IS THE MANSE AND ITS INMATES. 



at Kenmn^ton Common ; and they had all little courts before their 

 houses, with three poplar > to keep off the dust, and a rhododendron 

 in the middle, to show that they did not like any thing common, and 

 long slips of gardens behind, with currant-bushes nailed against the 

 walls, and the middle cut up into a great many little gravel walks and 

 little flower beds, bordered with box; and she was unreasonable 

 enough to tire of these too! poor ttuth! 



Every year Mrs. Hurst and her daughters spent six weeks, during 

 the pleasantest part of the autumn, at a watering place ; they generally 

 chose Margate, as being the most bustling. This year, luckily for 

 Ruth, Priscy not being very well, and her husband, Mr. Prescott, 

 really having the good taste to prefer Ramsgate, the Hursts and 

 Prescotts took a house there in Effingham Place ; while the Dow- 

 lings, &c , accommodated themselves at Margate. 



Ruth had visited Ramsgate before with her kind friend Mrs. 

 Somerive, who frequently spent the Midsummer vacation there ; and 

 so little was her company desired at home that notwithstanding 

 every attention she received was looked upon with jealousy, and her 

 superior good luck made a subject of reproach, as if it was an injury 

 to Isabella, still she dared not have refused an invitation, even had 

 it been disagreeable to her to accept it, because she never went home 

 that, before the holidays were expired, she was not made to feel her 

 being there as an expense and an intrusion. 



Though Mrs. Hurst was as despotic in the Isle of Thanet as in the 

 city of London, her regulations were much more agreeable ; all les- 

 sons were forbidden it was Harriot and Charlotte's holidays. Thev 

 walked and bathed before breakfast, and Ruth being acquainted 

 with the localities often directed their perambulations, by the fields 

 to Broad stairs, through the pleasant village of Dumpton, to Peg- 

 well Bay, where they procured shrimps, toManson wood and cave, 

 to St. Peter's, in one of the fields leading to which they found a neat 

 small farm-house, where, on several fine evenings afterwards, they 

 carried tea and sugar, and regaled themselves with country cream, 

 bread, and butter. On ih right hand of the public road to Margate 

 they were attracted by the appearance of trees, and they found a de- 

 lightful shady walk arid a pleasant little hamlet called Norlhwood. 

 These and many others were their morning excursions, not forget- 

 ting the fine sands, the east cliff, and the noble pier. 



With Mrs. Hurst they lounged in the libraries, saw the fine views 

 from the North Foreland lighthouse arid the church of St. Peters, 

 and took drives, not merely to Broadstairs, Kingsgate, and Margate, 

 but to Sandwich, Deal, Dover, and Canterbury. They attended all 

 the balls, went two or three times to the theatre at Margate, and had 

 several donkey expeditions. 



Ruth was very sorry when the six weeks came to an e d ; and very 

 sorry also that they were not to return, as they went, by water ; but 

 she willingly conceded that Mrs. Hurst was ri^ht, when she saw the 

 beauty of the road ; and, staying two days at Rochester, visited the 

 " Lines" at Chatham and Broinplon, and took a delightful sail as 

 far as Sheerness, admiring as they went Upnor, Gillingham, &c., so 

 beautifully situated on the banks of the beautiful Medvvay. 



