Page:Irish assassin, or, The misfortunes of the family of O'Donnel (1).pdf/4

 4 attracted his notice. There was an air of taste and sim- plicity in every thing around it, which excited his utmost curiosity with respect to its inhabitants, of whom, from the scene before him, he formed the most romantic ideas. It was placed in that situation, which, of all others, was the most picturesque; that is, its point of elevation was not too great for the landscape from the bottom of a small lawn which spread before it, the wood gradually fell to the margin of the river, and a number of gigantic oaks covered the hill behind it nearly to the summit, a broken line of moss-hung crags however, still peeping beyond. Against the front of this cottage grew an old woodbine, whose branches, mingling with each other, crept round four neat sash windows, that glowed as fire from the reflection of the Sun. While he stood silently admiring the beauty of the scene, the door of the cot- tage was opened, and a young woman, clothed with ele- gant but artless teste, stepped out upon the green; on her arm there leant a man of very interesting figure and rather stricken in years, who, after looking round him with an air of satisfaction, smiled with parental fondness on his fair companion, and gave to Heaven with cheer- ful piety, his grateful thanks for the blessing he enjoyed. Thus was Arthur sitaater, and having gratified his fancy with the scenery around, was about to return but no sooner did the two figures appear before him, than his best and sweetest feelings were called into action ; the country assumed a more enchanting hue the sun "shed a mellower and more delicious tint, and every ob-ject seemed heightened with a pathetic glare. An in- telligence the most expressive sat on the features of the young woman.—an intelligence so divine, so mild so graceful that Raphael might have studied it with rap- ture. She had on a gown of white cotton, and round her waist there was a green sash; her hair of a nut brown colour, hung down loosely upon her shoulder, and from her left arm depended a small basket. The person who leaned upon her right arm was dressed in a scarlet mili-