"Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."--Prov., ch. xxxi., v. 31.
And thus, 16th of September, 1847, at the early age of thirty-one, Grace Aguilar was laid to rest; the bowl was broken, the silver cord was loosed. Her life was short, and checkered with pain and anxiety, but she strove hard to make it useful and valuable, by employing diligently and faithfully the talents with which she had been endowed. Nor did the serious view with which she ever regarded earthly existence induce her to neglect or despise any occasion of enjoyment, advantage, or sociality which presented itself. Her heart was ever open to receive, her hand to give.
Inasmuch as she succeeded to the satisfaction of her fellow-beings, let them be grateful; inasmuch as she failed, let those who perceive it deny her not the meed of praise for her endeavor to open the path she believed would lead mankind to practical virtue and happiness, and strive to carry out the pure philanthropic principles by which she was actuated, and which she so earnestly endeavored to diffuse.
II.--Glimpses into a Child's Heart--A Death-bed
III.--Retrospection--The Lowly sought--The Haughty foiled
IV.--Retrospective--Effects of Coquetry--Obedience and Disobedience
V.--A Heart and Home in England--A Heart and Home in India
I.--Youthful Colloquy--Introducing Character
II.--Three English Homes, and their Inmates
III.--Home Scene--Visitors--Childish Meditations
V.--A Young Gentleman in a Passion--A Walk--A Scene of Distress
VI.--Cecil Grahame's Philosophy--An Error, and its Consequences--A Mystery and a Confidence
VII.--Mr. Morton's Story--A Confession--A young Pleader--Generosity not always Justice
VIII.--An unpleasant Proposal--The Mystery Solved--A Father's Grief from a Mother's Weakness--A Father's Joy from a Mother's Influence
IX.--Temptation and Disobedience--Fear--Falsehood and Punishment
X.--Pain and Penitence--Truth Impressed, and Reconciliation--The Family-tree
XII.--Effects of Pleasure--The young Midshipman--Ill-temper, Origin and Consequences
XIII.--Suspicion--A Parting, a double Grief--Innocence proved--Wrong done and Evil confirmed by Doubt
In a very beautiful part of Wales, between the northern boundaries of Glamorgan and the southeastern of Carmarthenshire, there stood, some twenty or thirty years ago, a small straggling village. Its locality was so completely concealed that the appearance of a gentleman's carriage, or, in fact, any vehicle superior to a light spring-cart, was of such extremely rare occurence as to be dated, in the annals of Llangwillan, as a remarkable event, providing the simple villagers with amusing wonderment for weeks.