old; but perhaps fatigue and wandering had anticipated the touch
of time in obliterating the freshness of early youth.

We have said the glee maiden's manner was lively, and we may add
that her smile and repartee were ready. But her gaiety was assumed,
as a quality essentially necessary to her trade, of which it was
one of the miseries, that the professors were obliged frequently
to cover an aching heart with a compelled smile. This seemed to be
the case with Louise, who, whether she was actually the heroine of
her own song, or whatever other cause she might have for sadness,
showed at times a strain of deep melancholy thought, which interfered
with and controlled the natural flow of lively spirits which the
practice of the joyous science especially required. She lacked also,
even in her gayest sallies, the decided boldness and effrontery of
her sisterhood, who were seldom at a loss to retort a saucy jest,
or turn the laugh against any who interrupted or interfered with
them.

It may be here remarked, that it was impossible that this class of
women, very numerous in that age, could bear a character generally
respectable. They were, however, protected by the manners of the
time; and such were the immunities they possessed by the rights of
chivalry, that nothing was more rare than to hear of such errant
damsels sustaining injury or wrong, and they passed and repassed
safely, where armed travellers would probably have encountered a
bloody opposition. But though licensed and protected in honour of
their tuneful art, the wandering minstrels, male or female, like
similar ministers to the public amusement, the itinerant musicians,
for instance, and strolling comedians of our own day, led a life
too irregular and precarious to be accounted a creditable part of