My Aunt Margaret's Mirror

My Aunt Margaret's Mirror is by Sir Walter Scott, from Short Stories Published in The Keepsake Annual of 1828. The introduction describes the Annual as a miscellany of prose and verse, equipped with numerous engravings and put forth every year about Christmas. The introduction says that The Keepsake, the first volume of which appeared in 1828, attracted much notice, chiefly in consequence of the very uncommon splendour of its illustrative accompaniments.

A narrator describes Aunt Margaret as one of that respected sisterhood upon whom devolve all the trouble and solicitude incidental to the possession of children. A chapter headed CHAPTER II has Sir Philip's unfortunate lady repeat a hundred times a day to her sister that he is so thoughtless and never writes when things are going on smoothly. A passage describes an old man who rose up and bowed profoundly, whose appearance indicated a broken constitution and whose dress was worn and tarnished, and says Lady Bothwell was about to feel for her purse.