It was piece by piece, as a
child picks out its lesson, that I began to recollect
the beauties of nature which had once surrounded
me in the home of my forefathers. A natural
taste for them must have lurked at the bottom of
my heart, which awakened when I was in foreign
countries, and becoming by degrees a favourite
passion, gradually turned its eyes inwards, and
ransacked the neglected stores which my memory
had involuntarily recorded, and when excited, exerted
herself to collect and to complete.
I began now to regret more bitterly than ever
the having fooled away my family property, the
care and improvement of which I saw might have
afforded an agreeable employment for my leisure,
which only went to brood on past misfortunes, and
increase useless repining. ``Had but a single
farm been reserved, however small,'' said I one
day to Mr Fairscribe, ``I should have had a place
1 could call my home, and something that I could
call business.''
``It might have been managed,'' answered Fairscribe;
``and for my part, I inclined to keep the
mansion-house, mains, and some of the old family
acres together; but both Mr ------ and you were of
opinion that the money would be more useful.
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