Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

her tears, took the handkerchief, and bent her attention while Brownrigg proceeded. "I hope, I think, nay more, I really believe this young man will do all in his power to make you happy, and I am sure, Peggy, you will make him an excellent wife. Though I am a bachelor, I think myself qualified to give you some counsel; it is an old saying, that those who stand by see more of the game than those who play;' and if it is so, I am in this sense qualified. Now, child, women are very apt to be troublesome in trifles, and as trifles make up the sum of human life, and as they occur every day, they are very often troublesome. Thus I have seen a man almost worried to death, because he did not rub his shoes; and as we have all some foolish tricks or petty habits, which it is almost too late to think of correcting when we come to man's estate, these are things women must bear with, and if a wife is determined that a man shall not turn his cushion before he sits down in his chair, or scratch his head when he is thinking, or do any foolish trick he has been in the habit of doing when he was a bachelor; I say, if a man is to be tortured like a child, he will grow weary, and perhaps angry, and thus many a fool

ish female has thrown away her diamonds, and picked up buttons." All this while he sat with the fore-finger of his righthand pointing to the palm of his left. "Now observe, child, do not, when your husband makes a litter in the room, which perhaps he may, for all men are not like your old bachelor master, do not, I say, make a parade of putting every thing in order, and run about with a duster in your hand as though you would say,

See what trouble you give me.' No, do all quietly and humbly. One thing by the way, child; remember we are the lords of the creation, and it is your part to obey; and if we do let you govern sometimes 'tis a foolish mistake we make; so I say, Peggy, child, do you keep in your place. Ah, that is a good thought; I have seen men blowing the fire, there is nothing a man dislikes like a bad fire and dirty hearth. Now you see, child, when a man comes in from his business, he expects to be petted and made comfortable. Oh, there is another thing—but I must finish what I was saying about fires: mind to manage your fire well, you will be particularly well off in this respect, you may have all round ooals; but observe me, be sure to let your fireside be very comfortable; the whole com

fort of your room depends upon it. Now mind me, child, find out all his peculiarities; observe them, attend to them. Mind, I don't mean, if he does any thing wrong, that you should encourage that; no, I am talking of trifles, child, immaterial things;" and he lengthened out the word. "Observe, always to have your dinner ready at the time-perhaps he may not be in time, that is not your fault; do you be ready, and mind to let him have always a clean table-cloth, Peggy, there are many contrivances for keeping it clean; and be sure you never let him find you dirty or negligent. Oh, apropos of that, some girls, some very smart girls, do think when they are married that there is an end of the business, that they have no reason to be smart any longer. Why, child, that is the very time to begin; it is far more difficult to keep us than to win us; be sure, you are always very neat, very clean, and mind one thing, very good-tempered. Never meet him

with a frown on your brow on any consideration; a man goes out and calls on his neighbour, sees a neat wife and some smart daughters, comes home to his own dowdy. Why, you see he must make comparisons, and pity himself perhaps, poor fellow! No, you be advised, my nice child,

and if there are any comparisons to be made, let them be all to your own advantage. Mind me, now I don't expect you to be perfect, Peggy, and if you fail in any instance, observe always to be the first to notice it, and say, you are sorry; and if by chance he should notice it, never defend it, for it is that which provokes a man. You see it is adding one fault to another, it is what no man can bear, it is not to be supposed they can. By the way, it is no use talking about children before they are born, but if ever it should please God to give you any, mind and look at Fanny Meredith, she manages her children remarkably well, and they are not easy to manage, for they have a great deal of spirit in them the boy's a prince, he seems born to command, and he has had a royal will.

Now she does not contradict them every moment, and chide them, and scold them, but if they want any thing which they are not to have, she settles the business directly, takes the thing from them, and looks at them firmly but kindly. Now though she only keeps a girl, and has plenty of work besides, I never was disturbed by the squalling of her brats, though I have had many a comfortable dish of tea there. No, the thing is understood, she governs them, not they her; and now,

B B

Peggy, you may wonder that I have said nothing to you upon the subject of religion, child, but-" and he looked up solemnly"I am sorry to say it is a subject I have so lately understood, that I feel as though it would be presumption in me; but my dear good Peggy, if to own that I regret I have not sooner turned my thoughts to this most delightful, most important subject; if to own, that when I ought to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, I am blind, and see men as trees walking; if to own this to you, Margaret Macdonald, would be of any use to you, whilst I do it with sorrow of heart"Oh, my dear master," said Peggy, you have been so kind, so good, you could not have been kinder, you could not have been better, if you had been my own father; and now, sir, I do hope that Kitty will make you a very good servant: she is very handy, and she knows your ways now, but

if

66

you should be ill, if ever you have one of your violent headaches, my dear master, I could not be happy that you should have any body to attend you but myself, because I know what to do. Now, promise me never to do without me, if you want me. No, child, I cannot make such a promise, I shall want you every day, my good Peggy, I do not expect ever to sup

[ocr errors]

66

« AnteriorContinuar »