Darkne/s and Light. 87

fancy to yourfelves the old Sea Caftle Home.
It had two large turrets; and winding ftaircafes
led from the paflages and kitchens underneath the
fitting rooms, up to the top of the turrets, and fo
out upon the leads of the houfe, from which there
was the moft beautiful view of the Ocean you
ever faw; and, as the top of the houfe was battle-
mented, like the top of your church tower, people
could walk about quite fafely and comfortably,
without any fear of falling over. Then, though it is
a very unufual thing near the Sea, there were de-
lightful gardens at the place, and a few very fine .
old élm trees near the houfe, in which a party of
rooks built their nefts every year; and the chil-
dren had gardens of their own, in which they
could dig up their flowers to fee if the roots were
growing, to their heart’s content, and perform
other equally ingenious feats, fuch as watering a
plant two or three times a day, or after a fhower
of rain, and then wondering that, with fuch tender
care, the poor thing fhould rot away and die.

But I almoft think the children liked the fands
on the fhore as well as the gardens, though! they
loved both. Not that there was any amufement
aftir by the water fide there, as you have feen in
other places where there are boats and fifhermen
and nets, and great coils of ropes, and an endlefs
variety of entertaining fights connected with the
feafaring bufinefs going on. Nay, in foe places
where there is not a very good fhore for landing,
it is an amufement of itfelf to fee each boat or fith-