THE VICARAGE. S05 



days. He was however again heard to exclaim 

 " poor John is dead." His little grandson was in 

 the room, and looked up to him with the sweet 

 smile of a pleased infant. " No," said the poor 

 old man, " John is not dead this is my boy/' 



By careful management these rays of reason 

 were cherished and retained ; the child became an 

 object of his love and seduced him to take ex- 

 ercise. To a certain degree he regained a liking 

 for some of his former pursuits. He had once 

 made some progress in literature, but his great 

 taste was for heraldry and genealogy. His me- 

 mory had now greatly failed him, and he chiefly 

 dosed away his life in his easy chair. According 

 to his usual custom he had retired early to bed, 

 and supper was soon afterwards announced. The 

 gratitude felt to Captain Neville, his agreeable and 

 sensible conversation, and the unaffected kindness 

 and benevolence of Mrs. Neville, for she had 

 dropped her more juvenile appellation, rendered 

 it a pleasant meal. Mary and Lucy were accom- 

 panied soon after it was over by Mrs. Neville to 

 their sleeping room, Mr. Davenport was shewn to 

 his, and the Vicar and Captain Neville remained 

 in conversation. It was at this time the former 

 received the greater part of the information, which 

 has just been communicated ; Captain Neville con- 

 cluded by saying that his leave of absence, which 

 he had obtained in consequence of a wound, was 



