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CHAPTER VI

The happiness of a country fireside.

S we carried on the former dispute with some degree of warmth, in order to accommodate matters it was universally agreed that we should have a part of the venison for supper, and the girls undertook the task with alacrity. 'I am sorry,' cried I, 'that we have no neighbour or 'stranger to take a part in this good chear: feasts of 'this kind acquire a double relish from hospitality.''Bless me,' cried my wife, 'here comes our good friend 'Mr. Burchell, that saved our Sophia, and that run you 'down fairly in the argument.'-Confute me in argu

'ment, child!' cried I. 'You mistake there, my dear, I believe there are but few that can do that I never 'dispute your abilities at making a goose-pye, and I beg 'you'll leave argument to me.'-As I spoke, poor Mr. Burchell entered the house, and was welcomed by the family, who shook him heartily by the hand, while little Dick officiously reached him a chair.

reasons:

I was pleased with the poor man's friendship, for two 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 sense; but in general he was fondest of the company of children, whom he used to call harmless little men. He was famous, I found, for singing them ballads, and telling them stories; and seldom went out without something in his pockets for them, a piece of gingerbread, or an halfpenny whistle. He generally came for a few days into our neighbourhood once a year, and lived upon the neighbours' hospitality. He sate down to supper among us, and my wife was not sparing of her gooseberry-wine. The tale went round; he sang us old songs, and gave the children the story of the Buck of Beverland, with the history of Patient Grissel, the adventures of Catskin, and then Fair Rosamond's Bower Our cock, which always crew at eleven, now told us it was time for repose; but an unforeseen difficulty started about lodging the stranger; all our beds were already taken up, and it was too late to send him to the next alehouse. In this dilemma, little Dick offered him his part of the bed, if his brother Moses would let him lie with him; And I,' cried Bill, 'will 'give Mr. Burchell my part, if my sisters will take me 'to theirs. Well done, my good children,' cried I,

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hospitality is one of the first Christian duties. The 'beast retires to its shelter, and the bird flies to its nest; but helpless man can only find refuge from his fellowcreature. The greatest stranger in this world, was He that came to save 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 sugar each, and let Dick's 'be the largest because he spoke first.'

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In the morning early I called out my whole family to help at saving an after-growth of hay, and our guest offering his assistance, he was accepted among the number. Our labours went on lightly; we turned the swath to the wind. I went foremost, and the rest followed in due succession. I could not avoid, however, observing the assiduity of Mr. Burchell in assisting 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 of Sophia's understanding, and was too well convinced of her ambition, to be under any uneasiness 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 whose child he was carrying a whistle. When gone, our conversation at supper turned upon our late unfortunate guest. What a strong instance,' said I, 'is that poor man of the 'miseries attending a youth of levity and extravagance. He by no means wants sense, which only serves 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. They ' once praised him, and now they applaud the pander: 'their former raptures at his wit are now converted into

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sarcasms at his folly he is poor, and perhaps deserves 'poverty; for he has neither the ambition to be inde'pendent, nor the skill to be useful.' Prompted perhaps by some secret reasons, I delivered this observation with too much acrimony, which my Sophia gently reproved. 'Whatsoever his former conduct may have been, Papa, 'his circumstances should exempt him from censure now. 'His present indigence is a sufficient punishment for 'former folly, and I have heard my Papa himself say, 'that we should never strike one unnecessary blow at a victim over whom Providence holds the scourge of ' its resentment.'- You are right, Sophy,' cried my son Moses, and one of the ancients finely represents so 'malicious a conduct, by the attempts of a rustic to flay Marsyas whose skin, the fable tells us, had been 'wholly stript off by another. Besides, I don't know if this poor man's situation be so bad as my father would 'represent 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 eyes, yet 'the animal itself finds the apartment sufficiently light( some. And to confess a truth, this man's mind seems 'fitted to his station; for I never heard any one more 'sprightly than he was to-day, when he conversed with 'you.' This was said without the least design; however, it excited a blush, which she strove to cover by an affected laugh, assuring 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 she undertook to vindicate herself, and her blushing, were symptoms I did not internally approve; but I represt my suspicions.

As we expected our landlord the next day, my wife went to make the venison pasty. Moses sate reading, while I taught the little ones: my daughters seemed

equally busy with the rest; and I observed them for a good while cooking something over the fire. I at first supposed they were assisting their mother; but little Dick informed me in a whisper, that they were making a wash for the face. Washes of all kinds I had a natural antipathy to; for I knew that instead of mending the complexion they spoiled it. I therefore approached my chair by sly degrees to the fire, and grasping the poker, as if it wanted mending, seemingly by accident, overturned the whole composition, and it was too late to begin another.