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MRS. BLOOMFIELD,

MOTHER OF ROBERT BLOOMFIELD.

MRS. BLOOMFIELD was the wife of Robert Bloomfield, a tailor, of Honington, in Suffolk, in which place her son Robert was born, in the year 1766; but before this child was twelve months old, she was left a widow.

She then opened a little school, which enabled her to provide for her six children, and at the same time to impart to them the little stock of knowledge she herself possessed. This was all the schooling the poet received, with the exception of two or three months when he was sent to Ixworth, to improve himself in writing.

Six years after the death of her first husband, Mrs. Bloomfield was married again to a Mr. John Glover. This union brought the cares of another family, without much improving her circumstances.

When Robert was eleven years old, he went to live with his uncle, a farmer, at Sapiston. This sort of life just suited the boy's taste for rural scenes; the work was, however, found to be too hard for his delicate constitution; and he left his occupation of farmer's boy, to join his elder brothers in London, who had kindly offered to take him,

and teach him their business of shoemaking. His mother brought him to town, saying that "she should never have been happy, if she had not herself placed him in their hands." She then charged her son George, "as he valued a mother's blessing, to watch over him, and to set him a good example-never forgetting that he had lost his father."

The youth now exchanged the fresh green fields for a pent-up workshop in an alley leading out of Coleman-street, in the City; but as he was a general favourite, he was permitted to run on errands for the men; he generally fetched their dinners, and he frequently read to them whilst they were at work.

These new avocations did not, however, destroy his relish for the beauties of Nature, or erase from his memory the scenes of his early home. Whilst sitting over his work, or when strolling through the crowded streets, he would mould such thoughts into verse, and then write them down at night.His beautiful "Farmer's Boy" was composed in this manner, in a garret, amongst other workmen. He was at that time married, and had a family, but he was only able to afford one room and this garret; but he afterwards removed to Shefford, in Bedfordshire.

His days were passed in poverty and suffering. He gave up his business for the precarious life of an author; but, though he found many friends, yet his poems did not obtain for him sufficient popularity to afford a means of support, and he sunk into a state of hypochondria, and died at the age of 57, 1823.

The following beautiful lines not only express

the Poet's love of Nature, but that he beheld the hand of God in all. His last wish was fulfilled :

His Biographer says that he was never heard to mention his mother without giving expression to feelings of respect and affection, which were indeed her due.

MRS. JOHN WHITE,

MOTHER OF HENRY KIRK WHITE.

MARY NEVILLE, who belonged to a respectable family in Staffordshire, was united to Mr. John White, a butcher, of Nottingham. She brought up her family, which consisted of six children, in a manner which reflects credit alike on her moral and intellectual character. But her virtues would have been known only in the quiet circle of domestic life, had not her discriminating mind and fostering care aided in bringing before the world the bright but hapless genius, Henry Kirk White.

She

This son was born on the 21st of March, 1785. It was his father's intention, that he should follow his business, but his mother, having discovered germs of talent, pleaded with her husband for some more congenial employment for him. succeeded, and he was accordingly sent to a good school; though he was obliged, on account of his father's limited means, to carry the butcher's basket after the hours of study were over, and on one whole day in the week.

Mrs. White was so desirous that all her children should have the benefit of education, that she was willing to make any sacrifice of her personal com

fort to provide them with it. Being well qualified for the undertaking, she opened a boarding and dayschool for young ladies, in which her daughters shared her instructions, whilst the profits were principally devoted to the mental improvement of her sons.

At the age of fourteen, Henry was apprenticed to a hosier, in his native town; but this employment was too laborious for his delicate constitution, and was moreover rendered distasteful to him, on account of its allowing him no time for study.His mother again exerted her influence, and by her assistance he was removed to an attorney's office. Here, after scrupulously discharging his duty to his employers, he found leisure for his beloved literary pursuits.

The following letter, addressed to his brother Neville, shows the kindly aid his mother rendered him at this period:

"I have now a large library. My mother allows me ten pounds per annum, for dress. I always dress in a respectable, and even in a genteel manner; yet I can make less than this sum suffice. My father generally gives me one coat in a year, and I make two serve. I then receive one guinea per annum for keeping my mother's books; one guinea per annum, pocket money; and, by other means, I gain, perhaps, two guineas more so that I have been able to buy pretty many; and when you come home you will find me in my study, surrounded with books and papers."

The young man had long suffered from deafness; and as it increased with his years, it was thought