"O most adorable! most unador'd!

Where shall that praise begin, which ne'er should end?
Where'er I turn, what claim on all applause.'

and, as Bishop Heber says,

"From the soft vernal sky, to the soft grassy gronnd,
There is beauty above me, beneath, and around."

and, I repeat with Dyer

"How close and small the hedges lie!

What streaks of meadows cross the eye!

A step, methinks, may cross the stream."

"You make your lines ac-cord," interrupted Tom Buoyant, "but let us leave the trees and flowers, and think of Mrs. Brindle and the Budds."

"Ah," exclaimed Mrs. Azure," where can they be? it is very strange."

66

Very," echoed Mrs. Bodger; "its two hours arter the time we was to a' had dinner ;" and she looked at her gold watch, which was about the elegant size of a small cheeseplate. "Why, I'm blessed," she continued, "its three o'clock. I feels precious peckish, and it strikes me that it won't be huncommon hodd if we have to toddle to the Star and Garter for our feed, for I have a' presongtimong,' as Miss Hazzher says, that Jim won't bring the pannum."

"Ha ha ha!" shouted Smerke.

"Well, Mr. Grinner, wot do you mean by that horse-laugh ?" she asked indignantly of smiling Smerke, who could only put his hand to his heart, bow, and shake his head, while his whole frame was convulsed with a suppressed roar.

"nature

"Oh, don't mind him, mother," cried Miss Bodger, will out-it is merely his natural stupidity displaying itself.” "Oh, well, if that's all," said Mrs. B, appeased.

Mrs. Bodger was interrupted at this moment, by an audible groan, accompanied by the exclamation" Its of no use-none whatever-it won't do-won't-d-n it." Turning to the spot, Mr. Brindle was observed, in a state of perturbation, holding his hand half closed to his right eye, telescope fashion, walking forwards, and then receding, and then stamping, and scratching his head with great vigour, bewailing the loss of his glass in terms of bitterest woe."

"La!” cried the eldest Miss Brindle, "look at pa,-he! he! he! what a way he's in-he said

"Shocking!" giggled her sister, "wasn't it?"

"Partic❜lar so-he! he! he !" was the response.

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Gals," said Mrs. Bodger, "wats keeping your- -Oh, here they hare-here they hare," she shouted, as Mrs. Brindle appeared in sight, followed by three men, carrying as many hampers; and her dear son devouring a maid of honour,' accompanied by the two Budds, who were exciting the anger of the men, by occasionally inserting pins in their understandings.

"Hurrah, here's the dinner," shouted Buoyant. "That's plummy!" vociferated Mrs. Bodger."

"Glorious-puff-devilish-puff-good," intermittingly ejaculated Walter, who had not ceased smoking, and who had replenished his case in Richmond.

Now, I hope, we shall enjoy ourselves," said Miss Bodger. "What detained you so long, Mrs. B. dear," enquired Miss Azure.

"Why, my love," answered Mrs. Brindle, wiping her forehead, for she was still dripping dew,' " when I was drying my boy's and my own clothes, I remembered there was nobody to meet the villain Jim with the dinner, so I directly started off, and the Budds would go with me down to the bridge; and there I waited-waited, till I was tired; but I had enough to do to keep the boys from mischief; the little sprightly dogs kept throwing stones, until they broke a window and cut a child's eye open, both of which I had to pay for; just after, up c mes a large boat, a regular party barge, and four men got out, and brought out our parcels with them, which, as soon as I saw, I went up to them, and asked them how they came by them; and, would you believe it, the rude fellows called me the fat cook,' but I soon undeceived them; I enquired for Jim, and learned that he had opened the wine hamper, had got beastly intoxicated, and was lying fast asleep in the cabin, or whatever you call it, of the pleasure boat. I got one of the men to wake him; and all I could get out of the wretch was, that he was thirsty, and water did not agree with him, and then he filthily hiccup'd in my face. I sent him to the cabin to sleep off his liquor, and the watermen offering to carry the dinner, I—I—Why, here we are," she concluded.

"By the bye," said Makemoney, "it would be no bad thing to return by the boat, if it is large enough?”

"Oh, quite," answered Mrs. Brindle.

"A good thought, uncle," cried Sprightly; "I imagine it will be a clear moonlight night, and that will make it delicious." "Besides," broke in Flourish, "we shall not have to endure the heat of the steamer, nor return so soon,"

"Delightful," ejaculated Miss Azure. "Le vent du bureau est bon."

"Out of evil_cometh good," eagerly uttered Miss Young; "there is no evil, says Du Moulin, but some good enters into the composition; and as my illustrious ancestor observes

"Mrs. Brindle-my wife-ma'am," interrupted Mr. Brindle; "did you put up, as I directed, my pocket-glass in the hamper ?” "Yes, my dear," answered his wife.

"The loss, Sacharisse, of my telescope, induces a necessity for the pocket-glass,-give it me."

"Lor, my dear, we shan't have dinner to day,-do wait ?" "D-n it, Mrs. Brindle-ma'am," muttered Mr. B.

"Boatman," cried Makemoney, "is your boat large enough to take us all back to London ?"

"Plenty, sir," replied a man advancing from his companions. "Then we engage you to do so," said Makemoney. "And he engages to do so, I hope," urged Buoyant. "The Neoteric Charon is monoculous,' observed Pundit. "What's that?" interrogated Mrs. Bodger.

"That he has a singular vision," replied Buoyant.

Why, he's only got one hi," answered Mrs. B.

Exactly," exclaimed Buoyant.

"Saves trouble, mum," said the waterman, who overheard the remark; "because, you seeHe would have grown "Where shall we dine?

loquacious, but the general cry of
Dinner! dinner!" drowned the intended explanation.

A council was now called to arrange where to dine: the Park, Star and Garter, were to their left; an hotel, a row of houses, at their back; a quantity of ditto to their right, and the view in front of them. It was evident that this was not a place for Pic-nic-iana. To be within the gaze of the world had nothing very rural in it. So, after a slight deliberation, they filed off to the right, and, with a little winding about, found a nice place, a spot encompassed by a few trees, and commanding an extensive view. Here they stopped, and, with as much speed as might be, the cloth was laid upon the grass; the eatables brought forth; and, in an inconceivable short period, were being discussed by the party.

"Well, I likes this," cried Mrs. Bodger, with her mouth full; "it certain'y is nice to heat your wittles in the hopen hair."

"Very," responded Mrs. Azure; "it makes me think on our last trip here: there was no houses then-all fields and tresses -eh?"

66

Oh, its pleasant to think on hold times, han't it, Hazzher? "Very," growled Azure.

66

Well, how do you like the dinner?" asked Mrs. Brindle, who had been serving every body, and stood a very good chance of getting none herself. "How do you like it?" she asked, with a flattering consciousness of receiving the highest commendation.

"Oh, delicious-very nice-does great credit-never enjoyed any thing more-lamb so young-so sweet-fowls so nice," &c. &c. uttered the party.

"Well, I am very glad of that-I tried to- -bless me, Mr. Pundit, what is the matter?" asked Mrs. B. of Mr. P., on seeing him cram his handkerchief to his mouth, turn as pale as death, and rise hastily from his seat. He could not reply, but waved his hand, rushed from the spot, and was very ill behind a tree. This incident gave rise to various conjectures: he had been eating a small pigeon-pie.