PAUL LANDER. S09 



The younger was all life and animal activity, a fine, tall, healthy 

 youth J his happiness was in the full tide of action j he neither 

 feared nor thought; his excessive elasticity of spirit placed him 

 almost above the touch of sorrow, though in his heart was the 

 echo of humanity and love. The elder, — Paul, — was, from his 

 early years, a milder, more sedate, and thinking child. He would 

 pore for hours over his school books, and seldom was it that the 

 village pedagogue had to complain of his idleness. Early in the 

 morning ihe brothers would start away from the dell, " satchel on 

 back 3 " but no sooner was the coppice behind them, than away 

 dashed the impatient Ned, over hedge and ditch, in the full cry of 

 bounding spirits, and lucky was the Dominie if the scape-grace 

 stood before him that day. There was no reclaiming Edward 

 Lander ; the Dominie was tired of talking and punishing. Paul 

 witnessed his pranks, and sometimes laughed at them, but there 

 his partnership ended. He was always the student. Withdrawing 

 from his noisy brother, he would retire to some secluded spot, and 

 hour after hour would he devote to his favourite books. The 

 passion grew with his years ; he neglected even that part of his 

 duty which he owed to his father, and with unappeasable ardour 

 sought after knowledge. By the assistance of a friend, Paul had 

 procured some scientific works from the town of * * * * *, and 

 thus alone, and unassisted by tuition, he acquired the most pro- 

 found intimacy with science. 



Ann Gadsdill, the fair daughter of a villager, had ever been 

 beloved by the peasant student, and who, in the guilelessness of her 

 innocent heart, would shower upon him the fond expressions of her 

 passion. They had grown up in mutual attachment, as two fair 

 flowers on the same green bank, and whose fragrance is wafted to 

 each other. Sometimes, as they walked fondly together, the 

 lovely girl would toss her long light ringlets from her brow j with 

 her round arm half circling his neck, she would gaze on him with 

 her dilated sparkling eye, and then laugh in open joyousness at the 

 strange imaccountable things which Paul had been sounding in her 

 attentive ear. But still she would listen and believe, or she would 

 believe without listening — Paul was to her the oracle of truth; 

 but while the pale-faced boy wandered on with her, ever in 

 thought, she would wake him with a kiss. She believed all he 

 said, and though her test of truth was not the most infallible, it 

 was to her the first and best — love was her theme, her heart his 

 worshipper. 



The sun rising in the clear effulgence of his light is often 

 prophetical of the darkness which, yet hid in the western cave of 

 night, soon spreads in dusky wreaths over the blue sparkling- 

 heaven ; change seems essential to the vitality of nature. Nor 

 is the happiness of man less precarious, and if change appear not 

 necessary for our good, at least it is certain and unavoidable. 

 Riches make to themselves wings and fly away, and the hopes and 

 enjoyments of the present day, may be exchanged on the morrow 

 for sorrow and despair. 



