely well, was a great acquisition to nurse's 
 dairy arrangements. Churning the butter was 
 rather too laborious an employment for Leila, 
 but she was often heard singing in the morning 
 while assisting nurse in milking the goats, and 
 in making cakes of the rice-flour or Indian 
 corn. She was- extremely successful, and her 
 papa's breakfasts were greatly improved by her 
 morning exertions. She rose with the dawn, 
 and as soon as prayers were over, the 'goats 
 were milked. Her next care was to feed the 
 poultry and her numerous pets, who were now 
 all on the most affectionate terms with each 
 other : hens, chickens, turtle-doves and wood- 
 pigeons, all flocked around Leila, as she issued 
 from the cave, and Dash generally took his sta- 
 tion in the midst of them, looking benevolently 
 all around. Selina was not quite so great a 
 /a vourite ; the feathered race treated her with 
 respect, but with less of that affectionate famili-
 
 L E I L A . 157 
 
 arity with wliich Dash was greeted, for little 
 chickens stepped fearlessly up and down on his 
 broad back, and turtle-doves nestled between 
 his ears. The parrot was a great trial to Selina, 
 for she proved to be a forward bird, presuming 
 somewhat too much on the favour of her little 
 mistress ; and when she would brush up against 
 Selina in the morning, fluttering her gay wings, 
 and exclaiming, " Breakfast if you please, I am, 
 a pretty creature," the indignant Selina would 
 look very much as if she would gladly hav 
 laid those gay feathers in the dust. 
 
 But to return to Leila and her morning 
 duties. 
 
 The poultry being fed, she would visit the 
 nests, bring in the fresh eggs for breakfast, 
 arrange the cups, and place a plate of honey- 
 comb and another of grapes upon the table. 
 Then, while nurse churned sufficient butter for 
 daily use, Leila would tie on her little white 
 apron, tuck up her sleeves, and busy herself in 
 baking the rice-cakes for breakfast. Her daily 
 lessons took place immediately after, and during 
 the rest of the forenoon she either walked with 
 her papa, amused herself in her green bower, 
 or worked in her little garden, for her papaliad 
 fenced in for her a small portion of ground near 
 to the entrance of the cave, into which Leila 
 had transplanted a profusion of the most beau-
 
 158 LEILA. 
 
 tiful flowers ; a portion of the rock formed the 
 upper fence to this garden, and against it were 
 placed a couple of bee-hives and a green turf 
 seat; and here would she -often pass an hour 
 with her distaff watching the bees, for she had 
 assisted her papa in making the hives for them, 
 and she took the keenest interest in all their 
 proceedings. In the use of the distaff she was 
 not jet particularly expert ; nurse made heavy 
 complaints that Miss Leila's thread was either 
 too thick or too thin, and that no two inches 
 were alike. The gathering in the cotton had 
 been a great amusement to her ; Mr. Howard 
 had found the cotton plant growing in tolerable 
 abundance at no great distance from the foun- 
 tain-tree, and to prepare it for spinning had 
 formed one of Leila's in-door occupations dur- 
 ing the rains, which for the space of six weeks 
 had continued to fall in the early part of each 
 day. 
 
 " It now wanted but a short period of their 
 having been a year on the island, and during 
 all that time no trace of pther human beings 
 had been discernible on the broad land, or on 
 the wide sea. It seemed as if the flowers 
 bloomed beneath their feet, the trees blossomed 
 and bore fruit, and all had been created in 
 beauty for them alone. Mr. Howard felt the 
 warmest gratitude for the many alleviations
 
 LEILA. -159 
 
 which attended their separation from the rest of 
 the world, but still there were moments of deep 
 depression for which he severely chid himself. 
 When he looked at Leila in her youth and in 
 her helplessness, and felt that a moment might 
 deprive her of his protecting arm and fostering 
 care, it required all the unquestioning faith of 
 the Christian and the courage of the man to 
 meet her with that cheerfulness with which he 
 always wished to greet her approach. She, 
 dear child, knew no care ; constantly with her 
 father, loving him with all the ardour of her 
 young affections, the weeks and months brought 
 to her but an increase to her enjoyments, as she 
 advanced in age, and became more capable of 
 appreciating their value. 
 
 Her ninth birth-day now drew near; it had 
 formerly been a day to which she anxiously 
 looked forward ; but Leila knew she was now 
 ^far removed from the possibility of receiving 
 dolls or books, or any of her former presents ; 
 still she was not without a vague hope that 
 some pleasure was intended for her, for nurse 
 had looked particularly mysterious and impor- 
 tant of late, and on her approach had always 
 hurried her work out of sight, complaining 
 that Miss Leila's footstep was so light she never 
 heard her coming, and no sooner was she gone 
 than she found her at her elbow again. Leila
 
 160 LEILA. 
 
 saw that her presence was not desired, and kept 
 out of the way ; but it struck her that her papa 
 also at times seemed to shun her society, and 
 that on different occasions, although absent for 
 a couple of hours, he had given her no account 
 of the nature of his occupations. These were 
 strange circumstances;, but, on the day on 
 which she completed her ninth year, they were 
 pleasantly accounted for. 
 
 Early in the morning of that day she awoke, 
 and found nurse standing by her bedside : she 
 held a pretty little gipsy hat in one hand, and 
 in the other a new dress for Leila. This dress 
 was the rabbit-skin frock so much wished for : 
 it was of gray fur, turned up with white ; the 
 hat was made of palm-tree leaves plaited to- 
 gether : it was tied down with a cherry-coloured 
 ribbon, and a wreath of bright scarlet and green 
 feathers formed the trimming. Leila at first 
 felt almost afraid that her dear parrot must have 
 suffered, but on turning towards her bird, it 
 fluttered its . gay wings, anfl flew towards her, 
 exclaiming, " I am a pretty creature," and pre- 
 sented a breast of unruffled beauty. Leila felt 
 a.pang of remorse for having even half suspected 
 her good old nurse. She threw her arms round 
 her neck, exclaiming, " You are very kind to 
 me and to give me your beautiful cherry- 
 coloured ribbon -too ! O, I will try to be very
 
 LEILA. 161 
 
 patient, and not vex you any more !" Leila's 
 good resolutions were made in sincerity of 
 heart, yet they were on the point of giving way, 
 even before her toilet was completed. 
 
 " Make haste, do make haste, nurse !" she 
 exclaimed, " and tie that string of my frock 
 quick, quick, and let me off to my papa ;" and 
 seizing her gipsy hat, she stuck it on one side 
 of her head, and was gone in a moment. 
 
 Mr. Howard fondly embraced and blessed 
 his child, and both the pretty hat and new- 
 dress were admired exceedingly. "My dear 
 little gray squirrel," he said, " how glacl I am 
 the weather is now so much cooler, that you 
 will be able to enjoy your new diess. You 
 must tell nurse that I think she has succeeded 
 admirably, and that I hope her next work will 
 be a fur coat for me." 
 
 As soon as breakfast was over, Leila was im 
 patient to walk out with her papa, and tying 
 on the new gipsy hat, she said, " Now, papa, I 
 am quite ready, and as this is to be a holiday, 
 I hope you will take me a longer walk than I 
 have'ever gone before." 
 
 "Perhaps, my love, you would prefer a 
 drive. At what hour shall I order your 
 carriage ?" 
 
 " My carriage, papa ! what is it you mean ?" 
 
 " T mean simply at what - hour does Miss 
 14*
 
 162 LEILA. 
 
 Howard wish her carriage to be at the 
 door?" 
 
 " Directly, papa I wish it directly. And 
 now, how will you make it come ?" 
 
 Mr. Howard left the cave ; Leila was about 
 to run after him, when nurse detained her. 
 
 " Now, Miss Leila," she said, " you must go 
 back and sit down. When young ladies order 
 their carriage, they do not run out to the stables 
 to see it getting ready, but they sit quietly in 
 their drawing-rooms till they are told it is at 
 the door ; so sit down in that chair, and be 
 patient. Kemember your promise." 
 
 " I do, nurse, I do remember my promise ; 
 but indeed you must let me dance with my feet 
 a little, for that keeps me more patient than 
 any thing." 
 
 Mr. Howard entered "Miss Howard, your 
 carriage waits." 
 
 Leila sprang to the door: it was a carriage 
 certainly, and a more elegant little open car- 
 riage of light wicker-work than that into which 
 Mr. Howard handed the delighted Leila could 
 scarcely be imagined. The handsomest anti the 
 most tractable of the goats he had trained to 
 draw it : all was complete, even to the reins of 
 twisted cotton, which nurse had contrived to 
 dye a bright blue with the leaves of a plant, from 
 which her master had informed her the indigo
 
 LEILA. 163 
 
 was made. The joy of this surprise, and the 
 happiness of this ninth birth-day were Idng 
 remembered by Leila '-with gratitude and 
 pleasure. 
 
 " And now, my child," inquired Mr. Howard, 
 " to what corner of the island shall we direct 
 our course ? Is there any particular spot you 
 would like to visit?" 
 
 "Yes, papa, there is a place I should like 
 very much to see. Do you remember that day 
 when you said, ' Leila, it is too far for you to 
 walk ; but when the weather becomes cooler, 3 
 shall try to get you as far as the grove of 
 monkeys?' I remember it well, for I have 
 been often thinking about it, and now the 
 weather is cooler, and I have this most beauti- 
 ful carriage of my own, so I need not walk 
 eh, papa?" 
 
 Mr. Howard gave a willing assent to Leila'a 
 proposal. Placing the bright blue reins in one 
 hand, and a nice little whip in the other, the 
 word of command was given ; the obedient goat 
 set forward at a brisk pace, and the happy party 
 proceeded towards the monkeys' grove. Much 
 was Leila amused and delighted with the scene 
 she witnessed there. The monkeys seemed 
 to have a more than common flow of talk on 
 this occasion; they grinned and chattered, and 
 scolded each other in a most ludicrous manner ;
 
 164 LEILA. 
 
 one of them had a little one in its anus, which it 
 dandled and caressed as a nurse would have 
 done a baby ; when suddenly it gave it such a 
 slap in the face as made the poor little thing 
 yell with pain. Another monkey flew to revenge 
 this insult offered to the little one, and spring- 
 ing upon the mamma, gave her in return such a 
 box on the ear as would have thrown her to the 
 ground, had she not clung by the tail to the 
 branch on which she had been seated, still hold- 
 ing the little one in her arms. 
 
 Leila -was much amused with this scene. 
 
 " papa !" she exclaimed, as they were re- 
 turning home, " how very much I wish I had a 
 little monkey ; a little one would not do much 
 mischief, I am quite sure. May I have one, 
 papa? Will you say yes ? I know when you 
 are going to say yes, for I see it first in your 
 eyes, and then when it comes down upon your 
 lips, it makes me so Jiappy it makes me feel 
 as if a little bird had flown into my breast. But 
 I do not see it in you eyes now, papa. Are you 
 going to say no, though it is only a little mon- 
 key?" 
 
 " Yes, my child, I am going to say no ; I am 
 always sorry to disappoint you, Lelia,' but, old 
 or young, they are disagreeable, mischievous 
 animals, and I have already told you that I dis-
 
 LEILA. 165 
 
 approve of your having a monkey ; so I regret 
 that you should have asked it again." 
 
 "Yes, papa, I am sorry too, and I will tell 
 you how it was : when you said steadily I was 
 not to have a monkey, I tried to put it out of 
 my head, yet I wished for it very much ; fh- 
 deed, it is a vexing thing. Do you think it 
 will ever pass away ?" 
 
 " What is it that is to pass away, Leila?" 
 
 " The feeling, papa, of wishing so much for 
 what I am not to have. You don't know how 
 much I wish for a thing when you say no. 
 Sometimes I wish for it more than ever ; that 
 is what is vexing. Do you think it will pass 
 away?" 
 
 " Alas, my dear Leila, the feeling with which 
 you are now struggling is one of the many 
 proofs of the imperfection of our nature, and it 
 is only God who can give you strength to com- 
 bat with such inclinations; and this assistance 
 you will, I trust, more constantly implore as 
 you advance in years, and become more sen- 
 sible of your own weakness." 
 
 " Papa, you often say that when I have more 
 experience I will not wish for so many foolish 
 things. Do you think I shall have experience 
 about monkeys when I am old, and think them 
 mischievous and disagreeable ?" 
 
 " Yes, Leila, I have no doubt that you will
 
 166 LEILA. 
 
 acknowledge that they are both mischievous 
 and disagreeable, when you yourself are a little 
 more under the dominion of reason." 
 
 " The dominion of reason, papa I Is that a 
 better dominion than Queen Elizabeth's ? You 
 know I did not like her at all." 
 
 Mr. Howard smiled. " Your mistake, Leila, 
 is a very good reproof to me for not having ex- 
 pressed myself as simply as I ought to do when 
 conversing with you. I meant only, that as 
 you advanced in years your reason would 
 strengthen, and you would not be so much car- 
 ried away by your wishes. For instance : had 
 you not been so much a child as you are now, 
 you would have exerted your reason on this oc- 
 casion, and have said to yourself, ' My papa is 
 wiser than I am, and must know better, so I 
 will trust to his experience on this subject.' " 
 
 " And have you had experience about mon- 
 keys, papa ? I did not know that." 
 
 " Yes, my love, I have." 
 
 "Then you will tell me about it? that will 
 be so delightful ! and make it a good long story, 
 if you please." 
 
 " Why, Leila, I have not a great deal to say 
 bo you on the subject ; I can only tell you that 
 my younger sister had the same desire which 
 you have to possess a monkey. She had been 
 taken to see an exhibition of wild beasts where
 
 LEILA. 167 
 
 there were 'several monkeys, and after that it 
 became the height of her ambition to have one 
 as her own property. A gentleman who was a 
 constant visitor at our house, was, about to sail 
 for the West Indies at the time, and hearing my 
 sister frequently express this desire, he kindly 
 promised to send back a monkey for her by the 
 captain of the ship. My father and mother rep- 
 resented to her, as I have done to you, that 
 they were mischievous animals, and by no means 
 pleasant inmates of a family ; but Maria would 
 not be^sonvinced ; she assured them she would 
 watch over her monkey, and give it such in- 
 struction that no mischief could happen. So, in 
 the idea that this little girl would soon learn by 
 experience, permission was granted, and in a 
 few months a -most droll little creature made its 
 appearance. At first it was a great 'amusement 
 in the nursery, both to nurses and children ; and 
 as my sister led it about almost constantly in a 
 chain, no mischief for the first week was com- 
 mitted, beyond the cotton reels being picked out 
 of nurse's workbox, and the cotton being wound 
 round^and round its little feet, till it became in- 
 capable of moving, and so rolled over on its side 
 on the carpet, chattering and grinning in a man- 
 ner which almost killed Maria with laughing. 
 Nurse, however, looked rather grave at this first 
 exploit ; and Maria's mirth was soon turned to
 
 168 LEILA. 
 
 woe when her own most favourite possessions 
 next became the sport of this animal's love of 
 mischief. Maria's godmother had sent her a 
 present of a beautiful set of little china cups and 
 saucers on her birthday, and her delight in 
 making tea in them for the first time to the 
 whole nursery party was very great indeed. 
 Master Monkey had a chair placed for him at 
 the table ; he looked about with the greatest 
 satisfaction, and seemed particularly pleased 
 when Maria held a cup of tea to his lips, and 
 prepared a little piece of bread and butter for 
 him. A small case with glass doors was fitted 
 up in a corner of the nursery, in which my sister 
 kept her treasures ; and as soon as the cups and 
 saucers were washed, they were nicely arranged 
 in this case, and looked so pretty, that she was 
 still standirfg gazing at them with admiration, 
 when the bell rang for the children to go down 
 stairs. Maria had often been told never to leave 
 this case open ; but in her hurry to get to the 
 dining-room had forgot to lock it ; and nurse, 
 supposing that my sister had chained up- the 
 monkey as usual in the next room, went out to 
 walk with the baby, and the nursery was left 
 empty. In about half an hour after, Maria 
 tvas sent up stairs for a book which her papa 
 wished to see; but what was her horror and 
 iismay when, on entering the nursery, she
 
 LEILA. 169 
 
 found the monkey seated at the table, with the^ 
 cvhole beautiful tea-set arranged before him. He 
 held one of the delicate little cups in his paw, 
 and as Maria entered, he grinned and chattered 
 with delight, and pretended to drink out of it. 
 My sister had a ball in her hand, and in her 
 anger and astonishment she threw it at him, 
 upon which the enraged animal not only re- 
 venged himself by throwing the cup at her, 
 which was broken in a thousand pieces, but, 
 leaping upon the table, he overset the whole 
 tea-service, which the next moment lay in frag- 
 ments on the ground." 
 
 " O, papa, how dreadful ! What did your 
 little sister do?" 
 
 " Why, Leila, she wept most sadly ; and not 
 the less bitterly that she felt she had herself 
 alone to blame. She recalled to mind all she 
 had been told of the spirit of mischief in those 
 creatures, and she also felt that had she been 
 less careless, had she chained up the animal as 
 she had faithfully promised to do, or had she 
 remembered her mamma's injunctions to lock 
 the glass case, and keep the key in her pocket, 
 nothing of all this could have happened." 
 
 " And was the monkey sent away, papa?" 
 
 " No, not on this first occasion ; Maria en- 
 treated so much that a longer trial might be 
 permitted, that my father and mother gave their 
 15
 
 170 LEILA. 
 
 consent ; but it was not long before my poor 
 little sister had cause to regret the rash confi- 
 dence she had placed in her treacherous friend. 
 Maria's kind godmother, hearing of the sad fate 
 of the birthday present, sent her, a few weeks 
 after, a very pretty silk pelisse and bonnet. The 
 box had just been unpacked, when, on the 
 arrival of forenoon visitors, my sister was. de- 
 sired to take those precious articles up stairs, 
 and hang them in her wardrobe in her own 
 room, till my mother was at leisure to bestow 
 proper admiration upon them. But Maria 
 thought there was no good reason why she 
 should not admire them herself a little more, 
 before they were consigned to their place of 
 safety; so dressing herself in the beautiful 
 pelisse and bonnet, she stood for a few minutes 
 before the glass, regretting much that no one 
 but Master Monkey (who stood making grima- 
 ces in a corner of the room) was present to par- 
 take her pleasure. Soon afterwards she went 
 into the garden, and my mother, having dis- 
 missed -her visitors, proposed to join her there. 
 As she passed through the shrubbery, her atten- 
 tion was caught by a slight rustling amongst 
 the branches of a large tree under which she 
 was passing ; and looking up, what was her 
 astonishment and vexation to see Maria, as she 
 believed, dressed out in her new pelisse and
 
 LEILA. 171 
 
 bonnet, perched upon one of the highest branches 
 ' Maria,' she exclaimed in terror, ' how came you 
 there. Don't move, I entreat you ; don't stir 
 till I get your father's assistance.' Startled by 
 her voice, the object on which she gazed gave a 
 sudden spring, and, caught by the pelisse on a 
 projecting branch, hung suspended in the air by 
 this slender hold. My mother's scream quickly 
 brought my father to her assistance, for he had 
 been proceeding to join her in the garden ; and, 
 flying forward to save his child, he caught in 
 his arms, not the expected Maria, but the grin- 
 ning, chattering monkey. My poor little sister, 
 who had also heard the fearful scream, flew to 
 the spot at this moment ; and deep was her dis- 
 tress when she saw how much her dear mother 
 had been alarmed, and how materially the 
 beautiful new pelisse and bonnet had suffered. 
 She no longer now objected to the mischievous 
 animal being dismissed, and it was at her own 
 earnest request that, next morning, it was sent 
 to a person who kept a menagerie, to be exhib- 
 ited amongst his other wild beasts. And now, 
 tny cMld, we must hasten home : for it is the 
 Jinnei hour, and nurse must have long been ex- 
 pecting us;"
 
 172 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 * nurse," exclaimed Leila, one morning; 
 as soon as the lessons were over, " I am 
 not to walk with papa to-day, for he says he is 
 going too far ; so sit down with me in this nice 
 green seat in my garden, and let us converse. 
 Do you see those flowers ? I am sure you never 
 saw such beautiful flowers before. Only look 
 at that one with the pink blossoms just peeping 
 out among the green leaves ; it never comes out 
 any further, so I call it Mary Queen of Scots ; 
 for it is so beautiful, and it is in a prison ; and 
 that one that is so pale is Lady Jane Grey : and 
 do you see that scarlet one so fierce, and with 
 such a big head? That is Queen Elizabeth. I 
 have called all the flowers after the kings and 
 queens papa tells me about. Do you like to 
 hear about them, nurse ? I can tell you a great 
 many more." 
 
 " No, Miss Leila, I cannot say that I do. It 
 was not the fashion in my young days for such 
 as me to be taken up about any other kings and 
 queens than what we read about in the Bible ;
 
 LEILA. 173 
 
 I had enough uj do to milk the cows, and help 
 to make the butter, and carry the chickens, and 
 eggs, and the nosegays to market." 
 
 " Well, then, we won't speak about the kings 
 and queens, if yqu don't like it ; but do not go 
 away so quick ; I wonder how you like to go 
 away so soon. You never sit down to have a 
 good long talk with me ; you are always trot- 
 trotting about" 
 
 " And, Miss Leila, if I were not to be trotting 
 about, as you call it, but chose to sit on my seat 
 like a fine lady, what sort of a room would your 
 father have to sit down in, or a dinner to eat, 01 
 a bed to lie upon ?" 
 
 " Then, nurse, I never will say again that you 
 trot, since you don't like me to say it ; and we 
 will not speak about kings and queens, but I 
 will tell you something else, which papa told me 
 this morning, about ants, which I think you will 
 like, for it is very curious. You know I told 
 you before about the ants building houses with 
 rooms and nurseries, and how active they are 
 in doing a great deal of work ; but do you know 
 that there are ants as bad as can be? they 
 fight, and they steal, and they don't like to work 
 at all." 
 
 " Then, Miss Leila, I think it would be better 
 if they kept trot-trotting, and got through their 
 work without stealing ; but what do they steal ?"
 
 174 LEILA. 
 
 " They steal slaves to work for them , and I 
 will tell you how they do it. Mr. Huber found 
 it out ; but do you know about Mr. Huber ?" 
 
 " No, Miss Leila, I never heard of him." 
 
 " Well, I don't know about hjm much ; I only 
 know that he had a blind papa, who knew a 
 great deal about bees ; and he himself has writ- 
 ten very curious things about ants : he says that 
 there are ants which are not busy, and yet they 
 like to be comfortable. They call them legion- 
 ary ants ; it is a curious name. Papa said it 
 over and over, so I remember it ; will you try ?" 
 
 " Yes, Miss Leila, I will do what I can ; but 
 it is not easy for such an old woman as I to learn 
 all the fine things which your papa thinks it 
 right to teach you ; nor would it be in any way 
 proper that I should; but tell me about the 
 slaves they get to work for them ; I should like 
 to know about that." 
 
 " "Well, I am going to tell you. The legion- 
 ary ants, which are the thieves, are of a light 
 colour they are as strong and as brave as they 
 can be they can sting very terribly, so that 
 they make a grand battle ; but then they are 
 lazy about work, so they steal away another 
 kind of ant, of a dark colour, which they call a 
 negro ant, to work for them. The negro ant is 
 patient and industrious, and has no sting. It 
 was Mr. Huber who first found out about the
 
 LEILA. 175 
 
 slaves. He was walking near Geneva, whore he 
 lived, and he saw a great number of the legion- 
 ary ants, thousands and thousands of them, and 
 he called it an army. They crossed the road 
 and crept through the hedge into a field, and he 
 followed them a long way, till they came to a 
 nest of negro ants. Some of the negroes were 
 walking up and down guarding the holes into 
 their nests, and they were in great fright ; I 
 fancy they knew about the legionary ants being 
 cruel thieves and coming to steal their little chil- 
 dren, and they all ran into the nest to tell the 
 bad news and to get more ants to fight, and the 
 little young ants kept in their nurseries. I don't 
 know if they hid themselves, papa did not tell 
 me that ; but I dare say they were trembling, 
 trembling. Then the strong, negro ants all 
 rushed out, and the battle began it was a 
 dreadful battle ; the legionary ants got up upon 
 their hind legs, and so did the negro ants, and 
 they seized each other with their claws and 
 fought together : sometimes they both fell, roll- 
 ing on the ground, but they did not let go ; they 
 fought and they spat on each other till they 
 scrambled up again. Did you, ever hear any 
 thing so dreadful as their spitting on each other? 
 I nev^r thought there was such terrible wicked- 
 ness in all the world as that. Our ants here 
 don't spit on each other ; I wonder if the ants
 
 176 LEILA. 
 
 in London spit. You know, nurse, it is to Lon- 
 don we are to go if we leave the island, but I 
 hope we shall not leave it. And now I must 
 tell you the rest of the story. The legionary 
 ants were so strong that they conquered the 
 negroes ; then they mounted up the side of the 
 ant-hill; some of them went in at the little 
 doors that were made, and others went stamping 
 and ramping about, and tore other holes with 
 their teeth, and so they all got in ; and nobody 
 knows what they said, or how they found out 
 the nurseries, but in a very little time they came 
 out again, and every one of them had a little 
 negro ant in its mouth, and off they scampered 
 as fast as could be, and Mr. Huber after them. 
 When they came to their own nest, he was in a 
 puzzle, for he saw a good many large negro ants 
 walking about, watching for them. He thought 
 at first they had come to fight them for stealing 
 their little children ; but they came up to the 
 legionary ants quite kind, and brought them 
 food and caressed them. How could they caress 
 them, I wonder ? How funny it must have been 
 to see the ants kissing each other I Then the 
 old negro slaves took the little negroes "from the 
 legionary ants, and carried them away to their 
 new nurseries. Mr. Huber says, the old negro 
 slaves must have been carried away also when 
 they were young, and so they were quite accus-
 
 LEILA. 177 
 
 tomed to live with the legionary ants, and liked 
 to work for them." 
 
 " Indeed, Miss Leila, this is the 'most extra- 
 ordinary story I ever heard in all my life. And 
 in what way do they work for them ?" 
 
 " O, they do every thing for them. The legion- 
 ary ants could wojik very well if they liked, but 
 they won't do it. Mr. Huber put some of them 
 into a glass box, with their little children, and 
 gave them earth to build nurseries, and honey 
 to feed them. At first they worked a little, but 
 they had no patience ; they were not at the trou- 
 ble even to take their own food, and in two days 
 half of them died. So then he put one negro 
 ant into the box, and the good little slave began 
 to work immediately. It made a chamber and 
 a nursery with the earth, and gathered all the 
 young ones into the nursery, and made it com- 
 fortable for them ; and it fed the old ants, and 
 put them into their own room, and kept every 
 thing in order for them. He did another curious 
 thing to try them ; he broke down one of their 
 hills, and destroyed some of their chambers and 
 galleries ; the legionary ants were in the greatest 
 fuss and quite bamboozled, and they wandered 
 about with broken hearts, and did not know 
 where to go ; but the negroes comforted them, 
 and understood much better, and they found out 
 ihe galleries and chambers that were not de-
 
 178 LEILA. 
 
 stroyed, and took the legionary ants in their 
 mouths, and carried them into them. Some of 
 them were not quite so clever and lost their way, 
 then they put down their masters very gently 
 on the ground, and ran about till they found a 
 room, and they took them up again and brought 
 them into it. One of the negro ants found a 
 lump of earth near the entrance of a gallery he 
 could not get in for it, so he put his master down, 
 and I fancy he said, ' Sir, you will please to be 
 patient, and I will come back for you,' for his 
 master lay quite still, and the slave got another 
 slave to help him ; and they pushed and kicked 
 the lump of earth away, then he came back and 
 took up his master, and carried him to the room 
 quite safe. I think this is all papa told me, and 
 is it not a very wonderful story ?" 
 
 " You may well say so, Miss Leila ; and I am 
 sure the patience and activity of these little 
 negro creatures may be an example to us all." 
 
 " Yes, that is what papa says, and I am try- 
 ing as much as I can to be patient. But now, 
 nurse, I have told you a story, and surely you 
 will tell me something too. I wish you would 
 tell me something you did when you -were a 
 little girl.- You were a little girl once, you 
 know." 
 
 " Yes, miss, and not so very long ago, neither." 
 
 "Not long ago; I thought you were a very
 
 LEILA. 179 
 
 old woman ; a great deal older than my papa ; 
 you have spectacles on your nose; my papa 
 never has spectacles, and he sees quite well." 
 
 Nurse hastily removed the spectacles, as she 
 answered in a tone of considerable displeasure, 
 " Miss Leila, it is by no means civil to call any 
 body old because they may put their spectacles 
 on at a time just to save their eyes not that I 
 am calling myself a very young woman, that 
 would not be the truth either; but when you 
 come to be my age, you may be obliged to wear 
 spectacles too, if your eyes are as tender by 
 nature as mine have ever been since I was a 
 young thing in my mother's cottage." 
 
 Leila took the old woman's hand within both 
 hers, (there were some suspicious wrinkles on it 
 certainly,) and pressing ij; kindly she said, 
 "Nurse, I never knew that your eyes were 
 tender by nature, and that you were not old; 
 but I will ask papa to give you some medicines 
 to make you see well; and now will you tell 
 me something you did when you were a little 
 girl ; had you ever any little cousins just your 
 own age ?" 
 
 " Yes, Miss Leila, I had a little cousin ; she i& 
 an old woman now, but many is the time I think 
 of her, and well should I like to see her again, 
 for she saved me from doing what would have 
 been grief to me all my life."
 
 180 LEILA. 
 
 " tell me about it, nurse, and tell me every 
 thing you did when you were a little girl, and 
 where you lived." 
 
 "I lived-, Miss Leila, in a cottage within a 
 mile of Gloucester, and a prettier cottage there 
 was not in all the neighbourhood. The little 
 room where I slept was behind the kitchen, and 
 there were two rooms above that ; and O, Miss 
 Leila, such a kitchen as it was for comfort, and 
 for every thing that the heart could desire I 
 think I see the fire burning so brightly, and the 
 hearth so clean, and my grandmother's arm- 
 chair stood on one side of the fire. I see the 
 picture of it at this very minute, and the little 
 round oak table stood before it you might have 
 seen your face in that table, I kept it so bright 
 and her large Bible lay on it, and her beau- 
 tiful work-bag beside it, made out of her grand- 
 mother's marriage gown, that was my great, 
 great, great grandmother you know ; and such 
 flowers as there were on that bag, you would 
 have thought little of your Mary Queen of 
 Scots, or of Queen Elizabeth either, if you had 
 seen them." 
 
 " And what did she keep in the bag, nurse ?" 
 
 " What did she not keep, Miss Leila ? There 
 were her stockings, and wires, and worsted 
 balls of different colours for mending all the 
 stocking.-- in the house, and needles, and tapes,
 
 LEILA. 181 
 
 and threads, and a nutmeg in a pretty box, and 
 the end of a wax candle, and lumps of white 
 sugar, which she gave me sometimes before I 
 went to bed at night, and a lemon to make 
 every thing have a pleasant smell. The window 
 of the little room, which I had all to myself, 
 looked into the garden behind the cottage, and 
 in the summer nights I used always to leave the 
 window off the latch when I was going to bed, 
 that I might hear the birds singing, and see the 
 moonlight glancing down amongst the flower- 
 beds : and on one side of the cottage there was 
 the field for the cow, and on the other the cow- 
 house and the pig-stye such a pig-stye, Miss 
 Leila, it was like any drawing-room there 
 were no pigs in the whole country round like 
 ours, for I .took a pride and a pleasure in them, 
 and after the cows were milked, and my basket 
 with the eggs and the butter ready for the 
 market in the morning, and the nosegays all cut 
 and tied up, then I was off to the pig-stye every 
 spare minute combing and brushing the pretty 
 little creatures, for it is quite a wrong notion to 
 think that they are not greatly pleased to be 
 clean, and to have every thing respectable about 
 them." 
 
 " But what did your little cousin do ; did she 
 help you to comb the pigs ?" 
 
 " No, Miss Leila, my cousin Betsey was an 
 
 16
 
 182 LEILA. 
 
 only daughter like myself, and she had the work 
 of her own mother's house to do : but she lived 
 but a stone's throw from our cottage, so we often 
 met, and on market days it was seldom that we 
 did not enter the town of Gloucester together, 
 and sit down with our baskets side by side in 
 the market-place." 
 
 " How nice that must have been, nurse ; I 
 phould have liked to have sat with my cousin 
 Selina in the market-place in London side by 
 side ; and was your cousin Betsey a good girl ?" 
 
 " My cousin Betsey was a girl that never told 
 an untruth in her life, and would not have 
 touched a pin or a morsel of sugar that belonged 
 to another, and if she had cracked an egg by 
 accident, or made a dent in the butter, she 
 would have turned up that side in the basket, 
 and mentioned it to the first customer that came 
 our way. She had a pious father and mother, 
 and a Bible education ; but it was not for want 
 of that, that vanity and sin struggled hard with 
 me, and sometimes got the mastery. My father 
 and mother were God-fearing people too, and 
 my godmother had the wisdom of Solomon in 
 her, and all the book of Proverbs without book, 
 and to me she gave precept after precept, and 
 many an exhoi tation about the vanity of riches ; 
 but all that she coulS say failed to drive the 
 love of ribbonj and light printed calicoes out
 
 LEILA. 183 
 
 of my heart. Well, Miss Leila, there fvas a 
 haberdasher's shop in Gloucester, just at the 
 turn of the street as you passed into the market- 
 place, and there was a ribbon in that window 
 I never shall forget that ribbon all my life ; it 
 was pink satin with a yellow stripe, and pink 
 was just the colour I thought did best with me 
 then, though as I got on in life to have more 
 sense, I took to cher-ry colour as more grave and 
 respectable. Well, I had been long setting my 
 heart upon new ribbons for my Sunday's bon- 
 net; father had given me one of the, flower- 
 beds for my own garden, and all the nosegays 
 out of it were my own, and I had been a long 
 time making up a shilling and five-pence out 
 of the nosegays, and grandmother had given me 
 a penny for learning the third chapter of Prov- 
 erbs by heart, but still it wanted another shilling 
 before I had money enough to buy this ribbon, 
 and I had no peace in my mind after I had seen 
 it. So a<5 I was standing before the shop win- 
 dow one morning looking at it, and thinking 
 how long it might be bofore I could make up 
 another shilling, a fine lady came past with a 
 littf.e miss in her hand, and little miss stopped 
 all of a sudden, and pulling the lady by the 
 gown, she said, ' Look, mamma, what a beauti- 
 ful ribVri ! will you buy it to put on my new 
 hat?" I fdt my heart at my throat when the
 
 184 LEILA. 
 
 lady answered, ' Yes, my love, I will uuy it if 
 you wish it, but I don't much admire youi 
 choice; we had better look at some others first: 
 that green one which is next to it would be 
 much prettier for your bonnet.' Every bit of 
 me was shaking for fear that the little miss 
 would get her own way of it, but the shopman 
 stretched up his hand to the window and took 
 away the green ribbon, and I felt a great deal 
 easier ; but it came upon me for all that, for the 
 pink ribbon was taken away next. I got as 
 wear the door as I could, and stretched out my 
 neck till it was like to break, and, Miss Leila, 
 he took up -ohe yard measure, and there he was 
 measuring it off yard after yard. I thought 
 there would not have been a morsel left, and 
 little n.iss so pleased; and when he came near 
 the end, ] heard him say, ' Madam, there is just 
 enough to trim another bonnet, may I put it all 
 up for you?' My very ears were tingling then, 
 but the lady said, 'No, I have sufficient,' and 
 she paid the money, and the rest of the ribbon 
 was hung up in the window again." 
 
 " And what did you do, nurse ; did you buy 
 it ? It is a very interesting story, though it is 
 not about your cousin Betsey." 
 
 " Patience, Miss Leila, and you shall hear, I 
 could not buy it then, for I had not money 
 enough, but I thought to myself, some other
 
 LEILA. 185 
 
 little miss will be coming past and taking a 
 fancy to this ribbon, and she will buy the rest, 
 no doubt, for every body seems to have money 
 but me. There is my cousin Betsey, she has 
 been, gathering up her money also to buy a 
 Sunday's bonnet, and she has two shillings and 
 sixpence : I will ask her to lend me one of her 
 shillings, and I will pay it her back out of the 
 money I get for the nosegays, long before she 
 has enough to buy the straw bonnet. So I ran 
 on as fast as ever I could to the market-place, 
 for I knew I should be very late, and I was 
 quite impatient to speak to Betsey, bat, to my 
 surprise, she was not there. I looked up and 
 down the street, and every moment got more 
 impatient, and was not in the best of humours ; 
 so when I saw her at last walking very quick, 
 and coming up to me, I never asked her where 
 she had been, or what had kept her ; I could 
 speak of nothing but the ribbon ; I told her of 
 every thing that had happened, and what a con- 
 sternation I had been in. She knew how much 
 I had been wishing to buy it, for we had often 
 stood at the shop window and admired it to- 
 gether, but yet she never offered to lend me the 
 money, and when I asked her to do it, her face 
 grew" very red, and she said, ' Hilly, I can't do 
 that now.' 
 
 " 'You can't do that,' I said; 'you can't 
 ir>*
 
 186 LEILA. 
 
 trust me with one of jour pitiful shillings ; you 
 would rather hoard them up in a box, doing 
 
 good to nobody, than you would ' I don't 
 
 know what more I might ha.ve said, for a lady 
 came up that moment with a servant carrying a 
 basket. She looked at my butter, which to be 
 sure was as yellow as gold, and she put two 
 pounds of it, which were all I had, in her basket, 
 and a dozen of eggs, ' And now, child,' she said, 
 ' here is your money,' and she put three shillings 
 into my hand. She had gone on a little way, 
 and had just turned up another street, when, on 
 turning over the money in my hand, I saw that 
 two shillings were sticking together with a little 
 bit of bees-wax, and that the lady had given 
 me four shillings instead of three. Betsey's 
 eyes were on me at the moment ' Kun, Milly,' 
 she said, ' run, or the lady will be out of sight ; 
 it is a mistake, you know ; it should only have 
 been three shillings.' 
 
 " ' And how am I to know it is a mistake ?' 
 I answered ; ' might the lady not have given 
 me a shilling to myself? Every one is not so 
 stingy with their shillings as you are, Betsey; 
 I am not asking your advice, keep it till you 
 are asked, and keep your shilling too.' The 
 tears were in Betsey's eyes. 
 
 " ' Milly,' she said, ' it is the evil spirit that 
 is speaking in you, it is not my cousin Milly
 
 LEILA. 187 
 
 you will never keep what is not yours I know 
 you will not.' 
 
 " She darted from me, and I grew more angry 
 every moment, for I never doubted but that she 
 had gone to tell the lady, but at the corner of 
 the street she stood for a few minutes, and then 
 came back to me. 
 
 " ' Milly,' she said, ' I know the house, I saw 
 the lady go in it, it is near the middle of the 
 street, and it has a green door ; you will go, 
 Milly, I would go with you too, but my butter 
 is not sold yet, and you had better not put off.' 
 
 " ' No, Betsey,' I answered, ' I will not put 
 off, I will go on my own way, and you may go 
 yours you know the house now, Betsey, and 
 you know what to say;' and I took up my 
 basket and turned away. She ran after me, and 
 she held me by the apron, and the tears were 
 running over her cheeks. 
 
 " ' Milly,' she said, ' did I ever tell a tale on 
 you, or bring you into trouble ? Are we not 
 sisters' children, and have we not always been 
 like sisters ? If you ever loved me, Milly, take 
 this day to think of it you will see that ribbon 
 again as you pass ; but, remember, if you enter 
 the door of that shop, whose eye it is that is upon 
 you. O, Milly, if you go to God's house with 
 that ribbon on your Sunday's bonnet, it had 
 better have been tied with a wisp of straw 1'
 
 188 LEILA. 
 
 She turned from me, and I wen on my 
 
 way." 
 
 "0 nurse!" Leila exclaimed, "you surely did 
 not do that wicked thing; you did not bay the 
 ribbon? It was the wicked spirit that was 
 tempting you; you should have prayed for 
 strength." 
 
 " Yes, Miss Leila, I should have prayed for 
 strength, but sin and vanity were still strug- 
 gling within me, and pride too, for I could not 
 bear to think that Betsey should have the mas- 
 tery over me, and that I should be led by her. 
 When I came to the shop the ribbon was still 
 there. I had the money the lady had given 
 me, and I took it out and said to myself, ' I can 
 make up the three shillings to give mother with 
 the shilling and sixpence I have in my box at 
 home' but still Betsey's words rang in my ears ; 
 I looked at the ribbon and then at the money, 
 and then I shut my eyes, and ran past the shop 
 as fast as ever I could. When I got home, 
 mother was not in the kitchen, so I ran into my 
 own room and bolted the door ; I pulled the 
 handkerchief off my Sunday's bonnet, and I 
 took it down from the peg in the wall, and sat 
 down on the foot of my bed, holding it in my 
 hand. Miss Leila, you would have been sorry 
 for me then, not that I am meaning to excuse 
 myself, for my heart was full of sin and vanity,
 
 LEILA. 189 
 
 but you never saw such a bonnet; there \vas a 
 ribbon on it to be sure, but who would ever 
 have guessed the colour of it? It had been 
 blue, but mother had washed and washed it till 
 the whole colour was out, and it was as limber 
 as a rag. So pushing away my bonnet from 
 me, and taking the little box out of my drawer 
 in which I kept my money, I threw one of the 
 shillings into it, and running into the kitchen, 
 I put the other thre< down on my grandmother's 
 little table, in as gi at a hurry as if a regiment 
 of dragoons had bee i at my back. My grand- 
 mother had been -w olking in the garden, ond 
 she came in at that very minute, and taking op 
 the three shillings she said, ' And so this is the 
 money for the two pounds of butter and the 
 dozen of eggs, Milly well, you are really getting 
 to be a handy little ass, and it is a great com- 
 fort both to your mo ler and to me to have one 
 about us %ve can safel ; trust ; but did you never 
 get a 1 acky penny to yourself, child, and had 
 you no nosegays to sell this morning ?' 
 
 " ' No, grandmother,' I answered, glad to be 
 able to reply to the last question without an 
 untruth ; ' I had no nosegays, for father advised 
 me to let the flowers stand amx T day: we 
 have been rather hard on them of late.' My 
 grandmother asked me no more questions at 
 that time, but she opened the Bible and made
 
 190 LEILA. 
 
 me read my chapter to her, and then heard me 
 my psalms and hymns. Many was the word 
 that went to my conscience in that morning's 
 reading, and I felt glad that I had resolved to 
 take the day to think of it ; but still it was work- 
 ing in my mind, and I could not settle to my 
 work, or take pleasure in my garden, or the 
 pigs either, and when night came I was glad to 
 get away to my bed. The window was open, 
 and there was a pleasant smell of honeysuckle 
 coming into the room, for the flower was fully 
 out, and it was trained all round the window. 
 A nightingale was singing in the large apple- 
 tree, and the moon was shining out so clear that 
 I oould see almost every flower in the garden ; 
 but I could take pleasure in nothing, and I shut 
 my window that I might not hear the bird sing- 
 ing, and turned my back but how could I go into 
 my bed, and my prayers not said ? Miss Leila, I 
 cannot tell you all that passed through my mind, 
 but at last I sobbed as if my heart would have 
 broken, and then to say my prayers was a com- 
 fort to me, for my mind was quite made up. I 
 took the box out of my drawer, and taking the 
 shilling out of it, I wrapped it up in paper, and 
 put it below my head, for I was determined that 
 the first thing I should do in the morning was 
 to find out the lady, and tell her every thing." 
 " 0, nurse !" Leila exclaimed, " I hope you
 
 LEILA. 191 
 
 went off very quick, and did you* find the 
 lady?" 
 
 " You shall hear, Miss Leila ; I am not just 
 some to that ; yet I got into my bed and tried 
 to sleep ; but what vexed me most of all now 1 
 was my quarrel with Betsey, and I was just 
 thinking how I was to make it up with her, 
 when I heard a tap at the window, and there 
 was Betsey herself, for I could see her face quite 
 plain in the pale moonlight. I started up, and 
 wrapping the coverlid about me, I ran to the 
 window and opened it; in a moment Betsey's 
 arms were round my neck. 
 
 " ' Milly, she whispered in a very low voice, 
 1 you did not buy the ribbon, dear ; I saw it in 
 the window.' 
 
 " ! No, Betsey, I did not.' 
 
 " ' And you will give back the shilling?' 
 
 " 'Yes, Betsey, I will give back the shilling; 
 I have put it below my head; I will be off to 
 find out the lady in the morning, the minute it 
 is daylight.' 
 
 " ' 0, thank God !' she exclaimed, and I felt 
 she was trembling all over, and the tears were 
 dropping from her eyes, for I felt them on my 
 hand. 
 
 " ' Betsey,' I said, ' you will be my own Bet- 
 sey again to me : for 0, 1 have been a miserable 
 creature this day, and if it had not been for you,
 
 192 LEILA. 
 
 what should Lhave been this night! but I have 
 asked God to forgive me, and now, Betsey, 1 
 ask jou.' 
 
 " ' Milly,' she answered, and threw her arms 
 round me again, ' I have loved you- long and 
 well, but never have I loved you as I do now, 
 and now I shall sleep in peace ; and I must run 
 home every foot of the way, for mother is watch- 
 ing for me, and I promised not to stay.' She 
 was going, but stopped again % for a minute: 
 ' Milly,' she said, ' you need not go to find the 
 lady so early, you know fine ladies are not up 
 by daylight ; but after our morning's work is 
 over, I will meet you .at the hawthorn bush at 
 the top of the lane, and we will go together,' 
 and so we parted, and I was not a minute in my 
 bed, Miss Leila, before I was in a sound sleep. 
 Well, next morning, I got through all my work 
 as cleverly as I could, and took my breakfast, 
 and as soon as grandmother's cuckoo clock 
 struck nine, I ran up the lane, and I found 
 Betsey waiting for me below the hawthorn- 
 bush; she was tying up a nosegay for me of 
 the pink blossoms; 'And now,' she said, 'we 
 are cousins again, Milly, and sisters, just the 
 same as if we had never quarrelled.' 
 
 " It was as lovely a summer's morning as my 
 eyes ever leaked upon, and the grass and the 
 trees were hanging with the dew like so many
 
 LEILA. 193 
 
 diamonds, and the sun was shining on the 
 bleaching ground, and every web looked as 
 white as a lily, or, as they would say in Scot- 
 land, the driven snow. We walked on so hap- 
 pily together, that Gloucester seemed as though 
 it had come to meet us. Betsey could not do 
 enough to show me kindness, and I felt sure 
 that she must have had some good reason for 
 refusing to lend me the shilling that she had a 
 reason I little thought of, I was not long now of 
 knowing. As we were going through a narrow 
 street that led into the market-place, a little 
 girl ran out of a miserable-looking house, and 
 clasping Betsey's knees she said, ' come in 
 and see mother now, she is better, she is sitting 
 up in her bed, and baby is not crying now, 
 and I have had bread and milk for breakfast.' 
 She pulled Betsey forward, and I followed her 
 into the room, a miserable room it was, but 
 never shall I forget the gratitude of that poor 
 woman. Betsey had found her starving, and 
 had given her all she had, at the very moment 
 that I had been outrageous against her for 
 hoarding up her money. Well, it was acorn- 
 fort to me to think I had something to give 
 too, and she had it all before the day was over : 
 I would not have bought that ribbon then, if I 
 had had the riches of the Indies." 
 
 " But, nurse, you are not going to stop, you 
 17
 
 194 LEILA. 
 
 have not told mo every thing : you have not 
 told me about the lady." 
 
 " Well, Miss Leila, you shall hear, but I must 
 not be so long about it, for it is full time that T 
 was seeing after the dinner ; however, there is 
 not so much to tell now. We crossed the mar- 
 ket-place, and turned up the street where Betsey 
 had seen the lady go into her house, and about 
 the middle of the street there was a green 
 door, so we were quite sure we were right. A 
 maid was twirling a mop round in her hands, 
 and when we asked to see her mistress, she 
 made the water fly out of the mop all over the 
 pavement and over our shoes, and then she 
 said, ' If we had a message for her mistress, it 
 would be more proper to give it to her to de 
 liver, than to be going into the clean parlour 
 destroying every thing with our dirty wet shoes ;' 
 but when- Betsey answered so civilly, that it was 
 a business about a money matter that could only 
 be told to the lady herself, she seemed surprised, 
 and opening the door at the end of the passage, 
 she bade us go forward. The lady was sitting 
 in a high-backed chair by the fire, and no crea- 
 ture in the room to keep her company but the, 
 parrot ; and though the weather was so warm, 
 the fire was burning brightly to boil the kettle, 
 and a plate of muffins was on a brass stand be- 
 fore the fire, and breakfast on a round table at
 
 LEILA. 195 
 
 the lady's side ; but the butter was as white as 
 the table-cloth ; I saw it could never have been 
 the beautiful yellow butter she had bought from 
 me, and my mind misgave me, and when I 
 looked into the lady's face, she was an old wo- 
 man, and quite different in every way. Betsey 
 had held back at the door, and the old lady had 
 twice asked me what my business was with her, 
 before I could find a word to answer ; at last, 
 making a curtsey, I said, ' It is not our butter, 
 madam, for it is far too white, and you are not 
 the lady that had the bees-wax in your pocket.' 
 The lady made me no answer, but putting on 
 her spectacles and looking in my face, she beck- 
 oned Betsey forward, and then she said to her 
 in a very low voice, ' Is she in her right mind? 1 
 " Betsey was always a better hand at explain- 
 ing things than I was, and she very soon made 
 the lady understand the mistake about the shil- 
 ling, and what we wanted ; and she was very 
 kind 1 to us, and gave each of us a piece of 
 muffin. She told us there was another green 
 door next to her, and that she knew the lady 
 had been at the market the day before, and was 
 able always to buy her own butter, so she was 
 better served than she was ; and she bade us go 
 there and tell our story about the bees-wax 
 and the shilling, and she sent her own maid 
 with us to knock at the door, and to make sure
 
 196 LEILA. 
 
 that we were taken into the parlour. If T nad 
 felt abashed with only the old lady and the par- 
 rot, what was it to be taken into a room with 
 what I thought a large company, for there were 
 a lady and gentleman, and five or six little 
 masters and misses, all sitting round a breakfast- 
 table ! If it had not been that we saw our own 
 butter on a plate, which gave me a kind of con- 
 fidence, I never could have made out my story ; 
 but when the lady asked what we wanted with 
 her, I knew her voice again, and when I looked 
 at her, she had on the very same face I saw in 
 the market ; so I took the little parcel out of 
 my breast, and making a curtsey, I said, 
 'Please, madam, this was the shilling which 
 was sticking to the other with the bees-wax, 
 and I gave the three to my mother.' * What 
 does the girl mean?' said the lady turning 
 round to the gentleman. I looked at Betsey, 
 who was going to make it plainer, but the gen- 
 tleman said, ' She means that you must have 
 given her four shillings instead of three, and 
 she is an honest and a good girl. Now that 
 is one I could trust about our children I we 
 must keep our eye on that girl when a few 
 more years are over her head.' The tears came 
 into my eyes, and I pointed to Betsey, for at 
 first I could not speak, but yet I struggled to 
 get it oul; : ' 0, sir,' 1 said, ' it is Betsey that you
 
 LEILA. 197 
 
 should trust; I would have bought the pink 
 satin ribbon for my bonnet if it had not been 
 for her, and I called her stingy and ill-natured, 
 when every farthing she had in the world she 
 had given to the poor starving woman with the 
 sick baby.' 
 
 "'Bravo!' said the gentleman, knocking his 
 hands on the table, ' then we have got two girls 
 fit to be trusted instead of one that is all the 
 difference.' 
 
 The lady asked me a great many questions 
 till she understood every thing that had happen- 
 ed ; and she spoke very kindly to me, and 
 seemed to think a great deal of Betsey. One of 
 the little misses whispered something to her 
 mamma, and then she took a roll off the plate, 
 and cutting it in two, she put butter and honey 
 upon it, and gave each of us a half. It was 
 the first time we had ever tasted butter and 
 honey together, and we never forgot it. But, 
 Miss Leila, that was not all : before we had been 
 at home little more than a couple of hours, i 
 maid came to the door with the two little misses, 
 and she took out of a band-box a beautiful 
 straw bonnet for me, and another for Betsey. 
 There was not enough of the pink ribbon for 
 both, and so the bonnets were trimmed with 
 green, and we liked it better. O, it was a happy 
 day ! and she was the best of ladief ; for before 
 17'
 
 198 LEILA. 
 
 night the little girl came to tell us that the lady 
 had been to see them, and had promised them 
 both clothes and food. And now, Miss Leila, 
 you must not set me on those long gone-by 
 stories again, for I could speak about them for 
 ever when once I begin." 
 
 " Then, nurse, I wish you would speak about 
 them for ever, for I like it so much. O do not 
 go away." 
 
 " Do not go away, Miss Leila ! and who is to 
 make your dinner, I wonder ?"
 
 LEILA. 199 
 
 CHAPTEE XT. 
 
 gEVEKAL months passed away, and the 
 weather had again become very -warm, 
 when one morning, as Leila lay upon the beach 
 writing, while her papa dictated to her, Dash, 
 who had been quietly soated by her side, all at 
 once sprang up, and seemed seized with a desire 
 to interrupt her studies, and to pull her away. 
 
 " What is the matter, papa, with Dash ?" she 
 said ; "he does not seem to wish me to write 
 any more?' 
 
 " Leila, however, persevered for a few min- 
 utes longer with her employment, when sud- 
 denly the sea, which lay before them calm as a 
 summer lake, all at once became agitated ; the 
 waves broke against the shore with a dull heavy 
 sound, and a clap of thunder, which was echoed 
 along the rocks, made both Mr. Howard and 
 Leila start to their feet. 
 
 " Let us hasten home, my child," he said, 
 " the wind is rising ; we shall have a violent 
 storm, I fear." 
 
 Leila clung to her father's arm and hurried
 
 200 LEILA. 
 
 along; but at every step her progress became 
 more difficult: tlie wind increased with sudden 
 violence, and the forked lightning, whicji at 
 first played fearfully amidst the black mass of 
 clouds in the upper air, now ran along the 
 ground, and seemed as if, in an instant more, it 
 would have scorched her feet. Leila shuddered 
 and held back ; her papa urged her forward. 
 
 " Leila, my child, you must not linger, every 
 moment increases our danger; let us make 
 haste to ascend the cliff, while you have strength 
 to battle with this fierce wind. Put your trust 
 in God, my dear child ; his protecting care is 
 ever around you." 
 
 A loud clap of thunder at this moment re- 
 sounded through^ the air, and large drops of 
 rain began to fall, and were drifted in their 
 faces by the violence of the still-increasing 
 storm. They were now on the narrow path- 
 way which overhung the cliff, and the continu- 
 ed roar and yelling of the wind, and the noise 
 of the furious waves as they broke against the 
 foot of the rocks, was such that Leila could 
 no longer hear her papa's words of encourage- 
 ment. She struggled hard to get on, but it 
 seemed to her as if her feet no longer touched 
 the ground, and a moment might precipitate her 
 into the foaming sea below, her papa's arm 
 alone supported her ; and as the path became
 
 LEILA. 201 
 
 narrower, and there appeared room but for one, 
 the sense of his danger took from her all fur- 
 ther recollection. Suddenly a tree, which grew 
 a little way above upon the cliff, was torn from 
 the rock with a loud crashing sound, and rolled 
 with fearful violence over the precipice. Mr. 
 Howard caught up his trembling child in his 
 arms and struggled to get forward, but the wind 
 rose at that- moment with increased fury, and a 
 projecting fragment of the rock having caught 
 his foot, he stumbled and fell : in attempting to 
 save himself his hold relaxed Leila slid from 
 his arms, in an instant he had regained hia 
 footing; but, the agony of that moment! 'he 
 no longer saw his child. Dash had sprung to 
 the side of the precipice: he now stood on a nar- 
 row ledge of rock a little way below, holding 
 Leila by the clothes. Mr. Howard threw him- 
 self down, stretched out his arms over the rock, 
 and with frantic efforts grasped the empty air. 
 Another gust, and all must have perished. 
 There was a momentary lull lower and lower 
 he stooped over the precipice caught the flut- 
 tering garment of Leila. One effort more hia 
 child was safe : and clasping her in his arms, he 
 flew forward with desperate energy ; turning the 
 point, he stopped not to breathe till he had placed 
 his precious burden in safety within the cave 
 then knelt beside her in silent thankfulnesa.
 
 202 LEILA. 
 
 Nurse was in violent alarm, but it was but 
 mpmentary ; the colour was again returning to 
 Leila's cheek, and before they had time to em- 
 ploy any means for her recovery, she opened 
 her eyes, and clung to her father's neck. She 
 seemed to have but an imperfect idea of what 
 had passed, and, fearful of the effect 'of any. ad- 
 ditional agitation, he forbore for the present to 
 acquaint her with what had been the extent of 
 her danger : he merely breathed over her a 
 prayer of thankfulness for the safety of both, 
 and then sat by her till she fell into a quiet 
 sleep. 
 
 The wind having in some degree moderated, 
 Mr. Howard felt a restless wish to look out 
 upon the sea ; and having but a limited view 
 of it from the window of the cave, he, after re- 
 commending Leila to nurse's care, took his tele- 
 scope in his hand, and turning round the point, 
 advanced a little way along the cliff. The view 
 of the ocean was awfully grand; the gigantic 
 and foaming waves rolling onwards, appeared 
 as if they would defy all opposition, and pene- 
 trate the barrier of rocks even to their place of 
 safety. There were moments of darkness the 
 wind entirely ceased a fearful calm it seemed 
 as if the world had ceased to be. Suddenly, 
 again, the hurricane sprung up with a tremen- 
 dous roar, and the crested waves were dashed in
 
 LEILA. 203 
 
 one continued sheet of foam over the broad ex- 
 panse of waters. Often had he looked across 
 the wide sea in the anxious hope that some dis- 
 tant sail might be in view ; but now his prayer 
 was, that ho vessel might be near to buffet 
 with those fearful waves. 
 
 On his return, he found Leila up and anxiously 
 expecting him ; but although the wind lulled at 
 intervals during the rest of the day, there was 
 no appearance of the storm having ceased ; and 
 as the evening advanced, it again increased in 
 violence. Mr. Howard sat by Leila's bed till a 
 late hour ; he could not bear to leave her for 
 the night, although repeatedly urged by her to 
 do so. 
 
 " Go, dear papa," she said ; " indeed I am 
 quite comfortable now ; I am not afraid. I will 
 think of the beautiful verse in the psalm : I will 
 say to God, ' I will lay me down in peace, and 
 take my rest : for it is thou, Lord, only that 
 makest me to dwell in safety ;' and now kiss 
 me, dear papa, and good-night." She stretched 
 out her little arms towards him, he held her for 
 a moment to his breast, and then retired into the 
 outer cave. 
 
 In the middle of the night Mr. Howard was 
 suddenly awakened. Was it a gun he heard, 
 or only the crash of a falling tree ? He listened 
 in a pause of the wind again the sound was
 
 204 LEILA. 
 
 repeated. Too surely it was a gun, the signal 
 of a vessel in distress. The night was impene- 
 trably dark, not a star was visible, and in the 
 violence of such a storm, and in total darkness, 
 to attempt the cliff were madness. ' Guns con- 
 tinued to be fired at intervals ; they seemed to 
 say, " Will no friendly arm be stretched out to 
 save ?" Alas ! what could his single arm effect, 
 even could he reach the beach? But Leila 
 depended on him alone, and till the day should 
 dawn, when the risk to his own safety would be 
 lessened, he felt that nothing could be attempted; 
 he could only pray. 
 
 With the first rays of light, he prepared to 
 leave the cave ; taking a coil of rope in his hand, 
 he called Dash to his side, and stepping into 
 the inner apartment for a moment, he kissed 
 Leila fondly, and hurried away. 
 
 The little girl continued to sleep for some 
 time after her papa had left her, till suddenly 
 she was awakened by Mr. Howard re-entering 
 the cave, carrying something in his arms, and 
 his clothes seemed drenched as if he had been 
 in the water. 
 
 " Get up, my love, as quickly as you can," he 
 said, in an agitated voice, " and let me put this 
 little girl into your warm bed." Leila was up 
 in a moment. 
 
 " A little girl, papa! a little girl, did you
 
 LEILA. 205 
 
 say ? 0, let me see her face ! how pale, how 
 very pale she is, but 0, how beautiful ! When 
 will she open her eyes? Is she asleep, papa? 
 Where did you find her?" 
 
 " Leila, I cannot answer your questions now. 
 Dress yourself quickly, my love, and do not 
 speak to me ; not a moment is to Be lost ; I 
 must use every endeavour to recover this sweet 
 child." 
 
 Nurse entered at this moment with the appli- 
 cations which Mr. Howard had ordered as ho 
 passed through the outer cave. They were 
 quickly administered : they bent over the bed, 
 they chafed her temples and little hands, and 
 breathed into her lungs, while Leila looked on 
 in speechless emotion. Mr. Howard now kept 
 his hand upon her pulse ; it seemed to him as 
 if it beat faintly : an almost imperceptible shade 
 of colour tinged her cheek : it deepened into a 
 faint flush ; she opened her blue eyes, they 
 appeared to rest on Leila for a moment : she 
 seemed to smile. It was an angel's smile the 
 heavy eyelids closed, her pulse had ceased to 
 beat 
 
 " O, papa, what has happened ? What is 
 this?" 
 
 " It is death, my child." 
 
 '" And will she never, never open her eyea 
 again ?" 
 
 18
 
 206 LEILA. 
 
 " She will open them in heaven, Leila, to be- 
 hold her God." 
 
 Leila threw herself upon the bed, and clasped 
 the lifeless body in her arms ; the colour left her 
 cheek : she would have fainted, had not a timely 
 burst of tears relieved the oppression of her 
 heart. 
 
 ." O, papa !" she exclaimed, " I cannot bear 
 it. Why did she die? the only little girl I may 
 ever see ; and I would have loved her so." 
 
 " Dear Leila," Mr. Howard gently answered, 
 "you must not murmur; this is the first sorrow 
 your heavenly Father has thought fit to send 
 you. Remember your daily prayer, my child, 
 ' Thy will be done.' Let me see you bow in 
 meek submission to his will. The spirit of this 
 dear child is with its God, enjoying a happiness 
 which we can but faintly picture, and which your 
 warmest love could never have purchased for 
 her. You should not wish to recall her, Leila ; 
 she will shed no more of those tears which now 
 wring your heart. Sorrow has ceased with her, 
 and eternal bliss has begun." 
 
 Leila strove hard to be composed, and the 
 violence of her first emotions seemed to have 
 passed away ; but still her papa could not pre- 
 vail upon her to leave for any length of time the 
 object of her deep interest. Mr. Howard had 
 removed the body from Leila's bed to a mattresa
 
 LEILA. 207 
 
 in the outer cave ; but often during the day did 
 she steal away, and was found by her papa 
 either chafing its cold, hands or bending over 
 the inanimate clay, listening in vain to catch the 
 slightest breath. 
 
 It may easily be supposed that an evenf in 
 itself so interesting must, in Leila's quiet un- 
 varied life, have made the deepest impression 
 she could think or talk of nothing else. 
 
 " O do tell me more, papa I" she exclaimed, 
 " tell me every thing ; it comforts me to hear 
 you speak about it. Why did you not waken 
 me ? I would have gone too ; I would have 
 helped you. Perhaps I could have done some 
 good ; I would have breathed on the little girl 
 with my warm breath the minute you took her 
 out of the sea, as you did to me, papa. And I 
 would have put my fur frock upon her to make 
 her warm. Why did you not wake me ?" 
 
 " My dear Leila, you could not have accom- 
 panied me, the storm was so violent. You for- 
 get, my love, the narrow escape you yourself 
 have so lately made. Had you been with me, 
 my attention would have beeff so much occu- 
 pied in protecting you from danger, that I could 
 not even have made the attempt to save this 
 poor child." 
 
 " And did you see the ship, papa ? Was it 
 very far away ? and where is it now ?"
 
 208 LEILA. 
 
 Mr. Howard shuddered. "Alas, Leila! I 
 saw no ship ; the guns had ceased to fire ere I 
 had reached the beach, and I saw only the fear- 
 ful waves." 
 
 "And the raft, papa?" 
 
 " Yes ; after some time I discovered the raft, 
 and it seemed to me as if another person was 
 then upon it. I fear, from examining the state 
 of the ropes, it must have been so it is a sad, 
 sad thought." 
 
 Leife, looked up at her papa's agitated coun- 
 tenance, and forbore all further questions. 
 
 In the evening Mr. Howard was obliged to 
 leave her for some time, to make the necessary 
 preparations for the interment, which he wished 
 to take place early next day. On his return he 
 found that, completely worn out with the agi- 
 tations of the last twenty-four hours, Leila had 
 been prevailed upon by nurse to allow her- 
 self to be undressed, and had dropped asleep. 
 Still her dreams seemed to^ partake of the nature 
 of her waking thoughts, and frequently he 
 heard her murmur in a low, plaintive voice, 
 "Clara, dear Clara!" A miniature had been 
 found suspended round this little girl's neck; 
 it was the picture of a young and lovely woman 
 too young, it seemed, to have been the mother 
 of the child ; but an inscription at the back put 
 the matter beyond all doubt Around a lock
 
 LEILA. W9 
 
 of light glossy hair was written, "From mamma 
 to Clara." Alas! those laughing eyes, how 
 many tears were they doomed to shed, for the 
 fate of a child so beloved 1 
 
 18*
 
 210 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. ^ 
 
 MR. HOWARD rose next morning, as soon as 
 it was day, to complete his melancholy task, 
 and had just finished filling in the earth over the 
 coffin, and was about to read the funeral service 
 over the grave, when Leila darted to his side. 
 
 " Leila, my child, I wished to have saved you 
 this ; you did wrong to leave the cave, but now 
 there must be no violent emotion. I am about 
 to read this solemn and beautiful service ; let 
 me see that you command yourself; endeavour 
 to raise your thoughts from earth to Heaven. 
 Listen, Leila, and take comfort from these sub- 
 lime words: 'I am the resurrection and the 
 life, saith the Lord ; he that believeth in me, 
 though he were dead, yet shall he live; and 
 whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall 
 never die.' 
 
 " ' I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that 
 he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. 
 And though after my skin worms destroy this 
 body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I
 
 LEILA. 211 
 
 shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold/ 
 and not another.' " 
 
 Mr. Howard continued to read, and Leila 
 struggled with her emotion ; but when he closed 
 the book, and all was over, she threw herself 
 ^upon the grave, and wept such tears as she had 
 never wejWbefore. 
 
 It was Leila's first trial, and deeply did she 
 feel it ; but ere two days had passed away, all 
 sense of her present sorrow was lost in a depth 
 of suffering which touched her far more nearly. 
 
 Mr. Howard, on seeing the raft to which the 
 poor child was bound almost buried amidst the 
 agitated waves, had thrown himself into the sea, 
 and with Dash's assistance had succeeded in 
 bringing it to land ; but completely occupied 
 in endeavouring to restore animation to the ob- 
 ject of his anxious care, he continued in his wet 
 clothes, and the chill which he received, added 
 to the previous state of excitement into which 
 he had been thrown by Leila's imminent dan- 
 ger, seemed so much to have affected his frame, 
 that repeated fits of shivering and a burning 
 pain in his temples, gave strong indications of 
 an attack of fever. For two days he had strug- 
 gled to check the progress of the disease, but 
 on the third, after having been employed in 
 writing for some time with a pencil on a leaf in 
 his pocket-book, he called Leila to him.
 
 212 LEILA. 
 
 "My dear child," ne said, " I have been suf- 
 fering much for these last days, and now I feel 
 that I am getting worse, and shall probably 
 have a fever ; indeed, I am sensible that even 
 now it is upon me, and I may become rapidly 
 worse; but I have prayed for en tire resignation 
 to my heavenly Father's will. I lE^e placed 
 myself, and you also, my dearest child, in his 
 hands; if it is for your good, Leila, God will 
 preserve me to you, and I shall recover, but if 
 
 "Ostop, stop, papa!" she exclaimed, clasping 
 her hands together in wild alarm, " 0, do not 
 say it ! I cannot, indeed I cannot bear it !" 
 
 " Leila, dear child, at this moment you are 
 increasing my illness; all emotion must be 
 avoided ; if you are able to command yourself, 
 I will go on, but if not, you must leave me, 
 dearest, to nurse's care. I must lie down upon 
 my bed, I feel I can no longer exert." 
 
 " do not send me from you, papa I will 
 be calm, indeed I will be quite calm. See, I 
 am not crying now," (and she hastily wiped away 
 her tears.) " Now tell me every thing, papa, and 
 I will listen." 
 
 Mr. Howard, then, in the gentlest way possi- 
 ble, made Leila aware that the result of this 
 fever might be fatal, and that were such to be 
 the case, her heavenly Father, loving her with 
 a love far greater than his, would raise up friends
 
 LEILA. * 213 
 
 for her ii) her time of need. He told her that ' 
 she wouW tiad instructions for her future con- 
 duct in bis pocket-book, and that he had now 
 written a few lines in it to his sister, consigning 
 Leila to her care, which, in the event of her one 
 day returning to England, she was to deliver to 
 her. " And now, my beloved child, go to your 
 own apartment, kneel down, and ask for that 
 support which will strengthen you to bear all 
 things. May you be able to aay, ' In the day 
 when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strength 
 enedst me with strength in my soul.' Go, deai 
 child, and when you feel you have put youi 
 trust where alone it should be placed, return to 
 me and be my little nurse, and my greatest 
 comfort." 
 
 Leila's prayers were simply expressed, but 
 they were from the very depth of her heart, and 
 such prayers are heard in heaven. She rose 
 from her knees, calmed and strengthened. 
 
 " How sinful I was," she said to herself " to 
 grieve so much for Clara 1 I seemed not to care 
 for any thing. I forgot that my dear papa was 
 still with me, and every thing as beautiful as it 
 was before, but now I will not be ungrateful any 
 more. I will constantly pray to God to put into 
 my mind all that I should do for my dear papa, 
 and I will trust in him, and he will do every 
 thing that is right.".
 
 214 'LEILA. 
 
 On her return to the outer cave, she found 
 Mr. Howard employed in giving nurse direc- 
 tions how he should be treated, in the event 
 of the fever increasing. Leila listened with the 
 deepest attention; then taking her distaff, she 
 seated herself quietly by his bedside, and was 
 on the watch to obey his slightest wish. As 
 the evening advanced, she read to him from 
 the Bible, and finished by singing the morn- 
 ing hymn, and it was with difficulty that 
 she was prevailed upon to leave him- for the 
 night. 
 
 During the two following days he continued 
 to get worse, and it seemed as if Leila were no 
 longer a child. She never failed to remind nurse 
 of the different draughts which should be given 
 at stated times, and when prevailed upon to 
 leave the cavern for a few minutes to breathe the 
 open air, she always returned with something 
 which she thought would do her papa good ; 
 she brought for him the freshest lemons and the 
 ripest grapes, and each day she laid upon his 
 bed a single flower. She had heard her papa 
 say, that many flowers were injurious in their 
 sleeping apartments, and it was now that she 
 seemed to remember all that he had ever told 
 her, and to act upon it ; and it was delightful to 
 Leila when her papa assured her that the sher- 
 bets she mixed for him always did him good,
 
 LEILA. 215 
 
 and that he felt less restless after she had bathed 
 his temples and smoothed his pillow. 
 
 Poor nurse was indefatigable in her attentions 
 and in her affectionate care; but not being a 
 person of strong judgment, and naturally of an 
 anxious turn of mind, being also much more 
 aware of the extreme danger than Leila could 
 be, she was at times completely overcome by the 
 helplessness of their situation, and at such mo- 
 ments was often grateful for the suggestions oi 
 even a mere child. It was at Leila's request thai 
 whey was prepared, lest her papa should weary 
 of his lemonade, and that when the flushing in 
 his face was violent, and the fits of oppression 
 came on, they should fan him with the leaves of 
 the palm-tree. He was able to talk to her but 
 very little now ; she read to him from the Bible 
 sometimes, but he could only bear a few verses 
 at a time. Once or twice he pressed her little 
 hands to his lips, and she felt that they burned 
 like fire. The disease was visibly increasing. 
 On the seventh day it seemed drawing to a cri- 
 sis ; towards evening he became more and more 
 restless and uneasy. Leila got up upon the bed, 
 and bathed his temples with vinegar, while 
 nurse fanned his cheeks. 
 
 " Lei^a, my beloved child," he said faintly, "I 
 have been praying for you, but I feel that my 
 mind is beginning to wander^. In a short time
 
 216 LEILA. 
 
 I may not know you, my child If this addi- 
 tional trial is sent you, Leila, remember it ia 
 also from God. Do not allow yourself to be 
 overcome ; in fever it is a common symptom. 
 I cannot say more. Give me your hand, I like 
 to feel that you are near me. that I could 
 sleep !" 
 
 Leila watched beside him with the most in- 
 tense anxiety ; but suddenly starting up again, 
 he opened his eyes and looked at her earnestly. 
 
 "Who are you?" he said. "You are not 
 Leila." The affrighted child burst into an agony 
 of tears. 
 
 " No," he continued, "you are not Leila my 
 Leila never weeps, she is always smiling." 
 
 In a moment Leila's tears were dried. " Look 
 at me now, dear papa," she said, " see, I am 
 smiling; I am your otfn Leila." 
 
 "Yes, I know you how," he said, "you are 
 Leila ; but O this thirst ! if you are Leila, can 
 you not cure this thirst?" 
 
 She held a glass of lemonade to his lips he 
 pushed it impatiently away. 
 
 " The whey, nurse !" she exclaimed. " O try 
 the whey !" 
 
 Nurse hastily lifted a large wooden bowl 
 which contained the whey, and, without waiting 
 to pour part of it into a glass, she held it to 
 ~ois lips he swallowed it with eagerness, and
 
 LEILA. 217 
 
 drained the bowl to the last drop; then, ex- 
 hausted with the effort he had made, he sank 
 upon the pfllow. For some time he seemed 
 more and more restless, and the flushing in his 
 face became more violent; but to this succeeded 
 a soft moisture over the skin, which increased 
 rapidly, and after a short interval he again drop- 
 ped asleep. At first it was a troubled sleep he 
 started frequently, and muttered some indistinct 
 words ; but gradually his breathing became soft ; 
 he slept profoundly. Leila, in terror, stooped 
 over him, to be assured that he still breathed. 
 
 " Do not be afraid, my dear child," said nurse, 
 "this sleep is most favourable. I think the 
 crisis must have passed, and your dear papa will 
 probably awake quite composed, and much, 
 better." 
 
 Leila threw herself upon her knees, and poured 
 out the fullness of her grateful heart, and the 
 good old nurse wept over her tears of joy. 
 
 " And now, my dear child," she said, " you 
 will allow me to undress you, and put you into 
 your own bed ; I will watch beside your papa ; 
 you have much need of rest." 
 
 But Leila would not be prevailed upon to go 
 to her own bed ; she entreated so earnestly to 
 be allowed to remain near her papa, that nurse 
 was obliged to consent ; and spreading a mat- 
 tress for her on the floor, she wrapped her in the 
 
 19
 
 218 LEILA. 
 
 silk quilt, and with the assurance that she was 
 to be crlled if'her papa awoke, Leila fell asleep. 
 
 She awoke soon after sunrise, and started 
 hastily up. Nurse was watching by the bed ; 
 all was silent; her papa still slept: he looked 
 pale, very pale, but his breathing was gentle as 
 an infant's, and Leila fancied that she saw him 
 smile. After her morning prayers were over, 
 she took her place by the side of his bed, and 
 opening her Bible, she began to read. On hear- 
 ing a slight movement she looked up ; her papa 
 opened his eyes, and now Leila felt certain that 
 he smiled. 
 
 " Leila, my beloved child," he said, " how is 
 this ? Why are you here ? It seems as if the 
 sun had but lately risen ;" and he looked towards 
 the open door. " How refreshing is the morning 
 air !" he continued, " and all without looks so 
 bright and green ; but I feel weak, and as if I 
 had been very ill, and I have but a confused re- 
 membrance of what has passed." 
 
 Leila began to give an account of what had 
 taken place the evening before, but checking 
 herself, she said, " But we will not talk of it 
 now, papa, for it may make you ill again." 
 
 " You are quite right, my dear child ; I am 
 not, able for it now, or for much speaking ; but 
 read the Psalms to me, and then leave me, my 
 child, for I wish to be alone, and those pale
 
 LEILA. 2lfc 
 
 cheeks require fresh air and exercise. I know 
 that you have been much confined during my 
 illness ; f>r although I cannot remember every 
 thing distinctly, I can never forget, my own 
 dear child, that you were ever by my side." 
 
 Leila read for a short time to her papa, and 
 then, after kissing him repeatedly, she left the 
 cave, and was quickly surrounded by her nu- 
 merous favourites. As soon as their wants were 
 satisfied, she proceeded to her garden, and O 
 how lovely did every thing appear ! Never be- 
 fore had the flowers worn so bright a hue, or 
 the birds sung so sweetly. Leila felt happier 
 than I have words to tell. 
 
 Mr. Howard's recovery, though at first not 
 rapid, was progressive : he sat much in the open 
 air under the shade of the rock, or on the green 
 turf seat in Leila's garden. He liked to hear 
 the hum of the bees, and to see her tending her 
 flowers ; and often she would bring her guitar 
 and sing to him, or take her distaff and engage 
 him in interesting conversation. Each day he 
 extended his walks with her a little farther, and 
 in a few weeks all his usual habits were resumed. 
 But there was a change in Leila: her extreme 
 childishness had passed away ; she was equally 
 attentive to her numerous pets, yet seemed less 
 entirely occupied by them ; and though always 
 cheerful and often gay, a shade of seriousness
 
 220 LEILA. 
 
 would sometimes pass across her face. Her 
 papa often found her tying up or watering the 
 flowers which she had planted on Clara's grave, 
 and she never now expressed the hope that they 
 might continue always on the island. Mr. 
 Howard's own anxious wish for their removal 
 had been greatly strengthened by his illness, 
 and he soon became aware that now he no 
 longer felt alone on this subject. Leila spoke 
 of it only once, for she saw that it agitated him, 
 but he often saw her gaze earnestly oh the sea, 
 and the expression of her countenance at those 
 moments fully revealed to him the subject of her 
 thoughts and wishes. 
 
 Still the happy forgetfulness of youth was 
 hers. No sooner had she turned round the point 
 of rock, and the cave came in view, with her 
 pretty garden brilliant with flowers, and all the 
 happy birds and animals which flew to meet her, 
 than for a moment all remembrance of their ban- 
 ishment was forgotten, amid the thoughts of her 
 pleasant home. She often now took excursions 
 with her papa in her little carriage, while he 
 walked by her side, and in this way became ac- 
 quainted with many beautiful parts of the island 
 which she had never seen before ; but although 
 those excursions were always looked forward to 
 with impatience, and enjoyed with delight, yet 
 they never now returned home without Leila
 
 LEILA. 221 
 
 having asked many questions ; which proved to 
 Mr. Howard, that although still enjoying the 
 beauties -which surrounded her, she would gladly 
 leave them all for that unknown land to which 
 her young imagination so often wandered.
 
 LEILA. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 TT was some weeks after Mr. Howard's recovery, 
 that one morning after the lessons were over, 
 taking his gun, he left Leila for a couple of hours 
 to cross the island in search of game. 
 
 It was a soft, relaxing day, with but partial 
 gleams of sunshine, and Leila felt a sense of op- 
 pression at her heart, she knew not why. 
 
 After trying to interest herself for some time 
 with her garden, she took her way to Clara's 
 grave, and seating herself upon it, she recalled 
 to mind all that had lately happened. "O 
 Clara !" she murmured to herself, " how I would 
 have loved you ! and I may never see another 
 little girl again ; but I will not try to wish you 
 back, for you are happier in heaven than you 
 could be here. I have planted for you the 
 brightest flowers, but you are gathering flowers 
 with angels now flowers that will never die. 
 And have I not my dear papa with me ?" she 
 continued, "my dear, dear papa! Yes, God 
 was very gracious to me ; he recovered my 
 papa ; and now I will go and seat myself upon
 
 LEILA. 22'6 
 
 the cliff till he returns, and look upon the sea. 
 It is not wrong to wish that a ship should come, 
 for he wishes that also, and he has raised the 
 beacon now almost to the clouds." 
 
 Leila seated herself upon a projecting rock, 
 and gazed earnestly on the sea. It lay before 
 her quiet and still ; there was no murmur from 
 the waves, scarce a ripple upon the broad ex- 
 panse of waters : all was silent around. She 
 watched the sea-birds as they flew round in 
 circles in the quiet air, then Parting suddenly 
 down, they would spread their broad wings and 
 rear their white breasts on the still waters. 
 Leila gazed long and anxiously, but no distant 
 sail was visible ; and she was just about to 
 return with the hope of meeting her papa, when 
 her attention was arrested by a dim speck upon 
 the far distant sea. It was too small to be a 
 ship, and it was black, very black. Leila 
 thought of the white sails of their own gallant 
 ship, and sighed deeply. She rose to go, but 
 still she lingered ; earnestly she gazed a broad 
 line of light stretched along upon the waters. 
 " I will wait," she said ; " if it move, it will 
 pass into the light ; it is entering it even now, 
 and it is different, quite different. It is not 
 dark now ; it is a ship I see it plainly." She 
 flew along the cliff, and turned the point. On 
 she ran with breathless speed, and entering the
 
 224 LEILA. 
 
 cave, she exclaimed, " A ship ! a ship, nurse I 
 O come quickly I I cannot stay I must go 
 back to the clifE But where is papa? Papa, 
 papa!" she shouted aloud, as she flew along 
 and retraced her steps. But no answer was re- 
 turned, and she stood alone upon a high point 
 of rock which overhung the precipice, when 
 poor nurse, breathless with haste and agitation, 
 came in sight 
 
 " my dear child ! come down, come down I" 
 she exclaimed, "you will slip over the preci- 
 pice you will fall into the sea. But where is 
 the ship ? show me the ship !" Leila pointed 
 to the broad line of light, in the middle of 
 which lay the vessel, as if asleep upon the 
 waters. But poor nurse strained her eyes in 
 vain. "Alas!" she exclaimed, "there is no 
 ship, or I can discover none." 
 
 "There is, there is, nurse! I see it more 
 plainly than ever. O that papa were here! 
 What can we do can we do nothing ? tell 
 me what we would do we could fire the beacon, 
 could we not? Quick, quick, give me the 
 tinder-box ; I can run very fast, and you can 
 follow." 
 
 She darted along the cliff, and, turning the 
 point, she crossed the rivulet, and bounded like 
 a young fawn up the side of the hill. In a few 
 minutes she stood by the crackling fire, while a
 
 LKILA. 
 
 "Lab, rctfd,veBt fern ftvtt God; 
 
 Edb
 
 226 LEILA. 
 
 "There is still a hope, dear child/' he 
 whispered, " although it is but faint. The 
 ship has tacked; when it tacks again, it 
 may near the land. Let us go aown to the 
 beach." 
 
 They proceeded as quickly as they could, 
 accompanied by poor nurse, whom they met 
 toiling up the hill. They reached the shore. 
 Alas ! the object of their anxious hope appeared 
 now but a faint speck upon the distant waters. 
 Leila gazed in silence, and struggled to subdue 
 her emotion ; her papa continued to look earn- 
 estly through his telescope. " Is there any 
 hope, papa?" at length she softly whispered. 
 Mr. Howard took the glass for a moment from 
 his eye, and smiled upon Leila. 
 
 " Ah ! you are smiling, papa ; and now I 
 know there is hope has it tacked again is it 
 coming nearer ? I think I see it more plainly 
 now I am sure I do." 
 
 "Yes, Leila, you are right, the vessel has 
 tacked again, and you do see it more plainly ; 
 still the event is uncertain. I will fire my 
 musket now." 
 
 Mr. Howard continued to fire at intervals. 
 The vessel advanced steadily in the direction 
 of the island. Once more its white sails were 
 visible and, joyful sound, his signal was re- 
 turned a gun was fired from the ship. Mr.
 
 LEILA. 227 
 
 Howard raised his eyes to heaven ; Leila drop- 
 ped upon her knees in silent prayer. 
 
 " And what is it you see now, papa ?" she 
 exclaimed, starting up after a few minutes' 
 interval. " What are they doing now ?" 
 
 " They are putting off a boat I see men 
 stepping into it." 
 
 The boat seemed to bound quickly through 
 the glittering waters nearer and nearer it 
 advanced towards them it touched the shore. 
 A young officer leaped lightly upon the 
 beach Leila sprang forward and clasped his 
 knees. 
 
 " From what planet have you dropped, fair 
 child?" he exclaimed, as stooping down he 
 threw back the v bright ringlets which shaded 
 her brow, and gazed earnestly upon her face. 
 
 Mr. Howard came forward ; in a few words 
 he explained to him their situation ; his com- 
 munication was listened to with the deepest 
 interest; the warmest assurances were given 
 that they would be received with every kind- 
 ness on board the frigate. what was it to 
 him to feel that they might now see England 
 once more ! Already did he seem in imagina- 
 tion to touch the shores of that loved land, from 
 which but a few hours before he had believed 
 himself to be a hopeless exile. 
 
 The happy group advanced together towards
 
 228 LEILA. 
 
 the cave. The young officer was delighted 
 with the beauty of the whole scene ; and when 
 Leila's pets flocked around her, his assurance 
 that as many as could be quickly secured would 
 be received on board, took from her little heart 
 its only sorrow. Was it possible that any thing 
 could add to such happiness ? Yes, it was still 
 increased by the information, that he had a little 
 girl on board the frigate, just her age, who 
 would love her as a sister. 
 
 Leila was eager to place every refreshment 
 the cave afforded before their welcome guest, 
 and the table was quickly spread with fruit, 
 milk, and rice-cakes of her own baking. He 
 was delighted with every thing; he assured 
 Leila he had never eaten such cakes before, and 
 taking up one of them, and selecting a cluster 
 of grapes, he asked her leave to take them back 
 to his Louisa. "And now, sir," he said, '! 
 must leave yon for a time ; I must inform my 
 captain of his unexpected guests, but I will re- 
 turn for you in a couple of hours can you be 
 ready?" 
 
 Mr. Howard assured him that he could. 
 
 " I feel strangely unwilling to leave this 
 charming place," he continued, turning again to 
 Leila. "Suppose, my little lady, we were to 
 allow the ship to sail away, and all to remain 
 happy here together ? Ah, I see you are shak-
 
 LEILA. 229 
 
 ing your head ; you do not approve of my plan. 
 Well, then, up and be doing, fair lady. The 
 clothes must be packed, the pets must be 
 caught; no time for the grass to grow under 
 your fairy feet. Adieu, adieu 1" In a moment 
 more he was gone. 
 
 In the scene of joyful bustle and preparation 
 which succee'ded, Leila at first had no time for 
 reflection ; but when she had given what assist- 
 ance she could, and her most cherished pets 
 were secured, and others set at liberty to wan- 
 der at will over the island, with no affectionate 
 mistress henceforth to care for them, the full 
 tide of joy which at first had rushed upon her 
 heart became somewhat of a mingled nature. 
 She felt the moment was come when farewell 
 must be said to her garden and her bees, and 
 one last look be given to the fountain-tree. 
 The hum of the bees was no longer to her a 
 cheerful sound, the little rivulet seemed no more 
 to flow sparkling and dimpling in the sunbeams ; 
 she listened to its quiet tune, it was melancholy 
 music, and turning hastily away, she bent her 
 steps to Clara's grave : here the emotions with 
 which she had been struggling gave way to a 
 burst of grief, and throwing herself upon the 
 grassy mound, no-% covered with flowers, she 
 exclaimed, "Clara, I must leave you leave 
 you never to return again ; but you are not 
 20
 
 230 LEILA. 
 
 here, you are in heaven, and hea\en is every 
 where. Yes, Clara, you are God's own child, 
 and shall I not be God's child too, if I love 
 him always as I do now, and pray to him ? He 
 is sending me to England now; but when I 
 sleep, you will come to me in my dream, and 
 when he takes me to heaven, we shall be to- 
 gether, and never be sorrowful any more." She 
 rose slowly, and gazed upon the scene around. 
 The sun was sinking into the sea ; its lingering 
 beams seemed also to be bidding farewell to the 
 beauties which surrounded her. " He will rise 
 again," she murmured, " and make every thing 
 seem glad, but I shall be far away." She 
 stooped over a slender flower which was again 
 opening into blossom ; she had watched it bud 
 and wither : its pale hue BO lightly tinged with 
 colour, had recalled to her the momentary flush 
 in Clara's cheek, and she had called it Clara's 
 flower. She now carefully gathered its open- 
 ing blossoms, and put them into her breast. 
 At that moment a slight rustling in the neigh- 
 bouring thicket made her look up, and a little 
 kid, in all the enjoyment of unaccustomed free- 
 dom, bounded to her side, and began to lick her 
 hands : Leila threw her arms around it. " And 
 you too I must leave," she said ; " then let me 
 feed you for the last time ;" and gathering a 
 little of the tender grass, she fed it from her
 
 LEILA. 231 
 
 hand : then rising with one last look on Clara's 
 grave she turned away; but the little kid in- 
 sisted on following Leila's steps, and it was in 
 vain she pushed it from her. " No," she con- 
 tinued at last, "I cannot part with you; surely 
 there must be room for one more." 
 
 Scarcely had two hours passed away before 
 their kind-hearted fnend appea/ed again, follow- 
 ed by several of the sailors to give a helping 
 hand to their preparations ; and soon the boat 
 with its precious cargo was dancing merrily 
 on the tiny waves. Mr. Howard and Leila 
 were too much agitated to speak ; nurse wept 
 and laughed by turns ; while Dash and Selina, 
 with the various birds and animals, expressed 
 their satisfaction in their different ways, the 
 parrot taking by far the greater part of the con- 
 versation upon herself, and repeatedly assuring 
 her silent audience that she was a pretty crea- 
 ture. 
 
 It still appeared to Leila as but a dream, 
 when she suddenly found herself lifted up the 
 side of the ship, and placed upon the deck. A 
 little girl stood there in eager expectation ; she 
 seemed another Clara, but not so pale. Leila 
 sprang forward, and in a moment they were 
 clasped in each other's arms. 
 
 I need not prolong my story. A petition 
 that it might be the will of God to give them 4
 
 232 L E I L X. 
 
 speedy and prosperous voyage, formed part of 
 Mr. Howard's evening prayer. It was the peti- 
 tion of a pious and grateful heart, and it wan 
 fully granted. 
 
 TRB END 

 
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