I once had some thoughts

pare myself, in relation to many other infirmities, to many other great men; but if fortune is not influ enced in my favour by the particulars already enumerated, I shall despair of ever recommending myself to her good graces. of soliciting her patronage on the score of my resembling great men in their good qualities, but I had so little to say on that subject, that I could not for my life furnish matter for one well-rounded period; and you know a short ill-turned speech is very improper to be used in an address to a female deity.

GEORGINA'S BIRTH-DAY.

[To introduce the subsequent story to our readers, we must inforin them that Lord Abberville, for reasons which cannot be be stated in our brief limits, passes under the name of Forester, and is considered as a private gentleman. He has been for twelve years on the continent, when he sees an advertisement in a London paper, promising to make to Lord Abberville a disclosure of the utmost importance to his happiness: he therefore resolves to return to England, and gives to a friend, in whose house he resides in Germany, the following recital of his interesting history:]

After a pause, during which Mr. Leuwitzer reperused the advertisement contained in the newspaper, Lord Abberville, for as such we must henceforward know him, began his recital in the following words:→

Those events from which the most afflicting situations of life arise, are usually of a simple nature, unattended by the marvellous; such you will find my history. I am the only son of the late Lord Abberville: at seventeen I had the misfortune to be an orphan. My guardianship devolved upon an uncle of my mother's, who executed the trust reposed in him by my deceased parents with fidelity. In less than a year after the death of my father I was placed at Oxford. During the period of my residence at college, my life was passed much in the common routine of university students, that is, in a great deal of pleasure, and very little application to study. I was, however, I believe rather more partial to my books than most young men of my age, situated as I was, would have been; and infinitely less puffed up by the vanities of my wealth and title than was to be expected from a human being, basking, like myself, in the sunshine of fortune. When I was approaching towards the completion of my twenty-first year, I was informed that it would be deemed a necessary compliment to the county in which I was going to reside, to solemnize the joyful event by giving an entertainment to the neighbouring families. I accordingly issued invitations for a ball and supper, to all families of condition within twenty miles of my estate; deputing my steward to publish to the inferior ranks of society, that a feast would be prepared for them upon the lawn in the front of my mansion, where they should be plenteQusly regaled under tents erected for their accom

The

modation, with slices from an ox roasted whole, and draughts from barrels of ten year old October. The day and night passed off with the utmost festivity and mirth. On the following morning, in a walk I was taking through the village, accident led me past a neat little dwelling of peculiar beauty and simplicity: at the moment of my approaching it, I perceived a young female, of a most interesting appearance, employed in distributing various gifts to a large group of children, who were collected, with smiles on their faces, upon a grass-plot before the house. scene was one of that interesting nature from which I had not resolution immediately to withdraw myself; and I enquired of my steward, who was by my side, what was the name of the young woman I beheld. Georgina Howard, one of the worthiest as well as the handsomest of girls, Sir,' he replied Georgina Howard is her name. Poor thing, she is the child of misfortune!' How so? I asked-' who are her parents?' She has but one alive,' was the answer of my steward her father, who is a disabled soldier; he was a lieutenant in a marching regiment in the American war; an affectionate wife was the companion of his marches. At the siege of

he had the misfortune to have his leg taken off by a cannon ball: he was carried to his tent, and whilst his wife was administering to his relief, she was shot dead at his feet. He returned to England, with his child, disabled for service, and has retired upon. his half pay to this cottage.'The interest which the appearance of Georgina had excited in my heart,

was infinitely increased by the mournful sketch which had been given me of her history; and I determined to introduce myself to her and her father, and make them an offer of any services which it might be in my power to render them. I considered, however, that it would be advisable to defer my visit to some future time, as my presence at this moment would in all probability only discompose the happiness of the hour, both to Georgina and her juvenile friends. I therefore passed quickly on, enquiring of my steward whether he knew on what occasion she was distributing her presents to the young villagers. He informed me that he understood it. was in commemoration of her birth-day; and directed my sight to a garland of flowers which they had dressed in honour of her, and suspended between two yew trees, which were placed on either side of the entrance to a little garden, in front of the house in which she dwelt. How great a contrast, I immediately began to reflect, was there between the so lemnization of the birth-day of this daughter of innocence, and myself, the son of splendour and of pomp! And this consideration was followed by a wish to ascertain which of these two solemnizations had been productive of the greater share of happiness. There could be no deception in the smiles of the youthful throng now surrounding Georgina; but beneath those which had covered the faces of the guests who had been assembled on the like occasion at my mansion had doubtless lurked envy, dissatisfaction, and an infinity more of those passions which forbid

the great and fashionable to taste unalloyed pleasure. How much more enviable a human being then was Georgina on her birth-day then I had been on mine! I had held forth to my guests expectations of the greatest enjoyment, which, according to the private calculations of my own heart, were probably realized in the breasts of very few of them. Georgina had promised very little to those whom she was entertaining; and had succeeded in making them all superlatively happy. How exquisite appeared to me her simple manners, and native charms, when compared with the artificial conduct, and assumed graces, of such women as I had heard extolled by the votaries of fashion, as the pre-eminent goddesses of its fantastic empire! From that moment an interest in the fate of Georgina Howard was excited in my heart; an interest which will only cease to exist when death snaps the chord of feeling: but at that moment my ideas concerning her were not of a tenderer nature than that it had afforded me the highest gratification to contemplate her person, and that I anticipated with pleasure the idea of being introduced to her acquaintance. On the succeeding day I sent my steward, who I found had a slight acquaintance with Lieutenant Howard, to inform him and his daughter, that as I had discovered them to be my neighbours, it was my wish to be known to them, and that I would call upon them that morning, if they had no objection to receiving my visit. A polite message was returned to my enquiry; and at the hour of noon I set out for the rustic dwelling of the