likewise; and how he had become first his curate, and subsequently
his successor. He had scarcely finished his story when his daughter
returned through the garden, accompanied by the above-mentioned
Herr Schmidt. She welcomed Charlotte affectionately, and I confess
I was much taken with her appearance. She was a lively-looking,
good-humoured brunette, quite competent to amuse one for a short
time in the country. Her lover (for such Herr Schmidt evidently
appeared to be) was a polite, reserved personage, and would not
join our conversation, notwithstanding all Charlotte's endeavours
to draw him out. I was much annoyed at observing, by his countenance,
that his silence did not arise from want of talent, but from caprice
and ill-humour. This subsequently became very evident, when we
set out to take a walk, and Frederica joining Charlotte, with whom
I was talking, the worthy gentleman's face, which was naturally
rather sombre, became so dark and angry that Charlotte was obliged
to touch my arm, and remind me that I was talking too much to
Frederica. Nothing distresses me more than to see men torment
each other; particularly when in the flower of their age, in the
very season of pleasure, they waste their few short days of sunshine
in quarrels and disputes, and only perceive their error when it
is too late to repair it. This thought dwelt upon my mind; and
in the evening, when we returned to the vicar's, and were sitting
round the table with our bread end milk, the conversation turned
on the joys and sorrows of the world, I could not resist the
temptation to inveigh bitterly against ill-humour. "We are apt,"
said I, "to complain, but - with very little cause, that our happy
days are few, and our evil days many. If our hearts were always
disposed to receive the benefits Heaven sends us, we should acquire
strength to support evil when it comes." "But," observed the vicar's
wife, "we cannot always command our tempers, so much depends upon