40 ENGLISH FAMILY 



know more of a certain object that had taken possession 

 of my mind, I left the precincts of that holy temple. I 

 will enter no further into the occurrences of this day — 

 suffice it to say that the incident strengthened my 

 inclination, and afterwards induced me to leave that 

 road. 



But I cannot pass over the consequences this occurrence 

 had upon my future fate or fortune, or its effects upon the 

 employment and rational enjoyment of my vacant hours. 

 The object of attraction, I soon found, was one of a large 

 and respectable family in the town, and I may say, with- 

 out fear of being accused of partiality or vanity, fourteen 

 hner specimens of the genus homo never sat round a 

 parent's substantially furnished board. It was well, too, 

 to witness the order that was observed in this graduated 

 assembly. Cleanliness and decorum, obedience and 

 affection, contentment and good humour, animated their 

 bright blue eyes, and set off to perfection their fair and 

 rosy complexions. There was nothing either Grecian or 

 Roman in the contour of their countenances, or in their 

 features — neither in them would the sculptor desire any- 

 thing to commend his art ; for the same impression would 

 guide his chisel as did the first sight of our Saxon 

 ancestors strike St. Gregory when he exclaimed, " Noii 

 Angli sed Angelic The first time I was admitted to put 

 my feet under the same mahogany my eyes were far more 

 feasted than my appetite, though it was pleasantly and 

 politely courted, and I rose from the table in admiration 

 of the beauty and order of an Englishman's fire-side. 



My Sundays were now generally spent at St. Albans, 

 and I was soon made acquainted with the beautiful walks 



