On enquiring for it, I was soon informed by the old housekeeper, who has been in the family near fifty years, that it was deposited in the lumber-room; but that, only a short time since, as she happened to be passing by it, she lifted up the lid, and perceived that the bottom of it was strewed over with dirt, and dust, and with little bits of paper, which appeared to have been nibbled into pieces by the mice; and she added, that she was pretty sure I should find nothing in it worth looking after. This information was sufficiently discouraging. I, however, desired the box to be brought to my apartment, and on opening it, I perceived, that most probably, it was originally constructed for the express purpose of preserving papers; for the entire cavity of the inside was filled up with two rows of deep drawers, three in each row, which could only be opened, by drawing them perpendicularly upwards. One of the drawers had been taken out, and never replaced; and, as the lid did not shut close, the mice had got into the place of that drawer, and had nibbled away some papers, which had probably been left there, and also the margins, and part of the writing, of some of the manuscripts, which protruded a little from the other drawers. The inside of the box was so contrived, that, if all the drawers had been in, this could never have happened. After having given a few moments to grief, and lamentation, for the loss of the manuscripts, which I thus saw irretrievably destroyed, I began, with no little agitation, to pull out the other drawers, and was delighted to find, that none of them were entirely empty. At
mory of my dear departed sister, whose untimely death has taken place since I began this work. Often has she listened to my account of its progress, and often has she looked forward to the pleasure of reading it when finished. But, alas! she has sunk prematurely into the grave! Nor will she be gratified by its perusal, nor I by the approbation whichher affection, and fondness, would have bestowed upon it!
