LOUISA's home had been in a town till she was twelve years old. Her father was a clergyınan, and his church was quite in the middle of a large town; so that there were no trees or fields within a mile or more from his house, and it was necessary to go much farther than that, to come to what was really like the country to fresh air and quiet fields, and trees that were not blackened by smoke or covered with dust. Louisa had not often been out of the town, even so far as this; for her father had not a carriage, and was too busy to walk often for pleasure; and her mamma was not strong enough to walk very far, though she generally did take a walk with Louisa every day. And very happy walks they had, although they might have seemed dull and dismal to people who live in pleasant villages, and can walk beside clear streams, and look at green woods and fields whenever they go out. Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Louisa's father and mother, had both lived in the country when they were young, and no one could enjoy its beautiful sights and pleasant sounds more than they did; so that they could not help feeling almost sad when they came to live in the midst of streets, and smoky chimneys, and noises

VOL. IV.

B

JANUARY, 1845.

that never quite ceased. But they never gave way to sad feelings, or indulged themselves in wishing to live any where else, because they believed that they were in the place where it was their duty to be. They knew that it is better that we should not have to choose such things for ourselves, and that what we have to think of in this world is not how we can find the pleasantest way through it; and they believed too, that those who think only of doing their duty in the place appointed for them, will find it not only the best, but really the happiest place. So they were always cheerful and full of thankful feelings; and as little Louisa grew up, she never heard her papa or mamma complain, or saw them seem discontented with their home; and she very seldom thought herself that she could have been happier any where else. It was not, however, that she did not often think of beautiful country scenes, and sometimes wish that she could see them. She had been two or three times with her papa and mamma to visit their relations; and some of them lived in the country, though not in any very pleasant parts of it; still it was enough to begin in Louisa a love for country places, and flowers, and birds, which grew stronger as she grew older and thought and read more about such things. She was always delighted to walk as far out of the town as she could, and to gather the few flowers she could find, if it were but daisies. She carefully nursed a few plants which would grow in pots in the house, and in the spring she would plant a pot full of crocus-roots; and great was her pleasure when the green leaves grew up, and then the yellow buds appeared. If we live in the country, where flowers and beautiful things surround us in such abundance, how careful we should be not to forget to be thankful for them, and to remember how many people there are who would be made so happy by a very little of what we perhaps scarcely think about. Mrs. Williams did all she could to encourage such tastes in

Louisa, and to teach her to find pleasure in such things, and at the same time to make her contented and thankful in her present lot.

One morning, late in the autumn, after Louisa had finished her lessons, Mrs. Wiliams and she went out together as usual. It happened, however, this morning, as it often did, that Mrs. Williams had several things to do in the town, and could not walk towards the country, which Louisa and she equally liked to do when they were able. Louisa felt more disappointed than usual, for she had that morning indulged herself rather too often in thinking how dark and dull the street looked, and that out of the town the mist would have cleared away, and all would look sunny and bright. She walked a long way beside her mamma without speaking, and at the same time she knew that she was giving way to a wrong feeling, though she had at first tried to persuade herself that it was impossible to help being gloomy and dull on such a morning as that, and in the middle of a dirty town. And then she thought if it was wrong to have such feelings, how much easier it must be for people who lived in the country to be good, and feel always as they ought to do. Just as she came to this thought her mamma asked her what she was thinking about, and Louisa at once told her all that had been passing in her mind, and ended by asking her if she did not think it would be easier to be always good-tempered and have right feelings in the country. Mrs. Williams smiled, and said, "I know it is natural to think so, and I used once to fancy it myself; but when we come to know more of ourselves we find it is a mistake to think that any place in itself would make us better than we are. Every place has its own temptations and difficulties; and we may be quite sure that those we have are the best for us at the time they are appointed, and the fittest trial to help us to become what we ought to be. Besides, there is not really the difference you think there is, though it

may seem as if good and happy thoughts belonged more naturally to quiet country places than to such as this town. "When we go in I will shew you some verses which I think you will understand and like, and which tell us this."

Louisa was glad to hear this, for she was very fond of poetry which she could tolerably understand, and she liked the verses very much. They would be too long to copy here; but there was one part which made Louisa at once think of her papa; and she wondered that she had not remembered before that almost all his walks were in the dark, gloomy streets, where she had been inclined to think nobody could feel glad and happy. The lines I mean were these.

"There are in this loud stunning tide
Of human care and crime,
With whom the melodies abide
Of the everlasting chime;
Who carry music in their heart

Through dusky lane and wrangling mart,
Plying their daily task with busier feet,

Because their secret souls a holy strain repeat."

And now winter was fast approaching, for it was November; and though there are sometimes bright pleasant gleams in the short November days, these are not often to be seen in a town, where the fogs hang so heavily that the autumn sun cannot clear them away. However, when the dark afternoon closed in-and yet it was scarcely time for candlelight-Louisa used to think that almost the happiest part of the day began. It often happened that her papa came in just at that time, and then she liked so much to hear him and her mamma talk together, as they all sat beside a bright fire; and if Mrs. Williams and Louisa were alone, then she used often to beg her mamma to tell her a story, as she had been accustomed to do almost from the time Louisa could remember any thing; and now she still oftener asked