During the year of mourning they lived in retirement; music, drawing, and reading, filled up the time; and Mary’s taste and judgment were both improved by contracting a habit of observation, and permitting the simple beauties of Nature to occupy her thoughts.

She had a wonderful quickness in discerning distinctions and combining ideas, that at the first glance did not appear to be similar.  But these various pursuits did not banish all her cares, or carry off all her constitutional black bile.  Before she enjoyed Ann’s society, she imagined it would have made her completely happy:  she was disappointed, and yet knew not what to complain of.

As her friend could not accompany her in her walks, and wished to be alone, for a very obvious reason, she would return to her old haunts, retrace her anticipated pleasures—­and wonder how they changed their colour in possession, and proved so futile.

She had not yet found the companion she looked for.  Ann and she were not congenial minds, nor did she contribute to her comfort in the degree she expected.  She shielded her from poverty; but this was only a negative blessing; when under the pressure it was very grievous, and still more so were the apprehensions; but when exempt from them, she was not contented.

Such is human nature, its laws were not to be inverted to gratify our heroine, and stop the progress of her understanding, happiness only flourished in paradise—­we cannot taste and live.

Another year passed away with increasing apprehensions.  Ann had a hectic cough, and many unfavourable prognostics:  Mary then forgot every thing but the fear of losing her, and even imagined that her recovery would have made her happy.

Her anxiety led her to study physic, and for some time she only read books of that cast; and this knowledge, literally speaking, ended in vanity and vexation of spirit, as it enabled her to foresee what she could not prevent.

As her mind expanded, her marriage appeared a dreadful misfortune; she was sometimes reminded of the heavy yoke, and bitter was the recollection!

In one thing there seemed to be a sympathy between them, for she wrote formal answers to his as formal letters.  An extreme dislike took root in her mind; the found of his name made her turn sick; but she forgot all, listening to Ann’s cough, and supporting her languid frame.  She would then catch her to her bosom with convulsive eagerness, as if to save her from sinking into an opening grave.

CHAP.  VII.

It was the will of Providence that Mary should experience almost every species of sorrow.  Her father was thrown from his horse, when his blood was in a very inflammatory state, and the bruises were very dangerous; his recovery was not expected by the physical tribe.

Terrified at seeing him so near death, and yet so ill prepared for it, his daughter sat by his bed, oppressed by the keenest anguish, which her piety increased.