"On examining my dwelling, I found that one of the windows of
the cottage had formerly occupied a part of it, but the panes
had been filled up with wood. In one of these was a small and
almost imperceptible chink, through which the eye could just
penetrate. Through this [crevice,]
<crevice> a small room was visible,
[white-washed] <whitewashed> and clean,
but very bare of furniture. In one corner, near a small fire,
sat an old man, leaning his head on his hands in a disconsolate
attitude. The young girl was occupied in arranging the cottage;
but presently she took something out of a drawer, which employed
her hands, and she sat down beside the old man, who, taking up
an instrument, began to play, and to produce [sounds,]
<sounds> sweeter than the voice of the thrush or
the nightingale. It was a lovely sight, even to me, poor wretch!
who had never beheld aught beautiful before. The silver hair and
benevolent countenance of the aged [cottager,]
<cottager> won my [reverence;]
<reverence,> while the gentle manners of the girl
enticed my love. He played a sweet mournful air, which I
perceived drew tears from the eyes of his amiable companion, of
which the old man took no notice, until she sobbed audibly; he
then pronounced a few sounds, and the fair creature, leaving her
work, knelt at his feet. He raised her, and smiled with such
kindness and affection, that I felt sensations of a peculiar and
[over-powering] <overpowering> nature:
they were a mixture of pain and pleasure, such as I had never
before experienced, either from hunger or cold, warmth or food;
and I withdrew from the window, unable to bear these
emotions.
"Soon after this the young man returned, bearing on his
shoulders a load of wood. The girl met him at the door, helped
to relieve him of his burden, and, taking some of the fuel into
the cottage, placed it on the fire; then she and the youth went
apart into a nook of the cottage, and he [shewed]
<showed> her a large loaf and a piece of cheese.
She seemed pleased, and went into the garden for some roots and
plants, which she placed in water, and then upon the fire. She
afterwards continued her work, whilst the young man went into
the garden, and appeared busily employed in digging and pulling
up roots. After he had been employed thus about an hour, the
young woman joined him, and they entered the cottage
together.