proved, that even Maria did not think it necessary to receive a new inmate into the house. They had now been married nearly four years, and had two children; they were also, by the economy and industry of Maria, free from debt; besides which they were in receipt of such an income as enabled them to live without care in the manner in which they had first set out. Thus, by meeting every difficulty as it arose, this prudent wife had prevented that accumulation of troubles which so often happens in families where persons are improvident. The present season however had its peculiar employments and adequate duties. Maria's eldest child was three years of age, and it was time to think seriously of forming her temper and habits. The tender mother, having entirely given up the world for herself and her children, now devoted her undivided attention to the great work of leading her little one in the paths of righteousness. But as the present narrative is not intended to display a system of education, we shall pass over some of the following years of Maria's life, in which the greater part of her time was devoted to her children, and proceed to that period when her eldest daughter had attained her twelfth year, and when, with the divine blessing upon her mother's careful and prudent management, she was become a very important assistant to that tender parent in the education of her little brothers and sisters, of which there were five younger than herself. Mr. Hunter's family had been for some years returned from Bath, and now resided in the town with him and although they did not in every point agree with Maria, yet she knew how to mix so much sweetness and family love with characteristic steadiness in her whole deportment, that they could not but love and respect her more and more, from year to year.

In the mean time, Maria's cousin, of whom we spoke in the beginning of our story, had married a young clergyman of some family and fortune: and although Mrs. Charles Hunter had never seen her since her marriage, she had always kept up a friendly connexion with her by letter. At length it appeared that their early intimacy was to be renewed; for by the death of the rector of the parish in which Mr. Hunter resided, the living became vacant; and was at length presented to Mr. Croft, the gentleman who had married Matilda

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter entertained Mr. Croft when he came to be inducted into his living, as a near relation. And immediately upon his return, Maria received a letter from her cousin requesting her to execute a variety of commissions, and to make a number of preparations previous to the arrival of herself and family at the parsonage-house, which was an excellent old-fashioned dwelling.

The coming of Mr. and Mrs. Croft was preceded by several boat loads of furniture, the town lying convenient for water carriage: and Maria took the trouble of having every thing arranged in the places specified in Mrs. Croft's letters, in such a manner, and with such exactness, that when the family arrived, they found a clean and well-ordered house, instead of an unfurnished dwelling littered with packages. It was late in the evening, when Mr. and Mrs. Croft with their children and servant reached the town; and in the morning, Maria leaving her little substitute to keep order in her school-room; a task which she could perform on occasion with much satisfaction to her mother, hastened to pay her respects to the newly arrived family. Her heart beat as she ran up stairs into the breakfast-room, with anxiety to see the companion of her childhood. She was received affectionately by her cousin; and, after she had kissed the children, four of whom crowded around her, and spoken to Mr. Croft, she had time to look about her, and recollect herself. The party having been tired with their journey, had risen at so late an hour, as not yet to have finished their breakfast. Mr. Croft's family consisted of a boy of about ten years of age, another of five, and two girls of intermediate ages. These children were not absolutely unsightly, but there was no expression in their features, except that of a stupid untaught curiosity, which they expressed by a fixed stare at their stranger cousin. Mrs. Croft had an anxious and melancholy countenance, though she endeavoured to appear cheerful and pleased at the arrival of her cousin. Many family matters and inquiries about old and new friends employed the attention of the elder part of the company till the children had done breakfast, which was no sooner concluded than all quiet was at an end; for Master William, the eldest son, as soon as he had swallowed his last mouthful of bread and butter, began his daily occupation of teasing his parents, by incessant questions

and demands.—“ Mamma," said he," which is to be my

room?"

"It shall be settled by and by, my dear," replied his mother; "have I not told you so several times before?" 'May I have the little room at the top of the stairs?" proceeded the boy.

66

By and by it will be settled," said his mamma.

"But can't it be done now?" said the boy: "do let me have the room at the top of the stairs, I don't like the other."

"Be quiet now," said his mother, trying to carry on some discourse with her cousin, and making to herself a merit of bearing patiently, as a part of the necessary evils of life, those importunities which she ought to have put an end to by the exercise of parental authority. By this time the boy was got up, and had taken his station behind his mother's chair, against which he was drumming with his knee, repeating every moment certain words to this effect," Mamma, mamma, say mamma, which room am I to have? now, mamma, can't you tell me? I want to put up_my_pictures."

In the mean while the two little girls had risen from their places at the table, the younger of which had seated herself directly opposite to Maria, on whom she was looking with a fixed and vacant gaze, while she picked her teeth with her fingers. The elder at the same time being engaged in unpacking her mamma's work basket, scattered the contents upon the table, in order to look for something of her own which she had lost. While the youngest boy was balancing himself upon the window-sill, the window being open, threatening every moment to tilt him into the street, at the hazard of his life.

All this time Mrs. Croft either did not or would not notice what was passing, although, being annoyed by the tremulous motion of her chair, and the incessant demands of her son who stood behind it, she more than once attempted to push him back; but he as often returned to his post with a pertinancy which seemed to gather strength from his mother's weak opposition. At length however the importunities of William becoming altogether intolerable to the indolent mother, she called to his father, who was reading a newspaper, and said, "My dear, I wish you

would set William something to do, for he makes me quite nervous." Then turning to her cousin, she said in a whisper, every word of which was well understood by the boy in question, "You must not judge of William by what you now see in him, the dear boy has been quite unsettled by the bustle and confusion in which we have all been involved for some weeks past; he will be quite another thing when he gets to his books."

The mother had scarcely finished this apology for her son's conduct, when the boy made another necessary, by a fresh attack upon his mother respecting his room, and a renewal of his drumming upon the back of her chair.

Mr. Croft sat still, regardless of his wife's repeated requests that he would find William something to do, till he had finished the persual of a protracted debate; then suddenly jumping up, and saying he was going to explore the garden and out-houses, he was followed by all the children.

Mrs. Croft called her daughters back; adding, that she had something for them to do. But, as it did not suit the young ladies to hear her, they did not return; and Maria, although she lamented their disobedience, certainly felt herself relieved by their absence.

In the mean time the two cousins were left to entertain each other. The conversation between Mrs. Croft and Mrs. Hunter consisted of one continued complaint concerning the miseries of human life on the part of the former, and expressions of amazement on the part of the latter.

Mrs. Croft first spoke of the pecuniary difficulties in which she and her husband had been involved ever since their marriage; and from which, she said, they were not yet extricated, nor likely to be so, even by the good living of which they had just come into possession. "For you know, cousin Maria," said Mrs. Croft, "that we must live up to our income; it will be expected of us by the town; and how are we to pay our debts?"

"Debts!" repeated Mrs. Hunter.

"Yes," said the other. "We began life with so small an income, and children came so fast, that we found it impossible to avoid incurring considerable debts. We had only four hundred a year for the first three years. Mr. Croft was obliged to keep a horse and a man-servant; it was im

possible to do without a cook and house-maid; and to these a nurse-maid was added as soon as William was born-for you know I could not nurse the child myself; that was quite out of the question...I had also very indifferent health after my marriage; and there is nothing in the world so fatiguing as carrying about a great heavy child." "It is certainly fatiguing," said Mrs. Hunter;" so, that I used, when I could not afford to keep a servant expressly for the child, very often to relieve myself by sending the servant to walk out with the infant while I did the household work."

so much

Mrs. Croft stared as if she had never heard any thing like this in her life, and said, "You always had an extraordinary fine constitution; but few mothers can bear such fatigue."

The conversation next turned upon education: when Mrs. Croft declared herself totally unequal to any labours of that kind. 66 Children," she said, “you know, are so very tiresome. William is a well disposed boy, but he is so fatiguing; and indeed so are all children. But Mr. Croft hates schools; and certainly they are very expensive; though I should not like to have a governess in the house." She finished by a long and pathetic lamentation on the cares, difficulties, and pains, of a married life; to which Mrs. Hunter knew not what answer to make. At length she smilingly said, " My dear cousin, we must not indulge ourselves in these complaints in the hearing of strangers, lest we should lead our neighbours to think we have been unfortunate in marriage."

What answer Mrs. Croft might have made to this speech Mrs. Hunter did not know; for the bursting in of the whole brood of neglected and rude children, followed by their father, who was grumbling at some misdemeanor of William's, and threatening a horsewhip, which however he failed to apply, put an end to all conversation.

Mrs. Hunter hoped that when the family were more settled in their new situation, it would assume a more regular and orderly appearance. But day after day she witnessed the same scenes of turbulence on the part of the children, and of murmuring on that of the mother: and she was sorry, at length, to be convinced that her cousin had neglected the duties of a wife and mother, and had omitted her lit