"greatest stranger in this world, was he "that came to fave 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 fugar each, " and let Dick's be the largest, because he fpoke first."

In the morning early I called out my whole family to help at faving an after-growth of hay, and our guest offering his affistance, he was accepted among the number. Our labours went on lightly, we turned the swath 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 clofe converfation: but I had too good an 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

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 whofe child he was carrying a whistle. When gone, our converfation at fupper 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 infpire and com"mand! Gone, perhaps, to attend the bagnio pander, grown rich by his extravagance. They once praised him, and "now they applaud the pander: their for

mer raptures at his wit, are now convert"ed into sarcasms at his folly: he is poor, "and perhaps deferves poverty; 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, pappa, his circumftances fhould exHis pre

empt him from cenfure now. "fent indigence is a fufficient punishment "for former folly; and I have heard my

pappa himself say, that we fhould never "strike our unneceffary blow at a victim "over whom providence already holds the scourge of its resentment.".

"You

"are right, Sophy," cried my fon Mofes, "and one of the ancients finely represents "fo malicious a conduct, by the attempts "of a ruftic to flay Marfyas, whose skin, "the fable tells us, had been wholly stript "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. "However dark the habitation of the mole "to our eyes, yet the animal itself finds "the apartment fufficiently lightfome. And

to confefs a truth, this man's mind seems "fitted to his ftation; for I never heard

any one more sprightly than he was to

day, when he converfed with you.". This was faid without the least design, however it excited a blufh, which she strove 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 fhe undertook to vindicate herself, and her blushing, were symptoms 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 feemed equally busy with the rest; and I observed them for a good while cooking something over the fire. I at first supposed they were affifting their mother but little Dick informed me in a whif;

per, 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 fly degrees to the fire, and grafping the poker, as if it wanted mending, seemingly by accident, overturned the whole compofition, and it was too late to begin another.

CHAP.