-renew his vifit, which as he was our landlord, we moft readily agreed to. 66 66 my wife called a council She was of opinion, that for that fhe had known brought to bear. She "Immenfely As foon as he was gone, on the conduct of the day. it was a moft fortunate hit; even firanger things at laft hoped again to fee the day in which we might hold up our heads with the best of them; and concluded, The protested she could fee no reafon why the two Mifs Wrinkles fhould marry great fortunes, and her children get none. As this laft argument was directed to me, I protefted I could fee no reason for it neither, nor why Mr. Simkins got the ten thousand pound prize in the lottery, and we fate down with a blank. "I proteft, Charles," cried my wife, "this is the way you always damp my girls and me when we are in fpirits. Tell me, Sophy, my dear, what do 66 you think of our new visitor? Don't you think " he seemed to be good-natured ?". "fo, indeed, mamma," replied she. "I think he "has a great deal to fay upon every thing, and is never at a lofs; and the more trifling the fubject, "the more he has to fay."-"Yes," cried Olivia, "he is well enough for a man; but for my part, I "don't much like him, he is fo extremely impudent "and familiar; but on the guitar he is fhocking." Thefe two laft fpeeches I interpreted by contraries. I found by this, that Sophia internally defpifed, as much as Olivia fecretly admired him." Whatever may be your opinions of him, my children," cried I, "to confefs a truth, he has not prepoffeft "me in his favour. Difproportioned friendships "ever terminate in difguft; and I thought, not"withstanding all his eafe, that he feemed perfectly "fenfible of the distance between us. Let us keep "to companions of our own rank. There is not "character more contemptible than a man that is a fortune-hunter; and I can fee no reason 46 66 12. why fortune-hunting women fhould not be con"temptible too. Thus, at beft, we fhall be con"temptible if his views be honourable; but if they "be otherwife! I fhould fhudder but to think of "that! It is true I have no apprehenfions from the "conduct of my children, but I think there are "fome from his character."-I would have proceeded, but for the interruption of a fervant from the 'Squire, who, with his compliments, fent us a fide of venifon, and a promise to dine with us fome days after. This well-timed prefent pleaded more powerfully in his favour, than any thing I had to fay could obviate. I therefore continued filent, satisfied with juft having pointed out danger, and leaving it to their own difcretion to avoid it. That virtue which requires to be ever guarded, is fcarcely worth the fen tinel. CHAP. VI. The happiness of a country fire-fide. As we carried on the former difpute with fome deS gree of warmth, in order to accommodate matters, it was univerfally agreed, that we should have a part of the venifon for fupper, and the girls undertook the task with alacrity. I am forry," cried I, "that "we have no neighbour or ftranger to take a part in "this good cheer: feafts of this kind acquire a "double relish from hofpitality."-" Blefs me," cried my wife, "here comes our good friend Mr. Burchell, that faved our Sophia, and that run you "down fairly in the argument.' "Confute me "in argument, child!" cried I. "You mistake "there, my dear. I believe there are but few that can can do that I never difpute your abilities at making a goofe-pye, and I beg you'll leave argument " to me."-As I fpoke, poor Mr. Burchell entered the house, and was welcomed by the family, who fhook him heartily by the hand, while little Dick officioufly reached him a chair. I was pleafed with the poor man's friendship for two reafons; because I knew that he wanted mine, and I knew him to be friendly as far as he was able. He was known in our neighbourhood by the character of the poor Gentleman that would do no good when he was young, though he was not yet thirty. He would at intervals talk with great good fense; but in general he was fondeft of the company of children, whom he used to call harmless little men. He was famous, I found, for finging them ballads, and telling them ftories; and seldom went out without fomething in his pockets for them, a piece of gingerbread, or an halfpenny whiftle. He generally came for a few days into our neighbourhood once a year, and lived upon the neighbours hofpitality. He fate down to fupper among us, and my wife was not fparing of her goofeberry wine. The tale went round; he fung us old fongs, and gave the children the ftory of the Buck of Beverland, with the hiftory of Patient Griffel, the adventures of Catfkin, and then Fair Rofamond's Bower. Our cock, which always crew at eleven, now told us it was time for repofe; but an unforeseen difficulty tiarted about lodging the ftranger: all our beds were already taken up, and it was too late to fend him to the next alehouse. this dilemma, little Dick offered him his part of the bed, if his brother Mofes would let him lie with him; "And I," cried Bill," will give Mr. Bur"chell my part, if my fifters will take me to theirs." "Well done, my good children," cried I, "hof"pitality is one of the firft Chriftian duties. The "beaft retires to its fhelter, and the bird flies to its In "neft 1 "neft; but helplefs man can only find refuge from "his fellow-creature. The greatest ftranger in this "world, was he that came to fave it. He never "had an house, as if willing to see what hospitality "was left remaining amongst us. Deborah, my "dear," cried I, to my wife, " give those boys a "lump of fugar each, and let Dick's be the largest, "because he fpoke firft." In the morning early I called out my whole family to help at faving an after-growth of hay, and our gueft offering his affiftance, he was accepted among the number. Our labours went on lightly, we turned the fwath to the wind, I went foremost, and the rest followed in due fucceffion. I could not avoid, however, obferving the affiduity of Mr. Burchell in affifting my daughter Sophia in her part of the task. When he had finifhed his own, he would join in her's, and enter into a clofe converfation: but I had too good an opinion of Sophia's understanding, and was too well convinced of her ambition, to be under any uneafinefs from a man of broken fortune. When we were finished for the day, Mr. Burchell was invited as on the night before; but he refused, as he was to lie that night at a neighbour's, to whofe child he was carrying a whiftle. When gone, our converfation at fupper turned upon our late unfortunate gueft. "What a ftrong instance," said I, "is that poor man of the miferies attending a youth of levity and extravagance. He by no means wants fenfe, which only ferves to aggravate his former folly. Poor forlorn creature, where are now the "revellers, the flatterers, that he could once inspire "and command! Gone, perhaps, to attend the "bagnio pander, grown rich by his extravagance. 66 They once praised him, and now they applaud the "pander: their former raptures at his wit are now "converted into farcafms at his folly: he is poor, and perhaps deferves poverty; for he has neither "the "the ambition to be independent, nor the fkill to "be useful." Prompted perhaps by fome fecret reafons, I delivered this obfervation with too much acrimony, which my Sophia gently reproved. "What"foever his former conduct may have been, Papa, his "circumftances fhould exempt him from cenfure now. "His prefent indigence is a fufficient punishment "for former folly; and I have heard my papa himself 66 66 fay, that we should never ftrike our unneceflary "blow at a victim over whom Providence holds the fcourge of its refentment."-" You are right, Sophy," cried my fon Mofes, "and one of the "ancients finely reprefents fo malicious a conduct, "by the attempts of a ruftic to flay Marfyas, whose "skin, the fable tells us, had been wholly ftript off 66 by another. Befides, I don't know if this poor "man's fituation be fo bad as my father would re"present it. We are not to judge of the feelings of "others by what we might feel if in their place. "However dark the habitation of the mole to our 66 eyes, yet the animal itself finds the apartment fufficiently lightfome. And to confefs a truth, this "man's mind feems fitted to his ftation; for I never "heard any one more fprightly than he was to-day, "when he converfed with you."-This was faid without the leaft defign, however it excited a blush, which the ftrove to cover by an affected laugh, affuring him, that the fcarcely took any notice of what he faid to her; but that the believed he might once have been a very fine gentleman. The readiness with which the undertook to vindicate herfelf, and her blufhing, were fymptoms I did not internally approve; but I repreft my suspicions. As we expected our landlord the next day, my wife went to make the venifon pafty; Mofes fate reading, while I taught the little ones; my daughters feemed equally bufy with the reft; and I obferved them for a good while cooking fomething |