LOVES OF A BACUELOR. 345 



the first time in my life, 1 had a sleepless expansion oii my couch. 

 I could not shut my eyes for even a single minute ; all night I lay 

 thinkino- on Rebina, whom Ihad alreadv beg-un to consider mv own, 

 and in whose company I took it for granted I was to spend almost 

 all the remaining- portion of my life, mutually enjoying an incalcu- 

 lable revenue of felicity from our "sacred union" together. On the 

 following morning I called on the friend, to whom I now con- 

 sidered myself under an infinitude of obligations for the intro- 

 duction of the preceding night. I carefully concealed from him the 

 impression Miss Clarkson had so suddenly made on my mind, aim- 

 ply mentioning, as if by the merest accident, that from the short in- 

 terview we had last night I was much pleased with her conversation, 

 and that I should be happy, when opportunity offered, to spend 

 another hour in her company. " We shall call on her parents this 

 afternoon, if agreeable," said my friend. This was precisely what 

 I wanted. Dryden, though miserably poor at the time, could not 

 have discovered more beauties, more genuine eloquence, in the short 

 promissory note of a celebrated nobleman, whose name I forget, 

 when he promised to pay on demand to him " the sum of five hun- 

 dred pounds sterling," than I did in the brief sentence my friend 

 enunciated. I need not add that I signified my assent to his pro- 

 posal. 



We accordingly visited at Mr. Clarkson's that afternoon. We had 

 the pleasure of seeing Mrs. C, Mr. C, and a younger sister of Re- 

 bina, besides herself. We spent fully two hours in their company ; 

 and such another happy two houi's ! I left their residence fully satis- 

 fied ihat all the theories of moralists and divines, touching the vanity 

 of all earthly enjoyments, were groundless; and could have wished 

 that all such discontented declaimers had been with me on this occa- 

 sion, in order that they might have been furnished with an experi- 

 mental demonstration that happiness had not absolutely fled from 

 earth on Adam's expulsion from Paradise, but that there was such a 

 thing as a perfect Elysium still to be found in the world. 



In consequence of this second interview with Rebina and her rela- 

 tions, my admiration of the former was, if possible, greatly increased. 

 Before we parted, both her father and mother assured me, severally 

 and conjointly, that they would feel much gratified at having the 

 honour of another visit, at my earliest convenience. I thanked them 

 for their kindness, and intimated to them that I should feel proud in 

 availing myself of it. 



While my friend and I were returning home — I should have men- 

 tioned before now that Mr. Clarkson's house was about a mile from 

 town — our conversation, very naturally, turned on the excellent qua- 

 lities of the two young ladies whose company we had just left. Mr. 

 Roberts — such was my friend's name — accidentally mentioned that 

 Miss Clarkson was in the habit of taking a walk by herself every 

 fine evening, at a certain hour, in the woods, by which, I should here 

 mention, her father's residence was almost surrounded. The obser- 

 vation was not forgotten by me, I carefully treasured it* up in my 

 mind. On the following afternoon — by this time I had determined on 

 soliciting her hand in marriage — I sauntered out to the wood in ques- 



