them to do the laborious parts of the dairy work, yet they always aflift their mother in the management of it. As to their appearance, they are every day nearly as you fee them now, and on Sundays they are very neatly dreffed, but it is always in a decent and modeft way. There are no lappets, fringes, furbelows, and tawdry ornaments; no trains, turbans, and flounces, fluttering about among my cheefe and butter. And I fhould feel no vanity, but much mortification, if a stranger seeing farmer Worthy's daughters at church, fhould 'afk who thofe fine ladies were.

Bragwell. Now I own I fhould like to have fuch a queftion afked concerning my daughters. I like to make people stare and envy. It makes one feel one-felf fomebody. I never feel the pleasure of having handfome things fo much as when I fee they raife curiofity: and I enjoy the envy of others as a fresh evidence of my own profperity. But as to yourself, to be fure,

you best know what you can afford: and indeed there is fome difference between your daughters and the Mifs Bragwells.

Worthy. For my part, before I engage in any expence, I always afk myself these two fhort questions; First, Can I afford it ?-Secondly, Is it Bragwell. Do you fo?

proper

for me?

Now I own I afk myself but one: for if I find I can

afford it, I take care to make it proper If I can pay for a thing, no one has a right to hinder me from having it.

for me.

Worthy. Certainly. But a man's own prudence, his love of propriety and sense of duty, ought to prevent him from doing an improper thing, as effectually as if there were fomebody to hinder him.

Bragwell. Now, I think a man is a fool who is hindered from having any thing he has a mind to; unless, indeed, he is in want of money to pay for it. I am no friend to debt. A poor man must

want on.

Worthy.

Worthy. But I hope my children have learnt not to want any thing which is not proper for them. They are very industrious; they attend to business all day, and in the evening they fit down to their work and a good book. I take care that neither their reading nor converfation fhall excite any defires or taftes unfuitable to their condition. They have little vanity, because the kind of knowledge they have is of too fober a fort to raise admiration ; and from that vanity which attends a little fmattering of frivolous accomplishments, I have fecured them, by keeping them in total ignorance of all fuch. I think they live in the fear of GOD. I trust they are humble and pious, and I am sure they feem cheerful and happy. If I am fick, it is pleasant to see them dispute which fhall wait upon me; for they fay the maid cannot do it fo tenderly as themfelves.

This part of the difcourfe ftaggered Bragwell. An involuntary tear rushed

into his eye. Vain as he was, he could not help feeling what a difference a religious and a worldly education made on the heart, and how much the former regulated even the natural temper. Another thing which surprised him was, that these girls living a life of domeftic piety, without any public diverfions, fhould be fo very cheerful and happy; while his own daughters, who were never contradicted, and were indulged with continual amusements, were always fullen and ill-tempered. That they who were more humoured fhould be lefs grateful, and they who were more amufed lefs happy, difturbed him much. He envied Worthy the tenderness of his children, though he would not own it, but turned it off thus:

Bragwell. But my girls are too fmart to make mopes of, that is the truth. Though ours is such a lonely village, it is wonderful to see how foon they get the fashions. What with the defcriptions in the Magazines, and the pictures in the pocket-books,

they

they have them in a twinkling, and out-do their patterns all to nothing. I used to take in the County Journal, because it was ufeful enough to fee how Oats went, the time of high water, and the price of Stocks. But when my ladies came home, forfooth, I was foon wheedled out of that, and forced to take a London paper, that tells a deal about caps and feathers, and all the trumpery of the quality, and the French drefs and the French undrefs. When I want to know what hops are a bag, they are fnatching the paper to fee what violet foap is a pound. And as to the dairy, they never care how Cow's milk goes, as long as they can get fome stuff which they call Milk of Rofes. Seeing them difputing violently the other day about cream and butter, I thought it a fign they were beginning to care for the farm, till I found it was cold cream for the hands, and jeffamine butter for the hair. Worthy. But do your daughters never read?

Bragwell.