tained a passion for her crimson paduafoy, because I formerly happened to fay it became her. The first Sunday in particular their behaviour ferved 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 reft 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 plaiffered up with pomatum, their faces patched to taste, their trains bundled up into an heap behind, and ruftling at every motion. I could not help fmiling at their vanity, particularly that of my wife, from whom I expected more difcretion. In this exigence, therefore, my only resource 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.'-' You mis'take, child,' returned I, we do want a coach; for if we 'walk to church in this trim, the very children in the pa' rish will hoot after us.'-' Indeed,' replied my wife, I 'always imagined that my Charles was fond of feeing his ' children neat and handsome about him.'-' You may be as neat as you pleafe', interrupted I, and I fhall love 'you the better for it; but all this is not neatness, but frippery. These rufflings, and pinkings, and patchings, will only make us hated by all the wives of our neighbours. No, my children,' continued I, more gravely, those gowns may be altered into fomething of a plainer cut; ' for finery is very unbecoming in us, who want the means of decency. I do not know whether fuch flouncing and < shredding is becoming even in the rich, if we confider, up< on 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 very inftant, to change their dress; and the next day I had the fatisfaction of finding my daughters, at their own requeft, 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 this curtailing. CHAP. V. A NEW AND GREAT ACQUAINTANCE INTRODUCED. WHAT WE PLACE MOST HOPES UPON GENERALLY PROVES MOST FATAL. Ат made a feat, overshaded by an hedge of hawthorn and honey-fuckle. Here, when the weather was fine, and our labour foon finished, we ufually fat together, to enjoy an extenfive landscape, in the calm of the evening. Here too we drank tea, which now was become an occafional banquet; and as we had it but seldom, 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 ferved after we had done. Sometimes, to give a variety to our amusements, the girls fung to the guitar; and while they thus formed a little concert, my wife and I would stroll down the floping field, that was embellished with blue-bells and centuary, talk of our children with rapture, and enjoy the breeze that wafted both health and harmony. In this manner we began to find that every fituation in life may bring it's own peculiar pleasures: every morning waked us to a repetition of toil; but the evening repaid it with vacant hilarity. It was about the beginning of autumn, on a holiday, for I kept fuch as intervals of relaxation from labour, that I had drawn out my family to our ufual place of amufement, and our young musicians began their ufual concert. As we were thus engaged, we saw a ftag bound nimbly by, within about twenty paces of where we were fitting, and by it's panting, it seemed preft by the hunters. We had not much time to reflect upon the poor animal's diftrefs, when we perceived the dogs and horfemen come fweeping along at some distance behind, and making the very path it had taken. I was instantly for returning in with my family; but either curiofity or furprize, or fome more hidden motive, held my wife and daughters to their feats. The huntfman, who rode foremost, paft us with great swiftness, followed by four or five perfons more, who feemed in equal hafte. At last, a young gentleman of a more genteel appearance than the rest, came forward, and for a while regarding us, instead of purfuing the chace, ftopt fhort, and giving his horse to a fervant who attended, approached us with a careless superior air. He feemed to want no introduction, but was going to falute my daughters as one certain of a kind reception; but they had early learnt the leffon of looking prefumption out of countenance. Upon which he let us know that his name was Thornhill, and that he was owner |