They were both of them tired, and Margaret herself so much so, that she was unwilling to go out as she had proposed to do, and have another ramble among the woods and fields so close to the home of her childhood. And, somehow, this visit to Helstone had not been all--had not been exactly what she had expected. There was change everywhere; slight, yet pervading all. Households were changed by absence, or death, or marriage, or the natural mutations brought by days and months and years, which carry us on imperceptibly from childhood to youth, and thence through manhood to age, whence we drop like fruit, fully ripe, into the quiet mother earth. Places were changed--a tree gone here, a bough there, bringing in a long ray of light where no light was before--a road was trimmed and narrowed, and the green straggling pathway by its side enclosed and cultivated. A great improvement it was called; but Margaret sighed over the old picturesqueness, the old gloom, and the grassy way-side of former days. She sate by the window on the little settle, sadly gazing out upon the gathering shades of night, which harmonized well with her pensive thought. Mr. Bell slept soundly, after his unusual exercise through the day. At last he was roused by the entrance of the tea-tray, brought in by a flushed-looking country-girl, who had evidently been finding some variety from her usual occupation of waiter, in assisting this day in the hay-field.

They were both tired. Margaret was unwilling to go out as she had proposed to do, and have another ramble among the woods and fields. Somehow, this visit to Helstone had not been what she had expected. Households were changed: places were changed - a tree gone here, a road trimmed there, and the green straggling pathway by its side enclosed and cultivated. A great improvement it was called; but Margaret sighed over the grassy wayside of former days. She sat by the window, sadly gazing out upon the gathering shades of night. Mr. Bell slept soundly, after his unusual exercise through the day. He was roused by the entrance of the tea-tray, brought in by a country-girl.
