106 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



my mother intended to bequeath me her estate, 

 which was in her own power. 



"At last I grew tired of idle prosperity; I 

 sighed for novelty to relieve me from the burden 

 of time ; and I sometimes felt that I had a mind 

 capable of more than had hitherto occupied it. 

 Having gone with some of my friends to shoot on 

 my mother's property of Strath-morton, I was at- 

 tacked by a feverish and tedious cold ; and as my 

 gay associates left me when I could no longer 

 join in their pursuits, I had abundant leisure for 

 reflection. The good-natured old steward was 

 my principal visiter, and his conversation gene- 

 rally turned on the miseries of not having a resi- 

 dent master at Strath-morton ; for my father and 

 mother always resided at their place in Sussex; 

 and a poor tenantry and impoverished land were 

 of course the effect. This led me to think of my 

 insignificant life. I began to wish for the variety 

 of being useful ; and at last I determined to be- 

 come an active country-gentleman, in order to 

 become of consequence, as well as for the plea- 

 sure of having a new object. The motives were 

 undoubtedly erroneous; but I tell them, sir, in 

 order to shew you the progress of my mind. 



" I readily obtained my father's permission to 

 make Strath-morton my abode ; and with his 

 sanction, I entered on my new life as soon as 

 it was possible to make my arrangements. The 

 novelty alone could at first have r uade me endur 



