LITERARY CHARACTERS. 341
A fairy cottage with its attic hues,
A garden, where the freshest violets blow, A sacred nook, for dalliance with the muse,
Where flowers and statues breathe, and pictures glow ; Hearts filled with love, the classic thought that twine
And draw the shamrock forth to purer air ; A mother, beauteous in her life s decline,
And ever gladdened by their duteous care. How blest from noise and restless pomp to flee, And taste serene repose, sweet Rosary, with thee.
��Having always considered individuals who have at tained distinction in the fields of intellect, as objects of higher interest than any modification of natural scenery, or architectural skill, I counted myself fortunate in being able to bear away personal recollections of so many, especially of my own sex. Among these were the Hon. Mrs. Norton, Miss Jane Porter, the Countess of Bless- ington, Mrs. Austin, Mrs. Hofland, Mrs. Kemble Butler, Miss Agnes Strickland, Miss Pardoe, and Lady Valsi- machi, formerly the consort of Bishop Heber. Some disappointments I was compelled to regret, especially my inability to accept the pressing invitation of Mrs. Opie, to visit her in Norfolk, and the absence of Mrs. Howitt, in Germany, whom I had much desired to meet. The invalid health of Miss Barrett, then just commenc ing her splendid poetical career, caused her to seclude herself from strangers, and the filial devotion of Mary Russell Mitford was at that time her absorbing occupa-
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