utmost good nature presented ns with some 

 of its finest flowers. She also kindly insisted 

 on our seeing a pretty little puppy recently 

 born, which, with its anxious and half-suspi- 

 cious mamma, were handed over the rustic 

 fence for us to cosset. The appeal was irre- 

 sistible. We both did the amiable, hugged 

 the dogs, and made the good dame " happy." 

 Here let us record an act of zmkindness that 

 we were about to do. Our hand instinc- 

 tively found its way into the pocket of our 

 " continuations," and grasped a sixpence. 

 This small coin we intended to place in the 

 hand of the gudewife who had presented us 

 with the flowers ! Some demon suggested 

 the idea ; but our good angel prevailed. The 

 coin dropped from our hand. We smiled as 

 we said adieu! and we looked — aye, both of 

 us, delighted that our conscience was as clear 

 as our entertainer's sincerity was genuine. 

 Bless that said old dame ! 



We now quickly found ourselves trudg- 

 ing through fields of young, growing corn, 

 richly green, and delicious to the eye ; and 

 with lofty trees before us, sheltering a whole 

 choir of the feathered tribe. Arrived here, 

 we halted to listen to the music. No pen — 

 not ours at least — can describe the united 

 harmony of thrush, blackbird, titlark, wood- 

 lark, and blackcap, and many others that 

 poured from within these trees ! We half 

 envied Captain Heald the possession of his 

 dwelling, so consecrated by the feathered 

 muses. Never, we will avow, did his Lola 

 Montes sing so sweet ! for here " innocence" 

 reigned supreme. 



It were impossible for us to attempt to 

 dwell on the voices of the birds, separately, 

 now. Many opportunities will offer for 

 this. But we must speak of one skylark 

 in particular, who, as he rose high on the 

 wing, distilled on us such a succession of 

 sweet sounds that they live with us yet. He 

 claimed the skies as his own ; and surely — 



The broad unbounded sky is all his own ; 

 The silver sheeted heaven is his domain ! 

 No land-mark there; no hand to bring him down. 

 Glad monarch of the blue and starry plain ! 

 To thee is airy space, far-stretching, given, 

 The vast unmeasured floor of angel- trodden 

 heaven ! 



A rustic, or rather we imagine, a gardener, 

 who passed us while we were thus "rapt," 

 exclaimed, — " Aye, masters, that is a bird ! 

 We know him ; he goes up every morning at 

 three o'clock !" Then, when he had pro- 

 ceeded some considerable distance, he turned 

 round and shouted out — "A'in't it a shame to 

 clap such birds in cages ? " We groaned in- 

 wardly, remembering certain offences of ours 

 this way in early days ; but we contrived to 

 ejaculate " It is" and in a firm manly voice. 



We must now leave very much to our 



readers' imagination ; for when treating on 

 Country Rambles, our pen gets sadly dis- 

 cursive, loving to minimise and particularise 

 every little pleasing incident. 



Crossing through Acton, and entering the 

 Ealing road, we found ourselves in the lane 

 immediately contiguous to the twin-ponds. 

 We gained this by taking the first turning 

 on the right, in the main road. This lane, 

 from its extreme loveliness and perfect ru- 

 rality, is called the " Lovers' Lane." And 

 in sooth, if ever two individuals should be 

 "troubled in their minds' ' (and some of us 

 no doubt have been ere now, and may 

 be again !) and find themselves walking 

 here — the trouble cannot be of any long 

 duration. It must find immediate vent. 

 Both we and our companion could come 

 to no other conclusion. It is a fairy gar- 

 den, peopled with flowers, birds, trees, 

 shrubs, and all that Nature calls beau- 

 tiful. How pleased shall we be to hear 

 that we have been instrumental in giving 

 ease to only one breaking — perhaps broken — 

 heart ! We repeat, therefore, for the benefit 

 of all "persons about to marry" — enter here. 

 Vows made in such a spot, never could be 

 broken. 



At the extreme end of this lane — sacred to 

 Cupid — turn to the left, and you will be vis 

 avis to Hanger Hill, one of the loveliest 

 spots in her Majesty's dominions. On the 

 broad walk, of which we are speaking, over- 

 arched as it is with lofty trees, and walled 

 with graceful shrubberies, you may stay some 

 hours, if time permits ; particularly if any- 

 thing remains unsaid in the lane (last men- 

 tioned), that ought to have been said. We 

 rested here some considerable time ; for the 

 nightingales and blackcaps, which had only 

 recently arrived, and which were lavish of 

 their songs, held us spell-bound. Here 

 again our pen must be stopped, or our 

 offence of enlarging on what we saw, felt, 

 and heard, would be great indeed ! 



We may, however, direct attention to 

 Hanger Vale Villa, the seat of — Nicholls, 

 Esq., at the remote end of the broad walk 

 we have been speaking of, and forming an 

 angle at Hanger Hill. The ornamental 

 water on the lawn, the neat disposition of 

 the trees, shrubs, and evergreens, and the 

 repose visible in the whole arrangement 

 of the grounds, deserve especial notice. The 

 laurustinus was most tastefully inter- 

 woven with its blushing and more pretend- 

 ing brethren ; and the harmony of the whole 

 was to the eye most pleasing. The daffodils 

 looked gay and cheerful, while the primroses 

 more modestly asserted their claims to 

 attention. 



We must now conduct our readers in 

 imagination along this beautiful Hill, until 

 they find us halting at a small hostelry, of 



