.

Our

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 sparing 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 Catskin, and then Fair Rofamond's bower. cock, which always crew at eleven, now told us it was time for repofe; but an unforeseen difficulty ftarted about lodging the ftranger: all our beds were already taken up, and it was too late to fend him to the next ale-houfe. In 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. Burchell my part, if my fifters will take me to theirs. Well done, my good children,' cried I, hofpitality is ⚫ one of the first chriftian duties. The beast retires to his fhelter, and the bird flies to

its neft; but helpless man can only find refuge from his fellow creature. The greatest stranger in this world, was he that came to fave it. He never had an house, as if willing to fee what hofpita'lity 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 * spoke first.'

In the morning early I called out my whole family to help at faving an aftergrowth 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 reft 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 finished his own, he would join in her's, and enter into a close conversation: but I had too good an opinion

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 finifhed 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 whose child he was carrying a whistle. When gone, our conversation at supper turned upon our late unfortunate guest. 'What a strong inftance,' faid 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 revel

6

lers, the flatterers, that he could once in

fpire and command! Gone, perhaps, to attend the bagnio pander, grown rich by his extravagance. 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

for he has neither the ambition to be in

dependent, nor the fkill to be useful.' Prompted perhaps by fome fecret reasons, I delivered this obfervation with too much acrimony, which my Sophia gently reproved. Whatsoever his former conduct may be, papa, his circumftances should.

exempt him from cenfure now. His present indigence is a fufficient punishment for former folly; and I have heard my papa himself fay, that we should never ftrike our unneceffary 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 attemptsof a ruftic to flay Marfyas, whose skin, the fable tells us, had been wholly ftript off by another. Befides I don't know if this poor man's fituation be fo bad as

my father would reprefent it. We are not to judge of the feelings of others by what we might feel if in their place. • How

However dark the habitation of the mole to our eyes, yet the animal itself finds. ⚫ the apartment itself sufficiently lightsome. • And to confess 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 least defign, however it excited a blush, which fhe ftrove to cover by an affected laugh, affuring him, that she scarce took any notice of what he said to her; but that she believed he might once have been a very fine gentleman. The readiness with which the undertook to vindicate herself, and her blushing, were fymptoms I did not internally approve; but I repreft my fufpicions.

As we expected our landlord the next day, my wife went to make the venison pafty; Mofes fate reading, while I taught the little ones : my daughters seemed equally bufy with the reft; and I obferved

them