Piercefield, where they had resided for some years; and this very circumstance renders it doubly interesting to us.. Her favourite pursuits were thus interrupted; the delightful scenery of her once happy home, the harp, the pianoforte, the romantic walks, the retired alcove and the library, were sacrificed together. Mr. Smith and his family quitted Piercefield for ever at this melancholy era, but the resignation with which Elizabeth bore so severe a trial, the patience with which she sustained the long and painful illness that preceded her death, the sweet and unceasing attention which she always shewed to the feelings of her parents and friends, and the heavenly composure with which she looked forwards to another state of existence, are worthy your admiration, and may convince you that piety alone can shed that softened lustre on distinguished talents which renders their possessor happy here, and ensures her happiness hereafter. As the preceding account, brief as it is, was my chief object in addressing you, I will not enlarge, but leave Caroline to describe the scenery of Piercefield, and to rhapsodize on the pleasure she enjoyed there. Believe me, with every wish for your -welfare and improvement in all that is good, Yours, &c. LETTER XIII. CAROLINE to ELLEN. Chepstow, August 24. AGAIN, my dear Ellen, I venture to address you, being assured that a second letter from your absent friend will not prove an unwelcome visitor. I promised in my last to give you some account of our moonlight visit to Chepstow Castle, so now for it. A few evenings ago, papa, Edward, my cousin Lucy, and myself, set out directly after tea and rambled along a narrow lane till we came within view of the eastern side of the ruins. A beautiful scene they indeed presented! for the moon, just breaking through the clouds, shed a soft silvery light upon the battlements and round towers, and gave them an air of awful and melancholy grandeur. We opened a little gate that led us into a field, and another from the field that brought us into the path leading to the entrance of the castle, whose strong barred door, assailed in many places with musket-balls, reminded us that there had been a time when an entrance through it was a more difficult under taking than even what we found it. Papa tried to open it and Edward tried too, but they could not succeed, for it was strong and heavy, and at last we concluded that it was barred up for the night, and that we must give up the hope of exploring the winding galleries, the deserted towers, and the dreary dungeons, till day-light should favour such an exploit. So we were turning away in despair, when Lucy exclaimed, “Oh, I have discovered it! I have found an entrance! Here is a little door that I can open and shut without difficulty!" She was not mistaken; there was a little door, contrived within the large one, which papa said had probably been made for the porter of the castle to give and receive messages, &c. without opening the great massy gate, for fear of an assault from the enemy. With some little difficulty we got, one by one, through this wee-wee door, and entered the great court, which is quite surrounded by chapels and halls and watchtowers, the roofs and windows of which are generally gone, but the walls are above ten feet thick, and seem as if they might stand some hundred years longer. The court is large and kept in nice order. We peeped in at one door-way and then at another till we came to a narrow arched passage, along which we ventured. We then ascended a few steps, which brought us to a sort of gallery. Just at that moment the light of the moon bursting through one of the long narrow loop-holes in the wall, directed us to a door, which we opened. This door led us into a great hall, without a roof, consequently not quite dark. After looking and groping about for some time, we found another little arched door-way at the opposite corner of |