and see for themselves the birth-place of the immortal dreamer. Full of the brightest anticipations for the morrow, the younger folks withdrew early to bed. By and by the older ones closed their books, and showed symptoms of an inclination to follow their example, until at length the old hall was entirely deserted, and left once more to silence and darkness. The experience of the Christmas party assembled in the neighbourhood of Ampthill had hitherto realized the pleasing description of a bright and cheerful winter, which Cowper has drawn with such delightful freedom in the Task : "The night was winter in its roughest mood; And has the warmth of May. The vault is blue The dazzling splendour of the scene below. Again the harmony comes o'er the vale; And through the trees I view th' embattled tower The soothing influence of the wafted strains. And settle in soft musings as I tread The walk, still verdant, under oaks and elms, Whose outspread branches overarch the glade. The frequent flakes, has kept a path for me. No noise is here, or none that hinders thought. The redbreast warbles still, but is content With slender notes, and more than half suppressed; Pleased with his solitude, and flitting light From spray to spray, where'er he rests he shakes From many a twig the pendant drops of ice, That tinkle in the withered leaves below. Stillness, accompanied with sounds so soft, May think down hours to moments. Here the heart And Learning wiser grow without his books. Some to the fascination of a name Surrender judgment, hoodwinked. Some the style Infatuates, and through labyrinths and wilds Of error leads them, by a tune entranced. While sloth seduces more, too weak to bear The insupportable fatigue of thought, And swallowing therefore without pause or choice The total grist unsifted, husks and all. But trees and rivulets, whose rapid course And sheep-walks populous with bleating lambs, And lanes, in which the primrose ere her time A very different scene, however, awaited the sleepers when they awoke on the morrow. The evening had been bitterly keen, and such of them as had not slept too soundly to be disturbed by the noise, had overheard, during the night, the gusts of wind driving round the house, shaking at the casements, and hurling against the window-panes huge swirls of twigs and withered leaves, like some lusty wanderer, boisterous and impatient to get in. Sleep, however, sunk on all the happy inmates of the old Manor-House, and if any of them remembered the storm of the preceding night when they awoke, it was only to experience increased pleasure at the thought that it had passed away. The bright morning light was on the window-panes, and the twittering of some stray sparrows, as if begging for crumbs, seemed to promise another fine clear day of frosty sunshine for the proposed excursion to Elstow. A very different and unexpected prospect, however, greeted the first early riser who drew aside the win dow-curtains to peep forth at the scene of the last night's stormy gusts of driving wind. The same vigorous poet from whom we have already quoted, beautifully describes the change which now awaited the morning watchers as they peeped forth on the winter landscape that surrounded their pleasant abode: "How calm is my recess; and how the frost, I saw far off the weedy fallows smile By flocks, fast feeding, and selecting each Fast falls a fleecy shower: the downy flakes Softly alighting upon all below, Assimilate all objects. Earth receives Gladly the thickening mantle; and the green And tender blade, that feared the chilling blast, Many a sad and disheartened countenance appeared that morning among the group that assembled round the breakfast table. The conversation of the preceding evening, added to the scenes of the day's ramble, and the lively interest that had been excited in all their minds by the associations of the Pilgrim and his wondrous dream with the actual scenes with which they were surrounded, had made the young people look forward to their proposed visit to Elstow with a vague yet highly excited expectation of pleasure, that made their disappointment all the more mortifying; nor were their seniors without some sympathy in their disappointment. A group of young and light-hearted playmates, however, are not much given to brood very long or bitterly over such a mischance. The ladies speedily reconciled themselves to the impossibility of wading through the snow, or facing the storm, which the heavy laden clouds gave promise would speedily return with increased fury. They accordingly were soon busy, some with their needle or |