THERE IS NO HURRY. 177

prudent and careful country gentleman. The
younger girls were too delicate for even the
common occupations of daily life; and Mary,
instead of receiving the welcome she had been
led to expect from her aunt and cousins, felt
that every hour she spent at the Grange was an
intrusion.

The sudden death of Dr. Adams had post-
poned the intended wedding of Charles Ad-
ams’s eldest daughter; and although her mother
agreed that it was their duty to forward the
orphan children, she certainly felt, as most af-
fectionate mothers whose hearts are not very
much enlarged would feel, that much of their,
own savings—much of the produce of her hus-
band’s hard labour—labour during a series of
years when her sister-in-law and her children
were enjoying all the luxuries of life—would
now be expended for their support; this to an
all-sacrificing mother, despite her sense of the
duty of kindness, was hardto bear. As long as
they were not on the spot, she theorised contin-
ually, and derived much satisfaction from the
sympathising observations of her neighbours,
and was proud, very proud, of the praise be-
stowed upon her husband’s benevolence; but
when her sistersin-law’s expensive habits were in
daily array before her (the cottage being close
to the Grange,) when she knew, to use her own
expression, ‘‘ that she never put her hand toa
single thing;’’ that she could not live without

TT