spelling; but for pickling, preserving, and cookery, none could excel her. She prided herself also upon being an excellent contriver in housekeeping; though I could never find that we grew richer with all her contrivances.

However, we loved each other tenderly, and our fondness increased as we grew old. There was, in fact, nothing that could make us angry with the world, or each other. We had an elegant house, situated in a fine country, and a good neighbourhood. The year was spent in moral or rural amusements; in visiting our rich neighbours, and relieving such as were poor. We had no revolutions to fear, nor fatigues to undergo. All our adventures were by the fireside; and all our migrations from the blue bed to the brown.

As we lived near the road, we often had the traveller or stranger visit us, to taste our gooseberry wine, for which we had great reputation; and I profess, with the veracity of a historian, that I never knew one of them find fault with it. Our cousins, too, even to the fortieth remove, all remembered their affinity, without any help from the herald's office, and came very frequently to see us. Some of them did us no great honour, by these claims of kindred; as we had the blind, the maimed, and the

halt, amongst the number. However, my wife always insisted, that as they were the same flesh and blood, they should sit with us at the same table. So that, if we had not very rich, we generally had very happy friends about us: for this remark will hold good through life, that the poorer the guest, the better pleased he ever is with being treated; and, as some men gaze with admiration at the colours of a tulip, or the wing of a butterfly, so I was, by nature, an admirer of happy human faces. However, when any one of our relations was found to be a person of a very bad character, a troublesome guest, or one we desired to get rid of, upon his leaving my house, I ever took care to lend him a riding coat, or a pair of boots, or sometimes a horse of small value; and I always had the satisfaction of finding, he never came back to return them. By this, the house was cleared of such as we did not like: but never was the family of Wakefield known to turn the traveller or the poor dependant out of doors.

Thus we lived several years in a state of much happiness; not but that we sometimes had those little rubs which Providence sends to enhance the value of its favours. My orchard was often robbed by schoolboys, and my wife's custards plundered by the cats or the children. The squire would sometimes fall asleep in the most pathetick parts

of my sermon; or his lady return my wife's civilities at church with a mutilated courtesy. But we soon got over the uneasiness caused by such accidents; and, usually, in three or four days, began to wonder how they vexed us.

My children, the offspring of temperance, as they were educated without softness, so they were at once well formed and healthy: my sons hardy and active; my daughters beautiful and blooming. When I stood in the midst of the little circle, which promised to be the supports of my declining age, I could not avoid repeating the famous story of count Abensberg, who, in Henry II's progress through Germany, while other courtiers came with their treasures, brought his thirty-two children, and presented them to his sovereign, as the most valuable offering he had to bestow. In this manner, though I had but six, I considered them as a very valuable present made to my country, and, consequently, looked upon it as my debtor. Our eldest son was named George, after his uncle, who left us ten thousand pounds. Our second child, a girl, I intended to call after her aunt Grissel: but my wife, who, during her pregnancy, had been reading romances, insisted upon her being called Olivia. In less than another year we had another daughter: and now I was determined that Grissel should be her name: but a rich

relation taking a fancy to stand godmother, the girl was, by her directions, called Sophia: so that we had two romantick names in the family; but I solemnly protest, I had no hand in it. Moses was our next; and, after an interval of twelve years, we had two sons more.

It would be fruitless to deny my exultation, when I saw my little ones about me; but the vanity and the satisfaction of my wife were even greater than mine. When our visiters would say; "Well, upon my word, Mrs. Primrose, you have the finest children in the whole country"-" Ay, neighbour," she would answer, 66 they are as Heaven made them, handsome enough, if they be good enough: for handsome is, that handsome does." And then she would bid the girls hold up their heads; who, to conceal nothing, were certainly very handsome. Mere outside is so very trifling a circumstance with me, that I should scarce have remembered to mention it, had it not been a general topick of conversation in the country. Olivia, now about eighteen, had that luxuriancy of beauty, with which painters generally draw Hebe; open, sprightly, and commanding. Sophia's features were not so striking at first; but often did more certain execution for they were soft, modest, and alluring. The one vanquished by a single blow; the other, by efforts successively repeated.

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The temper of a woman is generally formed from the turn of her features: at least it was so with my daughters. Olivia wished for many lovers: Sophia to secure one. Olivia was often affected, from too great a desire to please. Sophia even repressed excellence, from her fears to offend. The one entertained me with her vivacity, when I was gay; the other with her sense, when I was serious. But these qualities were never carried to excess in either; and I have often seen them exchange characters for a whole day together. A suit of mourning has transformed my coquette into a prude; and a new set of ribands has given her younger sister more than natural vivacity. My eldest son George was bred at Oxford, as I intended him for one of the learned professions. My second boy Moses, whom I designed for business, received a sort of a miscellaneous education at home. it is needless to attempt describing the particular characters of young people that had seen but very little of the world. In short, a familylikeness prevailed through all; and, properly speaking, they had but one character; that of being all equally generous, credulous, simple, and inoffensive.

But