these feelings (and who is there so happy as not to have known some
of them?) will understand why Alfieri became powerless, and
Froissart dull; and why even needle-work, the most effectual
sedative, that grand soother and composer of woman's distress, fails
to comfort me to-day. I will go out into the air this cool,
pleasant afternoon, and try what that will do. I fancy that
exercise or exertion of any kind, is the true specific for
nervousness. 'Fling but a stone, the giant dies.' I will go to the
meadows, the beautiful meadows! and I will have my materials of
happiness, Lizzy and May, and a basket for flowers, and we will make
a cowslip-ball. 'Did you ever see a cowslip-ball, my Lizzy?'--
'No.'--'Come away, then; make haste! run, Lizzy!'

And on we go, fast, fast! down the road, across the lea, past the
workhouse, along by the great pond, till we slide into the deep
narrow lane, whose hedges seem to meet over the water, and win our
way to the little farmhouse at the end. 'Through the farmyard,
Lizzy; over the gate; never mind the cows; they are quiet enough.'--
'I don't mind 'em,' said Miss Lizzy, boldly and truly, and with a
proud affronted air, displeased at being thought to mind anything,
and showing by her attitude and manner some design of proving her
courage by an attack on the largest of the herd, in the shape of a
pull by the tail. 'I don't mind 'em.'--'I know you don't, Lizzy;
but let them alone, and don't chase the turkey-cock. Come to me, my
dear!' and, for a wonder, Lizzy came.

In the meantime, my other pet, Mayflower, had also gotten into a
scrape. She had driven about a huge unwieldy sow, till the animal's
grunting had disturbed the repose of a still more enormous
Newfoundland dog, the guardian of the yard. Out he sallied,