fruit herfelf she was frequently obliged to fetch him home to his work, when the generally found him in a state of intoxication. It would often have been better had he kept out of the garden than gone into it; for his head was generally fo muddled with beer when he went to work on his trees, that his pruning knife committed the greateft depredations, cutting away thofe branches which ought to have been left, and leaving thofe that were ufelefs.

Hence it was not to be wondered at, that the garden fell off in the quality and quantity of its fruit, and the more Jonathan perceived the decay, the more he gave himself up to drinking. As his garden gradually failed in procuring him the means of getting strong liquor, he fi ft parted with his furniture, and then with his linen and clothes.

Bella, in the mean time, did what little fhe could to keep things together; but all to no pur pofe. One day, when he was gone to market with fome roots fhe had reared herself, he went and fold his working utenfils, and immediately. went and spent all with Guzzle. Judge what must be the fituation of poor Bella on her return! It was indeed a heart breaking confideration to be thus reduced to poverty by the folly of her huf band; but yet she loved him, and equally felt for him as for herself, but ftill more for an infant,

as yet but fix months old, and which received its nourishment from her breast.

to eat.

In the evening, Jonathan came home drunk, and fwearing at his wife, afked her for fometing Bella handed him a knife, and put before him a large basket covered with her apron; but Jonathan in a pet pulled away the apron; his astonishment was inexpreffible, when he be held nothing in the basket but his own child faft afleep. "Eat that," faid Bella, "for I have nothing elfe to give you. It is your own child, and if you do not devour it, famine and mifery will in a fhort time.”

Jonathan feemed almost petrified into a stone at thefe words, and for fome time remained fpeechlefs with his eyes fixed on his fleeping fon. At last recovering himself, quite fobered, his heart eased itself in tears and lamentations. He arofe and embraced his wife, afked her pardon and promifed to amend; and what was still better, he was faithful to his promife.

Though his wife's father had for fome time refufed to fee him, yet on being made acquainted with his promifes of reformation, he advanced money fufficient to enable him to restore his garden to its former ftate. Jonathan did not deceive him

for his garden put on another appearance,

and cut a more fplendid figure than ever. After this, neither his prudence nor activity forfook him, but he became at once, and continued fo even to old age, the honeft man, the indulgent husband, and the tender father. He would fometimes tell this tale of his follies to his fon, as a leffon to him, how dangerous it is to get connected with bad company, and how easily human nature is led aftray by the poifon of example. The fon, who thus acquired knowledge at his father's former expence became a wife and prudent man, and con.. ceived fuch an averfion to idleness and drinking, that he continued all his life as fober as he was laborious. Thus was an innocent infant the caufe of a reformation in a deluded father.

GREAT Heav'n! how frail thy creature man is made! ⠀
How by himfelf infenfibly betray'd!

In our own ftrength unhappily secure,
Too little cautious of the adverse pow'r;
And, by the blast of felf opinion mov'd
We wish to charm and feek to be belov'd,-
On pleafure's flow'ry brink we idly stray,
Masters as yet of our returning way:
Seeing no danger, we difarm our mind,"
And give our conduct to the waves and wind:
Then in the flow'ry mead, or verdant shade,
To wanton dalliance negligently laid,

We weave the chaplet, and we crown the bowl,
And smiling fee the nearer waters roll;

Till the ftrong gusts of paffion rife,

Till the dire tempest mingles earth and fkies;
And, fwift into the boundlefs ocean borne,
Our foolish confidence too late we mourn,
Round our devoted heads the billows beat;
And from our troubled view the leffen'd lands re
treat.

BILLY Jeffamy, having one day espied a spar

row's neft under the eves of the houfe, ran directly to inform his fifters of the important difcovery, and they immediately fell into a confultation concerning the manner in which they fhould take it. It was at laft agreed, that they fhould wait till the young ones were fledged, that Billy fhould then get a ladder up against the wall, and that his fifters fhould hold it faft below, while he mounted after the prize.