Enthusiasm, " is an excessive devotion of the mind, to any particular employment or opinion." Enthusiasm in science is genius, in vice it is spirit, in war it is loyalty and honour; but inreligion the irreligious world calls it madness.

In religion, I have observed Orthodoxy is my doxy, for that which is my religious opinion, is heterodoxy in my wife s view, therefore it cannot be her doxy, nor can her doxy be mine, so that every man's doxy is orthodoxy. For who does not say orthodoxy is my doxy, and heterodoxy is your doxy.*

In accommodations I have observed also, that wife's eyes my became larger than my house, for she constantly fixed her mind upon a neighbour's mansion. She not only lays storm to great places

*True orthodoxy is to put the principal things of religion in the principal place, and give each truth it: due weight.

with feeble means, but with less talents to carry her point She begins many things but finishes none, that cost any pains: one job I notice in this closet,. another in that cupboard, or in that basket, reminds me of negligence the source of my sorrow. My child planted "in her little garden some sweet peas, they began to chit, but they were rooted

up to put in a little lupine seed, which "was soon displaced that the spot might "be occupied by other seeds; thus the "summer passed away, and all this plant"ing and rooting up thwarted the opera "tions of nature," and it was for nought. Poor child, thought I, thou art a frail plant, from a stock, that thus spends her life without maturing any of her projects..

I noticed if I gave good advice, she never would take it, because I never could give good conduct; on this ground I have the painful recollection, that I could not help her in a thousand instances; and as in many instances I noticed she would not hear reason, so in many cases reason would not hear her.

My Father had often reminded me that reason and wisdom were twins: and both say, "Be industrious in thy calling, be frugal as possible; and both reason and wisdom say." All may be blasted without the blessing of heaven; and therefore ask that blessing in meekness and humility, and be not uncharitable to those who at present seem to need it, but comfort and help them." Remember, Job suffered and afterwards was prosperous. Lazarus was poor, but has a residence in heaven, let such have a place in thy heart.

My sorrow it is true was very great, and as I had often found sleep itself dispel my chagrin more than a book of dry morals, I frequently said,

Hail! bamly pow r! that cans't repair,
The constant waste of human care;

To the sad heart afford relief,

And give a respite to its grief:

I leave it with the inquisitive to prove whether any man in Great Britain has better ground, to call Dr. Franklin father, than myself.

Gans't calm, through night's composing hours,
The threat'ning storm that daily low'rs:
On the rude flint the wretched cheer,
And to a smile transform the tear.

but this distress was immoveable, and such as no means could mitigate, without recourse to God, and happy, still happy I found myself, when this was the central point toward which all the paths of my life converged.

I observed also, that I had not sufficiently distinguished between neatness and slovenliness, though I must admit, her dress was not the light drapery which adorns a Grecian statue; nor did it expose her legs, to put the remains of modesty in man, out of countenance: yet she had no idea of putting on what was proper, in a decent manner. Dress is certainly a very silly thing, and it is equally disgusting to make a foolish thing of it. She had no idea of avoiding particular characters in her dress, and of being clean for her own sake, and neat to please the eyes of her husband.

After all, my wife's temper was not a

weak disposition of mind, nor an insensible indifference to injuries, it was very far from that sort of temper, that is often drawn aside for want of resolution to stand to what she supposed to be right; nor was it a temper fond always to oblige and afraid to oppose, and therefore, led to dissemble and temporise, which like a cameleon is continually changing according to the company it keeps; nor was it that kindness and sweetness of mind, that sympathizing, generous, and benevolent affection, attending to relative duties, which especially consists in a life of activity and usefulness. Nor was it a temper soured by poverty, corrupted by sickness, disappointments, or worldly cares.

But it was that sort of temper, from which more evils arise than from ill fortunes, it was as it will speak for itself, a tyrannizing, tormenting frame of mind, teazed and fretted, a nervous roughness, and irritability, which became worse and

worse.

On any trifling occasion, she would contradict me before the children, and some of the children caught so much of