(at the time of which we are speaking,) to the age of twenty-two, and in
personal appearance they might have been considered as correct models of
manly beauty. Their forms were tall, erect, and muscular, and thus far,
each was the exact counterpart of the other, but here the resemblance
between the brothers ended. In temper and disposition, Henry was mild,
generous and forgiving, whilst Arthur was sanguine, violent and
irascible. Although they had both been educated alike, they differed
very widely in strength of mind and capacity of intellect, for the mind
of Henry was strong, and undeviatingly based on the principles of right,
while that of his brother was weak and vacillating. The affections of
the former when once fixed, were immoveable as the solid rock, whilst
the passions of the latter, although more violent, were not capable of
remaining fixed for any length of time on any particular object. These
two brothers had both felt a partiality for Mary Hamilton, and so far as
Henry was concerned, the partiality was fully reciprocated, but she
looked coldly upon Arthur, which caused him to turn from her in disgust,
and transport his vacillating affections to sweet Ellen Armstrong, whom,
as being our principal heroine, we must now proceed briefly to notice
and describe.

At the time of her introduction to the notice of our readers, she was to
all outward appearance a bright and joyous being, who seemed to think of
nothing but the happiness of herself and those around her. Although but
fourteen summers had then passed over her head, and her fair form was
slight and fragile as the first pale flower of Spring, her high and
noble thoughts, as they escaped from her vermillion lips in soft and
musical words, gave sufficient evidence that her mind and intellect was
far beyond her years. She was, in very fact and deed, a singular and
uncommon being, such an one as is rarely to be met with in the daily
walks of life. Her form, though slight, was faultless in its