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tude to her aid, received his honest welcome with tolerable composure.

Arrived at the house, she left her children, and their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, to receive the honest and respectful homage of her domestics, and retired to her chamber, to pray for that fortitude she could hope to derive from no other source but pious resignation: she took some little refreshment in the course of the evening, saw Elinor and Mr. Churchill for a moment at the door of her dressing-roon, but promised to join them all in the breakfast-room on the morrow.

She

She was punctual to herpromise, and although pale,and evidently struggling with her feelings, she from this time appeared tranquil, and often cheerful.

The family being recovered from their fatigue and settled in their former apartments, the plan of education to be pursued was finally determined on, and order, regularity, and harmony, were established.

Mrs. Belfield's fortune was not large, and her jointure was considered small, in comparison to the family estate, which was upwards, at that time, of four thousand a-year, and capable of very great improvement. Mr.

Churchill,

Churchill, and a counsellor of great eminence, were named by Colonel Belfield as guardians, with their mo̟ther, to his children, and one thousand a-year to be appropriated to Edmund's education and support, until he was eighteen; from that period, until he came of age, his mother had it in her power to increase this allowance to two thousand pounds. The younger boy was to have his mother's fortune, fifteen thousand pounds, agreeable to the marriage-settlement, and the daughters each ten thousand pounds. One thousand a-year out of the estate, was to be paid for the education and support

support of the five younger children for six years; and twelve hundred ayear was her jointure.

The house was a large old-fashioned building, the park and grounds extensive, and the establishment was, in every respect, handsome and genteel, if not splendid.

Now the dear master of this family was no more, many parts of her establishment were superfluous, if not useless; she therefore gave away, to a near neighbour, a fine pack of hounds, and disposed of several high-priced hunters; she retained only one carriage, a coach, and a garden chair. Two

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grooms

grooms and a helper she discharged; and for the under butler she procured a good service. Poor Jones, the Colonel's own man, she kept to attend entirely on herself and daughters, as she was gratified in having him always about her person,

1

A much larger volume than this, would not contain a full account of all this excellent woman's prudent regulations; and while many a young widow was wasting her time and her childrens' property, as far as in her power, depriving them of her maternal

attentions, and tender instructions,

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