ways of being good company, while one played the pipes, another would fing fome foothing ballad, Johnny Armstrong's last good night, or the cruelty of Barbara Allen. The night was concluded in the manner we began the morning, my youngest boys being appointed to read the leffons of the day, and he that read loudest, distincteft, and beft, was to have an halfpenny on Sunday to put in the poor's box.

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

The first Sunday in particular their behaviour served to mortify me: I had defired my

girls the preceding night to be dreft 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 affemble in the morning at breakfast, down came my wife and daughters, dreft out in all their former fplendour: their hair plaiftered 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 difcretion. In this exigence, therefore, my only refource was to order my fon, with an important air, to call our coach. The girls were amazed at the command; but I repeated it with more folemnity than before." Surely, my

dear, you jeft," cried my wife, "we can "walk it perfectly well: we want no "coach to carry us now.'

take, child," returned I,

"You mif

"we do want

a coach; for if we walk to church in "this trim, the very children in the parish

will hoot after us for a fhow."-" Indeed," replied my wife, "I always ima

gined that my Charles was fond of fee

ing his children neat and handsome "about him."be as

You may neat as you please," interrupted I, "and "I fhall love you the better for it; but "all this is not neatness, but frippery. "These rufflings, and pinkings, and patch

ings, will only make us hated by all the "wives of all our neighbours. No, my children," continued I, more gravely, "those gowns may be altered into fomething of a plainer cut; for finery

very unbecoming in us, who want the means of decency. I don't know whe"ther fuch flouncing and fhredding is becoming even in the rich, if we confider, upon a moderate calculation, that the nakedness of the indigent world may be "cloathed from the trimmings of the "vain."

This remonftrance had the proper effect; they went with great compofure,

that

that very inftant, to change their dress; and the next day I had the fatisfaction 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 fatisfactory, the gowns feemed improved by being thus curtailed.

CHAP.

A

CHAP. V.

new and great acquaintance introduced. What we place most hopes upon, generally proves most fatal.

AT a fmall diftance from the house my

predeceffor had made a feat, overfhaded by an hedge of hawthorn and honeyfuckle. Here, when the weather was fine, and our labour foon finished, we ufually all fate together, to enjoy an extenfive landsckape, in the calm of the evening. Here too we drank tea, which now was become an occafional banquet; and as we had it but feldom, it diffused a new joy, the preparations for it being made with no small share of bustle and ceremony. On these occafions, 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

fung