272 THE LEMON-PLANT. 



overbearing assumption. She had wept at the 

 thought, had prayed over it ; had acknowledged it 

 to her mother, and now took the pen to implore 

 my forgiveness, if such should have been the case. 

 A more simple, touching effusion I never perused ; 

 and when I had written my assurance that nothing 

 of the kind, nothing even remotely approaching it 

 had occurred, I sat down to meditate on the im 

 mense distance to which the once proud Marie 

 had advanced on the heavenly road, beyond me, 

 who said a thousand peevish things almost daily to 

 my most indulgent friends, and rarely repented ol 

 them. 



Another distinguishing feature in her sweet 

 character, was the perfect absence of egotism. 

 With feelings exquisitely refined, she struggled to 

 conceal their delicate sensitiveness, lest minds ol 

 a rougher mould might feel ill at ease in her com 

 pany. This species of self-denial I have scarce 

 ly ever seen practised, except by my beloved 

 Marie ; but in her I have marked it constantly de 

 veloped. On the same high and generous princi 

 pie, she concealed her extraordinary attainments in 

 science : she was deeply versed in even very ab 

 struse philosophy, and her acquaintance with 

 learned languages was at once extensive and solid. 

 She had books that would have graced the library 

 of a university professor, and used them too, but 

 they were never seen on her table, or her shelves;'; 



