Darknefs and Light. 99

as I have told you, fhe was very indignant at the
felfifhnefs of both Lady Madeline and her huf-
band.

A few days after the family had taken up their
refidence in the Sea Caftle, the weather began to
improve; and, though the wind lafted, the fun
came out; and all the children and the nurfes
went walking on the fands. As it was the firft
time that year, you may guefs what fhouting and
delight there was; how the little fpades dug away
at holes for the fea-water to come up in, and how
the children caught at the fea-weeds that were {cat-
tered on the fands to carry home to their Mamma ;
how they picked up fhells, and gambolled about
in all direétions, declaring that they had never
known the Sea Caftle Home fo delightful before.
By degrees they had ftrayed to a confiderable
diftance along the fands, with the nurfes, when,
alas ! the latter perceived that a ftorm was coming
on, and it caught them long before they reached
home. A ftrong wind blew off the fea, and they
had difficulty in keeping their feet, and at laft two
or three of the children were almoft hidden in a
cloud of fand, which a violent guft fuddenly drove
againft them. All the little party cried luftily,
becaufe the fand had blown into their eyes, and
made them fmart, and fad work there was in get-
ting them home again. But they reached home
at laft, dripping with wet from hailftones, and
their eyes all red and disfigured by the fand and
wind. None, however, were fo bad as thofe I