a slight sketch of the female dramatis persona of Glenfern Castle. sense. Miss Jacky, the senior of the trio, was what is reckoned a very sensible woman—which generally means, a very disagreeable, obstinate, illiberal director of all men, women, and children—a sort of superintendent of all actions, time, and place— with unquestioned authority to arraign, judge, and condemn, upon the statutes of her own supposed Most country parishes have their sensible woman, who lays down the law on all affairs spiritual and temporal. Miss Jacky stood unrivalled as the sensible woman of Glenfern. She had attained this eminence, partly from having a little more understanding than her sisters, but principally from her dictatorial manner, and the pompous, decisive tone in which she delivered the most common-place truths. At home, her supremacy in all matters of sense was perfectly established; and thence the infection, like other superstitions, had spread over the whole neighbourhood. As sensible woman, she regulated the family, which she took care to let everybody see; she was conductor of her nieces' education, which she took care to let everybody hear; she was a sort of post-mistress generala detector of all abuses and impositions; and deemed it her prerogative to be consulted about all the useful and useless things, which everybody else could have done as well. She was liberal of her advice to the poor, always enforcing upon them the iniquity of idleness, but doing nothing for them in the way of employment-strict economy being one of the many points in which she was particularly sensible. The consequence was, while she was lecturing half VOL. I.-4 the poor women in the parish for their idleness, the bread was kept out of their mouths, by the incessant carding of wool and knitting of stockings, and spinning, and reeling, and winding, and pirning,2 that went on amongst the ladies themselves. And, by the bye, Miss Jacky is not the only sensible woman who thinks she is acting a meritorious part, when she converts what ought to be the portion of the poor into the employment of the affluent. A In short, Miss Jacky was all over sense. skilful physiognomist would, at a single glance, have detected the sensible woman, in the erect head, the compressed lips, square elbows, and firm, judicious step. Even her very garments seemed to partake of the prevailing character of their mistress: her ruff always looked more sensible than any other body's; her shawl sat more sensibly on her shoulders; her walking shoes were acknowledged to be very sensible; and she drew on her gloves with an air of sense, as if the one arm had been Seneca, the other Socrates. From what has been said, it may easily be inferred, that Miss Jacky was in fact anything but a sensible woman; as indeed no woman can be, who bears such visible outward marks of what is in reality the most quiet and unostentatious of all good qualities. But there is a spurious sense, which passes equally well with the multitude: it is easily assumed, and still easier maintained; common truths and a grave dictatorial air being all that is necessary for its support. Miss Grizzy's character will not admit of so long a commentary as that of her sister: she was 1[Carding" teasing" wool.] 2 [Pirning winding on to a spool.] merely distinguishable from nothing by her simple good nature, the inextricable entanglement of her thoughts, her love of letter writing, and her friendship with Lady Maclaughlan. Miss Nicky had about as much sense as Miss Jacky; but, as no kingdom can maintain two kings, so no family can admit of two sensible women; and Nicky was, therefore, obliged to confine hers to the narrowest possible channels of house-keeping, mantua-making, etc., and to sit down for life (or at least till Miss Jacky should be married) with the dubious character of "not wanting for sense either." With all these little peccadilloes, the sisters possessed some good properties: they were well-meaning, kindhearted, and, upon the whole, good-tempered; they loved one another, revered their brother, doated upon their nephews and nieces, took a lively interest in the poorest of their poor cousins, a hundred degrees removed, and had a firm conviction of the perfectibility of human nature, as exemplified in the persons of all their own friends. "Even their failings leaned to virtue's side;" for whatever they did was with the intention of doing good, though the means they made use of generally produced an opposite effect. But there are so many Miss Douglas' in the world, that doubtless every one of my readers is as well acquainted with them as I am myself. I shall, therefore, leave them to finish the picture according to their own ideas, while I return to the parlour, where the worthy spinsters are seated in expectation of the arrival of their friend. 1[See Biographical Preface, p. xxxi.] CHAPTER IX "Though both! Not equal, as their sex not equal seemed- "WHAT MILTON. HAT can have come over Lady Maclaughlan?" said Miss Grizzy, as she sat at the window in a dejected attitude. "I think I hear a carriage at last," cried Miss Jacky, turning up her ears: "wisht! let us listen." "It's only the wind," sighed Miss Grizzy. "It's the cart with the bread," said Miss Nicky. "It's Lady Maclaughlan, I assure you," pronounced Miss Jacky. The heavy rumble of a ponderous vehicle now proclaimed the approach of the expected visitor; which pleasing anticipation was soon changed into blissful certainty, by the approach of a high-roofed, square-bottomed, pea-green chariot, drawn by two long-tailed white horses, and followed by a lacquey in the Highland garb. Out of this equipage issued a figure, clothed in a light-coloured, large-flowered chintz raiment, carefully drawn through the pocket holes, either for its own preservation, or the more disinterested purpose of displaying a dark short stuff petticoat, which, with the same liberality, afforded ample scope for the survey of a pair of worsted stockings and black leather shoes, something resembling buckets. A faded red cloth jacket, which bore evident marks of having been severed from its native skirts, now acted in the capacity of a spencer. On the head rose a stupendous fabric, in the form of a cap, on the summit of which was placed a black beaver hat, tied à la poissarde. A small black satin muff in one hand, and a goldheaded walking-stick in the other, completed the dress and decoration of this personage. The lacquey, meanwhile, advanced to the carriage; and, putting in both his hands, as if to catch something, he pulled forth a small bundle, enveloped in a military cloak, the contents of which would have baffled conjecture, but for the large cocked hat, and little booted leg, which protruded at opposite extremities. A loud, but slow and well modulated voice, now resounded through the narrow stone passage that conducted to the drawing-room. "Bring him in-bring him in, Philistine. I always call my man Philistine, because he has Sampson in his hands. Set him down there," the venerable pointing to an easy chair, as the group now entered, headed by Lady Maclaughlan. "Well, girls!" addressing the spinsters, as they severally exchanged a tender salute: "so you're all alive I see ;-humph! "Dear Lady Maclaughlan, allow me to introduce our beloved niece, Lady Juliana Douglas,' said Miss Grizzy, leading her up, and bridling as she spoke, with ill-suppressed exultation. 66 So you're very pretty-yes, you are very |