1840-42. SEASIDE LIFE. J43 



tumble into the water, and enjoy the benefit of wind and 

 wave at the same time 1 Meanwhile, till an end so desirable 

 is brought about, 1 find my life so eventless that I can record 

 for your edification nothing more wonderful than my re- 

 moval from the bed to the sofa, and back from the sofa 

 to the bed again, like the worthy Vicar of Wakefield, who 

 chronicled the removals from the blue bedroom to the 

 yellow, and from the yellow to the blue. 



" The monotony of my daily life is somewhat broken in 

 upon by the swarms of children who play about the door. 

 They are, for the most part, the ordinary set of sinful imps 

 to be met with here below, alternately kissing and fondling 

 each other like so many angels without wings, and then, 

 when the devil, or ' original sin ' gets into their hearts, 

 kicking and cuffing like reprobates. There is one excep- 

 tion, however, to the foregoing description, in the person of 

 a neat little lassie, with a sunburnt pretty face, and long fair 

 ringlets. I have learned this little lady's first name, Aggy ; 

 a lady's last name does not matter much, being only intended 

 for temporary employment, till a better name can be found 

 for its proprietor. I of course exclude from such remarks 

 those exalted members of the sex, whom, as patterns to 

 mankind, Providence, for wise purposes, permits to hus- 

 band their names, instead of getting husbanded themselves. 



" My attention was first attracted to this young lady by 

 a highly original observation I heard her make one day. 

 She was lying all her length on the grassplot, kicking 

 up her heels in the air, and proclaiming that ' Johnnie 

 Ritchie's name was not Johnnie Ritchie.' Who Johnnie 

 Ritchie is, I don't know, perhaps some relation of your 

 friend Daniel, who may be able to say what his name is, 

 though I fear nobody born out of Ireland is likely to throw 

 much light on the matter. I have inquired at Aggy herself 



