HY FIELD. 37^ 



The garden at Hyfield was quite in keeping with 

 the other parts of the establishment, and it was 

 not a little pleasing to observe a number of English 

 fruit trees. I was told, however, that they suffered 

 exceedingly from blight which was brought by 

 the west winds. In one corner that at first escaped 

 my curiosity, so completely had it been shut out 

 from the gaze of all by a winding bowery walk, I 

 found in a sort of alcove, the tomb of a child ; upon 

 it lay a fresh bouquet of flowers, revealing that 

 the dead was not forgotten by those who were left 

 behind. It was easy to divine, and I afterwards 

 learned this to be the case, that it was the mother, 

 Mrs. Curr, who came every morning to pay this 

 tribute of affection to the departed. A weeping 

 willow drooped its supple branches over the tomb ; 

 some honey- suckle and sweet-briar surrounded it, 

 loading the air with their rich fragrance ; not even 

 the chirping of a bird disturbed the solemn silence 

 that reigned around; every thing seemed to con- 

 spire to suggest holy and melancholy thoughts, and 

 I lingered awhile to indulge in them ; but perceiving 

 by the few footmarks that I was an intruder, 

 hastened to retire, by no means sorry, however, to 

 have discovered this evidence of the enduring love 

 a mother bears her offspring. 



In the Park at Hyfield were some fallow deer, 

 imported from England, and seeming to thrive ex- 

 ceedingly well. There were also two emus, the sight 

 of which reminded me of a very curious observa- 



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