[Illustration]
"Yes, indeed," said Mr. Willock, "it was the face of your dear mamma,
and never better expressed; full of gratitude to God, and veneration for
that Almighty providence which conducted you home in safety, her eyes
were directed towards heaven, her mouth was only opened to breathe a
prayer of thankfulness, and the two corners were a little turned up with
an expression of joy.
"Rapture, my dear children," said Mr. Willock, "is the most extatic of
the passions; it is a sentiment full of love, joy, esteem, and
veneration; it is an excess of pleasure, and is frequently too much
to be borne; when so, it is relieved by tears; you will feel it
sensibly, if ever you live to have children.
"By the _Rapture_ your dear mother shewed at your safe return, you may
do more than guess at how much she must love you; you will, I am sure,
be grateful for so much tenderness and affection, and never do any thing
that can give her pain. Thank God that we are once more happy together;
and let us go to our beds full of that sentiment, and to-morrow morning,
at breakfast, you shall entertain your mamma with an account of your
voyage."
The next morning, at breakfast, our happy domestic party met together,
refreshed, by undisturbed rest, the repose of love and peace.
Henry related to his mamma all the particulars of their naval excursion
the day before, which he concluded by saying, that he should like very
much to go to sea, when Mr. Willock mildly interrupted him--"My dear
Henry," said he, "do not make your mamma uneasy by saying so. If it is
proper and suitable to the views in life which we have for you, your
inclination will be studied; and if it is not, I am sure that you have
too much good sense, as well as love for your parents, to wish for any
thing that they might disapprove."--Henry blushed a little, and said,
"Indeed, sir, I will never think of any thing that you or my mamma may
disapprove."--"That is spoken like a very good and sensible boy,"
answered Mr. Willock: "but," said he, "suppose that we return to the
Passions of Le Brun, and see whether his faces will speak (for faces
often do speak by strong expressions of the features) on the subject."
He opened the book, which lay on the table, and the first portrait which
presented itself was