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The Miscellaneous Works of Henry Mackenzie
The Miscellaneous Works of Henry Mackenzie Author:Henry Mackenzie Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: other; he turned and went on. The old man re-adjusted his knapsack, and followed in one of the tracks on the opposite side of the road. ,When Harley heard the... more » tread of his feet behind him, he could not help stealing back a glance at his fellow-traveller. He seemed to bend under the weight of his knapsack; he halted on his walk, and one of his arms was supported by a sling, and lay motionless across his hrrasl. He had lit I steady look of sorrow, which indicates that its owner has gazed upon his griefs till he has forgotten to lament them; yet not without those streaks of complacency, which a good mind will sometimes throw into the countenance, through all the incumbent load of its depression. He had now advanced nearer to Harley, and, with an uncertain sort of voice, begged to know what it was o'clock; " I fear," said he, " sleep has beguiled me of my time, and I shall hardly have light enough left to carry me to the end of my journey." " Father!" said Harley, (who by this time found the romantic enthusiasm rising with him,) " how far do you mean to go ?" " But a little way, Sir," returned the other; " and indeed it is but a little way I can manage now: 'tis just four miles from the height to the village, whither I am going." " I am going there too," said Harley; " we may make the road shorter to each other. You seem to have served your country, Sir, to have served it hardly too: 'tis a character I have the highest esteem for.—I would vOL. I, £ not be impertinently inquisitive; but there is that in your appearance which excites my curiosity to know something more of you; in the mean time, suffer me to carry that knapsack." The old man gazed on him; a tear stood in his eye! " Young gentleman," said he, " you are too good; may Heaven bless you for an old man's sake, w...« less