390 THE DAY OF DEPARTURE. 



tip flew across our path, all bordered with violets and wood- 

 anemones and blue-bells, and, above all, the little celandine, 

 he noted not even the first advent of the working bees as they 

 came from their waxen cells to 



" Settle on her brilliant features." 



Though my poor uncle's affairs wore an irretrievable aspect, he 

 had been urgently advised to pay a business visit to the metro- 

 polis by friends there resident. Amongst them was my father 

 (his younger brother), who had sunk in mercantile adventure a 

 younger brother's fortune, and was now, with the burden of a 

 large motherless family, only toiling to acquire another. To 

 his abode in the City my uncle had for above three months 

 been promising to repair; but in a procrastinating spirit, half- 

 nervous, half-supine, he had from day to day deferred his 

 journey till the arrival of the second week in May, when he 

 actually made up his mind to leave his home for the first time 

 for many years. 



The morning came on which lie was to take the coach from 

 the neighbouring post-town. Its distance of three miles was 

 beyond that of his usual walking, and he was glad, therefore, to 

 accept for the occasion a loan of the pony once his own. 

 Caleb was despatched beforehand to bring it back, and carry 

 his master's portmanteau, with a basket of provision for the 

 journey, provided by Mistress Dove. About eight o'clock the 

 traveller himself started. Dolly stood on the steps, looking 



