best, was to have an half-penny on Sunday to put into the poor's box.

When Sunday came, it was indeed a day of finery, which all my sumptuary edicts could not restrain. How well soever I fancied my lectures against pride had conquered the vanity of my daughters, yet I still found them secretly attached to all their former finery: they still loved laces, ribbands, bugles and catgut; my wife herself retained a passion for her crimson paduasoy, because I formerly happened to say it became her.

The first Sunday, in particular, their behaviour served to mortify me; I had desired my girls the preceding night, to be drest early the next day; for I always loved to be at church a good while before the rest of the congregation. They punctually obeyed my directions; but when we were to assemble in the morning at breakfast, down came my wife and daughters, drest out in all their former splendour, their hair plaistered up with pomatum, their faces patched to taste, their trains bundled up into an heap behind, and rustling at every motion. I could not help smiling at their vanity, particularly that of my wife, from whom I expected more discretion. In this exigence, therefore, my only resource was to order my son, with an important air, to call our coach. The girls were amazed at the command but I repeated it with more solemnity than before. ,,Surely my dear, youjest" cried my wife,,,we can walk it perfectly well: we want no coach to carry us now.",,You mistake, child," returned I,,,we do want a coach; for if we walk to church in this trim, the very children in the parish will hoot after us.". ,,Indeed," replied my wife,,,I always imagined that my Charles was fond of seeing his children neat and handsome about him."You may be as neat as you

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please, "interrupted I,,,and I shall love you the better for it; but all this is not neatness, but frippery These rufflings, and pinkings, and patchings, will only make us hated by all the wives of our neighbours. No, my children, continued I, more gravely,,,those gowns may be altered into something of a plainer cut; for finery is very unbecoming in us, who want the means of decency. I do not know whether such flouncing and shredding is becoming even in the rich, if we consider, upon a moderate calculation, that the nakedness of the indigent world may be clothed from the trimmings of the vain.

This remonstrance had the proper effect: they went with great composure, that very instant, to change their dress; and the next day I had the saisfaction of finding my daughters at their own request employed in cutting up their trains into Sunday waistcoats for Dick and Bill, the two little ones: and what was still more satisfactory, the gown seemed improved by this curtailing.

Снлг. V.

A new and great Acquaintance introduced. What we place most Hopes upon generally proves most fatal, At a small distance from the house my predeces sor had made a seat, overshaded by an hedge of hawthorn and honey-suckle. Here, when the wea ther was fine, and our labour soon finished, we usually sat together to enjoy an extensive landscape, in the calm of the evening. Here too we drank tea, which now was become an occasional banquet; and as we had it but seldom, it diffused a new joy, the preparations for it being made with no small share of bustle and ceremony. On these occasions, our two little ones always read for us, and they were regularly served after we had done. Sometimes, to give

a variety to our amusements, the girls sung to the guitar; and while they thus formed a little concert, my wife and I would stroll down the sloping field, that was embellished with blue-bells and centuary, talk of our children with rapture, and enjoy the breeze that wafted both health and harmony.

In this manner we began to find that every situation in life may bring its own peculiar pleasures: every morning awaked us to a repetition of toil; but the evening repaid it with vacant hilarity.

It was about the beginning of autumn, on an holiday, for I kept such as intervals of relaxation from labour, that I had drawn out my family to our usual place of amusement, and our young musicians began their usual concert. As we were thus engaged, we saw a stag bound nimbly by, within about twenty paces of where we were sitting, and, by its panting, seemed prest by the hunters. We had not much time to reflect upon the poor animal's distress, when we perceived the dogs and horsemen come sweeping along at some distance behind, and making the very path it had taken. I was instantly for returning in with my family; but either curiosity or surprize, or some more hidden motive held my wife and daughters to their seats. The huntsman who rode foremost, past us with great swiftness, followed by four or five persons more, who seemed in equal haste. At last, a young gentleman of a more genteel appearance than the rest, came forward, and for a while regarding us, instead of pursuing the chase, stopt short, and giving his horse to a servant who attended, approached us with a careless superior air. He seemed to want no introduction, but was going to salute my daughters as one certain of a kind reception; but they had early learnt the lesson of looking presumption out of countenance. Upon which he let us know that his name was

near,

Thornhill, and that he was the owner of the estate that lay for some extent round us. He again, therefore, offered to salute the female part of the family; and such was the power of fortune and fine clothes, that he found no second repulse. As his address, though confident, was easy, we soon became more familiar; and perceiving musical instruments lying he begged to be favoured with a song. As I did not approve of such disproportioned acquaintance, I winked upon my daughters, in order to prevent their compliance; but my hint was counteracted by one from their mother; so that with a cheerful air they gave us a favourite song of Dryden's. Mr. Thornhill seemed highly delighted with their performance and choice, and then took up the guitar himself. He played but very indifferently; however, my eldest daughter repaid his former applause with interest, and assured him that his tones were louder than even those of her master. At this compliment he bowed, which she returned with a curtsey. He praised her taste, and she commended his understanding: an age could not have made them better acquainted. While the fond mother too, equally happy, insisted upon her landlord's stepping in, and. tasting a glass of her gooseberry. The whole family seemed earnest to please him; my girls attempted ta entertain him with topics they thought most modern; while Moses, on the contrary, gave him a question or two from the ancients, for which he had the satisfaction of being laughed at: my little ones were no less busy, and fondly stuck close to the stranger. All my endeavours could scarce keep their dirty fingers from handling and tarnishing the lace on his clothes, and lifting up the flaps of his pocket-holes, to see what was there. At the approach of evening he took leave; but not till he had requested permission to renew

his visit, which, as he was our landlord, we most readily agreed to.

As soon as he was gone, my wife called a council on -the conduct of the day. She was of opinion, that it was a most fortunate hit; for that she had known even stranger things than that brought to bear. She hoped again to see the day in which we might hold up our heads with the best of them; and concluded, she protested she could see no reason why the two Miss Wrinkles should marry great fortunes, and her children get one. As this last argument was directed to me, I protested I could see no reason for it neither; nor why Mr. Simkins got the ten thousand pounds prize in the lottery, and we sat down with a blank.,,I protest, Charles," cried my wife,,,this is the way you always damp my girls and me when we are in spirits: - Tell me, Soph, my dear, what do you think of our new visitor? Don't you think he seemed to be good natured?",,Immensely so indeed, mama," replied she;,,I think he has a great deal to say upon every thing, and is never at a loss; and the more trifling, the subject, the more he has to say.",,Yes," cried Olivia,,,he is well enough for a man; but for my part, I don't much like him, he is so extremely impudent and familiar; but on the guitar he is shocking." These two last speeches I interpreted by contraries. I found by this, that Sophia internally despised, as much as Olivia secretly admired him.,,Whatever may be your opinions of him, my children," cried I,,,to confess a truth, he has not prepossest me in his favour, Disproportioned friendships ever terminate in disgust; and I thought, notwithstanding all his ease, that he seemed perfectly sensi-ble of the distance between us. Let us keep to companions of our own rank. There is no character more contemptible than a man that is a fortune

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