4

to fall; and a bright warm sun burst forth to liberate
and cheer the dispirited Lucy. She could not be insensible
to the renovating influence of the fine weather, which binds
and beats and every living thing seemed to feel. The dogs, that
during the pelting of the storm, had crept with the children
round the fire, now bounded over the plain, pursued by the
gladsome children; like them, they rolled in the snow, lept into
the air and chased each other in wide circles round the common.
The birds, mistaking the warmth for that of returning spring,
twittered on the naked sprays and hopped about the door to partake
of the grain thrown to the chickens; and troops of poor children
came to the slashes to collect brush-wood. Their young voices
mingled their merry tones, with the chirping of the birds,
like them, common of nature, they enjoyed her present smiles, un-
thinking of her future { ?}. Yes, Lucy felt the kindly influ-
ence; she made her appearance as decent as she could; the warmth
of the weather was such that she could dispense with her tattered
cloak, and thus freed her from that look of squalid poverty, which
in more than one instance had been prejudicial to her, and with
hopes influenced by the brightness of the day she sallied forth in quest of a livelihood.
The morning was far spent, and the many repulses she had
met at the houses where she applied, had again sunk her
to the lowest depth of despondancy,--still, while she could drag
on her wearied steps, she determined to persevere. At a little