did she carefully keep it; often tempted by opportunity, still oftener by want, to make use of it for herself. Her good principles, however, overcame every temptation.

When seven years had passed away, some shipmasters stopped at her house, to take what refreshment they could find. Three of them were Englishmen; the fourth was a Dutchman. Conversing of various matters, one of the former asked the Dutchman whether he had ever before been in the town. "Yes, indeed, I have," replied he; "I know the place but too well: my being here once cost me seven hundred rubles "How So ?" "Why, in one of these wretched hovels, I once got rather tipsy, and left behind me a bag of rubles.""Was the bag sealed?" asked the old woman, who was sitting in one corner of the room, and whose attention was roused by what she ad heard."-" Yes, yes, it was sealed; and with this very seal here at my watch-chain." The woman looked at the seal; and knew it directly. "Well then," said she; "by that you may be able to recover what you lost." "Recover it! no; I am rather too old to expect that. The world is not quite so honest as that comes to. Besides, it is now seven years since I lost the money.-I wish I had not mentioned the subject: it always makes me melancholy. Let us hear no more of it."

Meanwhile, the good woman had was now waddling in with her bag.

slipped out; and "See here! per

haps you may be convinced that honesty is not so rare as you imagine," said she, putting the bag upon the table.

A ruble is about four shillings and sixpence of English money.

The guests were astonished; and bestowed much commendation on her honesty. The owner of the money, was, as may well be supposed, highly delighted. He seized the bag; tore open the seal; took one ruble out, and laid it on the table, with civil thanks for the trouble which his landlady had had. The three Englishmen were amazed, and provoked, that he offered so small an acknowledgment; and warmly remonstrated with him. The old woman protested that she required nothing at all; that she thought she had done no more than her duty; and desired that the Dutchman would even take back his ruble. But the Englishmen would not give up their point. One of them said: "An Englishman can never stand by, and not see justice done. The woman has acted nobly; and she ought to be rewarded."

At length, the Dutchman consented to part with a hundred rubles. They were fairly counted out upon the table, and given to the old woman: and thus she was handsomely rewarded for her honesty.

SECTION 3.

The generous neighbour.

A FIRE having broken out in a village in Denmark, a poor man, who was one of the inhabitants, was very active in giving all the assistance he could, in the parts where it seemed most necessary. But every endeavour to extinguish the flames, was in vain: the fire continued to increase. At length, the poor man was told that his own house was in great danger; and that he had not a moment to lose, if he wished to save his furniture.

"There is something more precious,” said he immedi

ately, "that I must first save. My poor, sick neighbour is not able to help himself. He will be lost, if I do not assist him. I am sure he relies upon me."

:

Thus saying, he flew to his neighbour's house and before he paid any attention to his own house, or to his furniture, which was all the property he had, he rushed, at the hazard of his life, through the flames, that were already coming very near the sick man's bed; took him in his arms; and carried him to a place of safety.

The Economical Society at Copenhagen, were much pleased when they heard of his noble conduct; and, to show their approbation of it, sent him a present of a silver cup, filled with Danish crowns*. On the cup was engraven, in a few words, an account of his generous behaviour to his poor, helpless neighbour.

SECTION 4.

The exemplary cottager.

WILLIAM BAKER was born in the year 1710, in the parish of Boldre, near Lymington, in Hampshire. His father dying, when he was two years old, left him, and a daughter, to the care of his widow; who, by taking in washing, maintained her two children, without any relief from the parish.

At seven years of age, young Baker began that life of labour, which he continued, with uncommon perseverance, through the space of seventy years. He worked first for a penny a day in the vicarage garden: but soon thought himself equal to more profitable labour. He used to say, he always considered himself as a poor,

*

A Danish crown is about three shillings of English money.

friendless lad; and resolved early in life, to be obliged, under God, only to his own endeavours.

In the mean-time, his mother grew old, and infirm. Her legs swelled, and she could no longer stand at her wash-tub. But nothing hurt her so much, as the thoughts of going to the poor-house, or living on alms.

Her son was now about eighteen. He was healthy, and strong; and he assured her, that while he was able to work for her, she should be obliged to nobody. He, therefore, took a little cottage, on the edge of the forest; carried her to it; and got into the service of a farmer in the neighbourhood, as a day-labourer. His mother lived nine years after this; during which time, he maintained her with great cheerfulness, and kindness: nor had she ever assistance from any other person. He denied himself every little indulgence, which young fellows of that age often take, that he might maintain his mother.

After her death, he thought of marrying. At a little distance from him, under the hill, lived a labourer of the name of Brooks. His daughter Joanna was the person whom Baker fixed on for a wife; and no objection being made, he married her, and brought her to his cottage. Joanna had lived under a careful mother, just in the way in which he himself had always lived; and with the same notions of industry and frugality. She entered, therefore, into all her husband's intentions. What he gained, she put to the best use. "We both pulled the rope," said he, "by the same end; and so we compassed many things, which they cannot do, who pull it at different ends."

In the mean-time, his family increased; and his industry increased with it. He now never worked by the day, if he could help it; but took the hardest task-work

he could get, by which the most money was to be earned. That he might never be idle, he hired, at a small rent, of Mrs. John Burrard, of Lymington, a piece of rough ground, about nine or ten acres, on which he might employ his leisure. Many a time he was seen working in it, before sunrise; and, if his day's work had not been hard, in an evening by moonlight. In a few years, he made it worth much more, than when he took it and he found it of great use to his family, in furnishing him with a crop of potatoes, or a little corn, or a few loads of hay; which enabled him to keep two or three cows, and as many forest-colts.Some years after, his good landlady died; and this piece of land fell into the hands of Mr. Breilsfield, of Kentishtown. His new landlord finding the land was tenanted by a man, who had taken so much pains to improve it, promised neither to raise the rent, nor to take it from him; which I mention to his honour.— Thus, a kind Providence blessed all Baker's designs. I have often heard him say, he never knew what want is but then he never relaxed his usual frugality. When wheat was dear, to make all ends meet, he lived on barley; and when he could not, with convenience, get a bushel of malt, he contented himself with milk,

or water.

He had now five children, who were a constant claim upon all his industry, and frugality: for it is almost needless to add, he brought them up without ever receiving a single farthing from the parish. But he had other claims. He had been kind to his sister, though her behaviour did not entirely please him: and he was now called on from a quarter he did not expect. wife's father, grown old, applied to him for assistance.

His