would fain suppress, does but still more unnerve the sorrowing heart. Lady Woodstock observed that the principal mourners were two females, who appeared, by their resemblance to each other, to be mother and daughter; and the scene brought to her recollection the time when she herself, accompanied by the daughter who was then leaning on her arm, did, in violation of the practice of the world, follow to the grave the remains of her beloved husband: nor were the recollections of her sorrows painful when thus brought back to her mind, but the rather was there a pure and holy pleasure in the tear which rose to her eye at the thought of the past, so that she felt more than satisfied at having in that instance dared to be singular. Fashion forms pleasant leading-strings for those minds which are too weak to walk alone. The mind of Lady Woodstock was not of that description. Sir Andrew Featherstone inquired of one of the spectators what was the name and character of the deceased, who seemed to have occupied so large a share in the interest and sympathy of the people of Brigland. He was informed that the name of the departed was Richard Smith; that he was a poor man whom nobody knew much about; but that lately a report was spread abroad that he was a rich man and a miser, and that, instigated probably by that report, one of the gipsies that had lately been in that neighbourhood, had broken into his cottage with the intent of robbing him; but there happened to be in the house with him at the time a foreign officer whose wife was related to Richard Smith, and this stranger wounded the gipsey so severely, that he was not able to effect his escape, and he was therefore sent off to the county jail; and that the old man was so dreadfully alarmed, that he soon after died in consequence of the fright. It appeared also from the informant, that the unusual number of persons congregated to witness the funeral was owing to the singularity of the circumstances of the old man’s death, and also to the desire felt to see the foreigner and his family; for the two females were, one of them the wife, and the other the daughter of the foreigner. The youngest of the two was the young woman of whom mention has before been made, as being the niece of old Richard Smith. This narrative happened to be somewhat more correct than many narratives which are thus picked up by an accidental inquiry. The account, however, of the motive which prompted the attendance of so many spectators of the funeral, in some degree disappointed the expectation of Lady Woodstock and her daughter; for they had promised themselves the pleasure of hearing an account of some specimen of humble virtue and extensive benevolent influence in a comparatively low sphere of life. They could not, therefore, but painfully smile at the thought that accident and unessential circumstance should excite an interest so strong and extensive.