help against pride. He alfo got the letter which Squeeze wrote just before he shot himself framed and glazed; this he hung up in his chamber, and made it a rule to go and read it as often as he found his heart difpofed to VANITY

'TIS ALL FOR THE BEST*.

T is all for the beft," faid Mrs. Simpson, whenever any misfortune befel her. She had got fuch an habit of vindicating Providence, that, instead of weeping and wailing under the most trying difpenfations, her chief care was to convince herself and others, that however great might be her fufferings, and however little they could be accounted for at prefent, yet that the Judge of all the earth could not do but right. Inftead of trying

* A profligate wit of a neighbouring country having attempted to turn this doctrine into ridicule, under the fame Title here affumed, it occurred to the Author that it might not be altogether useless to illuftrate the fame doctrine on Chriftian principles,

to

to clear herself from any poffible blame that might attach to her under thofe miffortunes which, to speak after the manner of men, the might feem not to have deferved; he was always the first to justify Him who had inflicted it. It was not that she superstitiously converted every vifitation into a punishment: fhe entertained more correct ideas of that God who over-rules all events. She knew that fome calamities were fent to exercise her faith, others to purify her heart; fome to chastise her rebellious will, and all to remind her that this was not her reft:" that this world was not the fcene for the full and final display of retributive justice. The honour of God was dearer to her than her own credit, and her chief defire was to turn all events to his glory.

Though Mrs. Simpson was the daughter of a clergyman, and the widow of a genteel tradesman, she had been reduced, by a fucceffion of misfortunes, to accept of a room in an alms-houfe. Instead of repin

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ing at the change; inftead of dwelling on her former gentility, and faying, "How

handsomely fhe had lived once; and "how hard it was to be reduced; and fhe "little thought ever to end her days in an "alms-house;" which is the common language of those who were never fo well off before; fhe was thankful that fuch an afylum was provided for want and age; and bleffed God that it was to the Chriftian difpenfation alone that fuch pious inftitutions owed their birth.

One fine evening, as fhe was fitting reading her Bible on the little bench shaded with honey fuckles, juft before her door, who fhould come and fit down by her but Mrs. Betty, who had formerly been lady's maid at the nobleman's house in the village of which Mrs. Simpfon's father had been minifter. Betty, after a life of vanity, was, by a train of misfortunes, brought to this very alms-houfe; and though he had taken no care by frugality and prudence to avoid it, she thought

it a hardship and difgrace, inftead of being thankful, as fhe ought to have been, for fuch a retreat. At first fhe did not know Mrs. Simpson; her large bonnet, cloak, and brown stuff gown (for she always made her appearance conform to her circumftances) being very different from the drefs fhe had been used to wear when Mrs.

Betty has feen her dining at the great houfe; and time and forrow had much altered her countenance. But when Mrs. Simpson kindly addreffed her as an old acquaintance, fhe fcreamed with furprise"What! you, madam?" cried fhe: "you " in an alms-house, living on charity; you, "who used to be fo charitable yourself, "that you never fuffered any distress in "the parish which you could prevent?". "That may be one reason, Betty," replied Mrs. Simpfon, "why Providence has "provided this refuge for my old age. "And my heart overflows with gratitude "when I look back on his goodness.""No fuch great goodness, methinks," faid

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