At the time appointed, Mrs. Meridith and family returned to Rosewood; every one was pleased at the thought of once more seeing it. The village bells rang as they entered it; and all the women and children, who were not at work, or at school, were on the road to welcome their kind benefactress home.

Anna shed tears on observing their simple and hearty effusions of joy; and while Mrs. Meridith nodded to one and the other, observed how much superior these congratulations were, to all the expressions of form and politeness they had lately witnessed.

"We know the value of each now," returned Mrs. Meridith, "and these are endeared to us, from being conscious that we have deserved them, by our endeavours to make the poor people happy."

"You have, my dear mamma," said Anna pressing her hand; "I am only an instrument of your bounty."

"And am I any more," said Mrs. Meridith, "in the hands of the Almighty? I am highly favoured to have such a place assigned me, and a heart to fulfil, in some measure, the duties belonging to it."

The gardens and pleasure grounds of Mrs. Meridith were her chief pleasure, and she spared no expense for labour, or whatever might adorn them, or render them productive; but no conservatory or hothouse was added to her domains; she was content with the flowers the natural soil would produce, and these were brought to the highest perfection cultivation would effect. Her fruit too was of the finest kind; and while she could see every sort which the season produces on her table, she wished not for pines or melons. Almost as soon as they were out of the carriage, she and Anna, attended by Bella, Syphax, and little Betty, visited her favourite seats and walks, and were pleased at finding every thing in the highest order, and the violets and primroses ready to appear at their feet. The most grateful feelings were excited in Mrs. Meridith at the beauties around her.

"Can I complain," thought she, "who have such a place as this allowed me, and the means in my power to make so many people happy? the affection also of this amiable girl and her family! Oh! why did I say mine was a blank in society!" and she sat down and wept on the first seat she met with.

Anna and her young attendant had strolled farther, but Bella perceiving her mistress in tears, hastened towards her.

"Why do you weep, dear madam!" said she, with the most affectionate attention.

"Sit down, dear Bella, and I will tell you," said Mrs. Meridith, wiping her eyes: "you have witnessed all my sorrows, and much of repining under them; but I weep now from a sense of the blessings I have still left me, and with shame for my former ingratitude."

"Oh, dear lady," said Bella, her eyes overflowing, "and what have I been delivered from? and what dreadful things did I know before I came to you? and yet my heart sometimes complains, because people do call me black woman; but you love me for all that, and I do wish to be more thankful and more useful to you, my dear mistress, I am not too old yet."

"And when you are, my dear Bella, that will not alter my affection for you; have I not received your former services? and I can never forget your faithful attachment to me."

"I have seen so much of your goodness, madam," said Bella, "that I do not doubt it, and so has Syphax; we never grieve to know what will become of us in old age, but lest we should forget what you have been to us."

Syphax now brought his mistress the first opening violet, which he had been carefully looking for among the shrubs which sheltered them, and Mrs. Meridith received it with her accustomed kindness; and shaking both her faithful attendants by the hand, she told them she once more welcomed them to Rosewood, with the sincerest pleasure.

"And I am sure I am glad enough we are got back again," said Syphax, "for I do not like the town at all; the boys did all run about me, and whisper black man, black man, to each other; not that I did mind that, but so much company, and saucy footmen, and chairmen, that I thought to myself, my good lady will be soon tired of this; and I am glad I was not mistaken."

"But my mistress knew nothing of the footmen and chairmen," returned Bella, observing a smile upon her features.

"No more she did," replied Syphax; "but unless their masters and mistresses were something like herself, I am sure she could not like them; and if they had been, I conclude they would not have kept such a set of unruly servants; and, therefore, I suppose, my lady did not like those she met there, any more than I did."

Mrs. Meridith told him, "you are right, good Syphax, there was nothing at L— to compensate for leaving Rosewood at this time of the year."

Anna now rejoined her kind friend, and they returned to the house, resolving to visit the other part of the grounds after dinner.

In the afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell came to express their pleasure at Mrs. Meridith's return; and while they sat with her, Anna went to see her cousins, and give them an account of John. Her absence from them had made no difference in her behaviour; on the contrary, her regard for them was increased, when she contrasted the plain simplicity of their manners, to those of the gay ladies with whom she had lately associated.

"We shall now have an opportunity of observing," said Mrs. Meridith to Mr. Campbell, "whether Anna really prefers my quiet life to the pleasures of the town. Before this visit she knew no other, but now if she does not recur to the scenes she has left with a wish to return to them, she will gain still more of my confidence and esteem."

Mr. Campbell said he thought she would not; and he was not mistaken, for though Anna often talked of the balls and routs, it was only to say how far preferable the woods and walks about Rosewood were; and which were every day improving. Those of her acquaintance in the town, who could properly estimate her character, though she was so meanly born, and "the beggar's brat," which was the appellation she was now generally known by, amongst the opposite party, were happy to accept Mrs. Meridith's invitation to visit them during the summer; and Anna had often one or two young friends to stay with her: though she could never be persuaded to leave Mrs. Meridith, to return their visits. In the course of the next three or four years, Mrs. Meridith and her usual retinue visited the great metropolis, and almost made the tour of England, in order to shew Anna every thing worth noticing in her native country, and teach her duly to appreciate the comforts and advantages which are attached to it, as well as its numberless beauties, and variety of scenery. William Campbell, and sometimes John, when he could be spared from the office, accompanied them in several of these excursions; they visited the Dock-yards at Portsmouth, and the different manufactories in the towns they passed through, as, in whatever Mrs. Meridith proposed, improvement was blended with amusement.

Little Betty now began to be a great girl, and could read, write, and work as well as any child of her age; and she promised fair to be what Mrs. Meridith wished to make her (after the model of Bella), a faithful and affectionate servant; but she was not allowed to forget her father (whose health still continued very poorly), and his family. Every present she received from the young ladies who visited Anna, she carried the largest part to them, and when, at ten years old, Mrs. Meridith, wishing to reward her dutiful behaviour to him, allowed her to receive a yearly recompence for her services; he had his share of what she called her wages. Her eldest sister continued in Mrs. Campbell's family till she married, and the rest of the family were all put in a way to get their living.