Tell the rash girl that I would not have her to be afflicted at this behavior in me; for I know it will contribute to her advantage one way or other; if he married her for her own sake, she will find no alteration of behavior from this disappointment; but if he married her only for her money, she will soon be glad to find it in my possession, rather than his.

Your interposition in her behalf is very sisterly; and you see I have not the resentment she might expect. But would to God she had acted with your prudence! for her own sake I wish it. I am, Your loving father

LETTER XL.-From a Father to a Daughter, in dislike of her intention to marry at too early an age.

Dear Sally,

I was greatly surprised at the letter you sent me last week. I was willing to believe I saw in you, for your years, so much of your late dear mother's temper, prudence, and virtuous disposition, that I refused several advantageous offers of changing my own condition, purely for your sake: and will you now convince me so early, that I have no return to expect from you, but that the moment a young fellow throws himself in your way, you have nothing else to do but give me notice to provide a fortune for you? for that you intend to be of no further use and service to me. This, in plain English, is the meaning of your notification. For I suppose your young man does not intend to marry you without a fortune. And can you then think, that a father has nothing to do but to confer benefits on his children, without being entitled to expect any return from them.

To be sure, I had purposed at a proper time to find a husband for you; but I thought I had yet three or four years to come. For consider, Sally, you are not fully sixteen years of age; and a wife, believe me, ought to have some better qualifications than an agreeable person, to preserve a husband's esteem, though it often is enough to attract a lover's notice.

Have you experience enough, think you, discreetly to cor. duct the affairs of a family? I thought you as yet not quite capable to manage my house; and I am sure, my judgment always took a bias in your favor.

Besides, let me tell you, I have great exceptions to the person, and think him by no means the man I would choose for your husband. For which, if it be not too late, I will give good reasons.

On the whole, you must expect, if you marry without my consent, to live without my assistance. Think it not hard. your disappointment cannot be greater than mine, if you will proceed. I have never used violent measures to you on any occasion, and will not on this. But yet, I earnestly hope you will not hurry yourself to destruction, and me perhaps to the grave, by an action which a little consideration may so easily prevent. I am, your afflicted father.

LETTER XLI.—Consolation to a Friend in Prison for Debt.

Dear Sir,

I AM exceedingly concerned to hear that the severity of your creditors has laid you under confinement. But there is one comfort results from it, that the utmost stretch of their revenge cannot carry them farther; and that when a man has got to the undermost part of fortune's wheel, he may rise, but cannot sink lower. You now know the worst, and have nothing to do, but to support your misfortunes with that true magna- nimity which becomes a noble mind. Long, very long, have you been laboring under great difficulties, and so have been inured to misfortunes; and you have looked forward with such anxiety and pain to the hard lot that has now befallen you, that it is impossible the bearing it can be equal to the apprehension you had of it. You see all around you, too many unhappy objects reduced to the same distress, and you see them either extricating themselves from those difficulties, as I hope you soon will, or learning to bear them with a true Christian resignation. For well does the wise man observe, that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor riches to a man of understanding." And it will yield you some consolation when you reflect, that he who meets with misfortunes in this life, may, by a proper use of them, and by God's grace, attain to a blessed hope for futurity; wher. a prosperous state may make a man forgetful of his duty, and so reap no other good but what he finds in this transitory life. Remember, my friend, that the school of affliction is the school of wisdom; and so behave under this trying calamity as to say with the royal Psalmist, "It is good for me that I was afflicted."

I think myself, however, not a little unhappy, that my circumstances will not permit me to assist you on this grievous occasion, in the way a friend would choose to do, if he were able. but if by personal attendance on anr of your creditors

or friends, I car do you pleasure or service, I beg you to com mand me. For, whatever is in my power, I am, and shal ever be Your sincere friend and servant.

LETTER XLII.—From a Young London Merchant to an Aged Gentleman, formerly of the same profession, but now retired from Business.

Honored Sir,

YOUR generosity in sending me instructions during my apprenticeship, will ever remain a lasting proof of that innate goodness, for which you have been long justly celebrated, and likewise encourages me to trouble you for advice how to conduct myself so as to support my credit in the world, now I am entered upon business. Your long and extensive knowledge of mercantile affairs, gives a sanction to everything you say, and your goodness of heart encourages the unexperienced to address themselves to you with cheerfulness. I have been now above two years in business, and although my success has been equal to my expectation, yet there are such a variety of failures daily in the city, that I am every day thinking my own name may be next week in the Gazette. I should not be much surprised, were all to become bankrupts, who are abandoned characters, as I do not see how anything less can be expected. You know, Sir, that assiduity and regularity are qualifications indispensably necessary to the merchant; so that it must appear morally impossible for the man to prosper in trade, whose time is spent in dissipation and idleness, if not (which too often happens) in debauchery. When I hear of such failing in their payments, I am no way surprised; but when great numbers of those apparently in affluent circumstances, and of the fairest characters, daily fail, I am justly alarmed, and my fears continue to increase in proportion to their numbers.

I would not choose to judge rashly, much less uncharitably, of any man; although I must confess I am very much shocked when I hear that a commission of bankruptcy is awarded against one supposed to be worth thousands. I am filled with horror on account of my own situation, and led to believe that there is a latent curse attending mercantile affairs which the greatest prudence can neither foresee nor prevent. I am sensible the person to whom I am now writing knows the above to be true. Your long acquaintance with the fluctuating state of merchandise procures respect, and gives a sanction to everything you say: but as far as I am able to learn, those

ailings in the mercantile world are more frequent now than when you were engaged in trade. I am not ambitious of acquiring riches, my whole desire is to obtain a peaceable possession of the comforts of life; to do justice to every one with whom I have any dealings; and to live as an honest man. Such, Sir, is the plan I have laid down for my future conduct in life; but alas! it will require the assistance of al my friends to enable me to execute it with a becoming pro priety. Let me therefore beg your advice on an affair of sc much importance, and whatever you dictate shall be the in variable rule of my conduct, whilst the thanks of a grateful heart shall be continually returned for so benevolent an action. I am Sir, &c.

Sir,

LETTER XLIII.-The Answer.

IF I can form any judgment of the integrity of your actions and the purity of your intentions, from the contents of the letter now before me, I should not hesitate one moment in declaring, that it is almost impossible your name will ever appear in the Gazette under the disagreeable circumstances you have mentioned: for how is it possible to suppose, that the man who keeps a regular account of his proceedings, his loss and gain, should not know whether his circumstances are affluent or distressed? And whatever you may think of those merchants who have often failed, although reputed affluent, yet if you had attended to their examination before the commissioners, I believe you would have great reason to alter your opinion. I speak concerning bankruptcies in general; for there are some unforeseen accidents, which even the greatest prudence cannot prevent. But these are extraordinary cases, and seldom happen. If you examine minutely into the nature of those cases, which generally occasion bank ruptcies, you will find them arising from something with which you are still unacquainted. I shall endeavor to point out a few, and submit to your own judgment whether I am mistaken or not. And the first is generally a careless attention to business, the not keeping regular accounts, and a more earnest desire after public entertainments, than assiduity to business on the 'Change. Mercantile affairs require a clear and solid judgment, and it is morally impossible for that man o prosper in trade whose mind is continually engaged in the pursuit of things foreign to, and wholly unconnected with, that station in which Providence has placed him. It is a contradiction of terms. Assiduity always procures respect, ana

generally insures success. Another cause of the many failures in the mercantile world, is the vanity of those in trade, living above their circumstances. This vice is at present so predominant among the citizens, and its consequences so fatal, that one would almost imagine the people were laboring under some penal infatuation. Formerly the citizens of London were distinguished in a peculiar manner for their gravity; the 'Change and the Custom-house were the only places they frequented when they went from home. But now the face of affairs is changed, and those places where their predecessors acquired fortunes, are considered as too low for them to be seen at. Nay, so far have they carried their extravagance, that all distinctions are in a manner confounded, and the wife of a tradesman is hardly known from the lady of a peer. Dissipation, extravagance, and even debauchery, have taken place of activity, prudence, and frugality; so that instead of acquiring independent fortunes, and retiring from business with credit and honor in their advanced years, we first see their names in the Gazette, and the remainder of their lives is either spent in prison, or they are left to struggle through the world without credit, under the odious appellation of bankrupts. The last cause I would mention is naturally the effect of the others; I mean a desperate attempt to repair a broken fortune by engaging deeply at the gaming-table. This practice has been attended with such pernicious consequences, that the children unborn will become real sufferers through the madness of their infatuated parents. When those who have wasted their substance in riotous living, are awakened by a feeling sense of their approaching shame and misery, they generally muster up all they can procure, and at one stroke venture it all in the Alley, where if one is successful, most commonly twenty are ruined What I have now told you is the result of long experience, and I doubt not but you will find too glaring proofs of it. It now remains, that I should, in compliance with your request, point out some rule to be observed in order to carry on business, both with credit, honor and profit. But I know of no method more proper than to act diametrically opposite to the conduct of those already mentioned.

Learn to be wise by others' harm,

And you shall do full well.

Never leave that undone till to-morrow that can be per formed to-day.

Never trust that either to a friend or servant which can be done by yourself.