1

however high their station in life, or valuable their connections and character; with an air of indifference, she seemed to carry the frozen zone into the most cheerful society, and when she discovered any partiality, she always took care that this favour was at the expence of some one I regarded, if not of myself. She was far from being silent, but she could speak well of no one, and always spake ill of the absent; her faults she freely confessed, but then she rejoiced that such a confesssion fully proved she was no hypocrite. The failings of her best friends she would relate to their dearest connections, until their virtues could scarcely secure them a place in their esteem.

Ah! ruthless tongue,

To do thy neighbour wrong.

Punctual as the day, in slighting the calls of civilities, always omitted to return a visit, except when most inconvenient to her friend, or to myself. Prompt at resenting every degree of negligence towards herself, but she could never form any idea of infirmities in others;

much less stop to consider the difference between an accidental and an intended affront. To weak people she knew how to practice flattery, to some others she was lavishing in her professions of friendship, though they began and ended with the breath that attended them. Nor could I possibly lead her to refrain from this fault, and guard against the ill effects of it in others. She was always pleased when commended to her face, nor would she suspect such endeavours to gain confidence, as the way that ends in treachery. She would not believe that whoever makes professions of friendship, which are not merited, is an hypocrite; her own vanity led her therefore to uncommon and excessive instances of folly. She was continually trusted with the secrets of others, which was a daily enemy to our peace, and a snare to her good name. They who told her the secret, told it to ten more, and soon the secret is betrayed; and then this breach of faith is denied by the guilty, and rolled from one to another, like a snow-ball that gets larger and blacker, until the original colour is lost, and the innocent is grievously suspected.

Ah! the lovely toy so fiercely sought,
Has lost its charm, by proving nought,

What could I do in the business? for my wife would follow me from room to room, making me hear the unwelcome news. So that from my heart I hoped, and often prayed, that I might have no secrets; that I might do nothing, that if known would wound my reputation, or fill my bosom, with shame and remorse. To lie at the mercy of accident, to be obliged constantly to watch over my words and actions, lest what I wished to hide should be discovered, I found was the life of a slave; full of fear, suspicion, anxiety, and dread.

My harp neglected, in despair,

And silent on the willow hung,

Another misfortune, my wife was always eager to relate the circumstances of her quarrel with me, in order to justify her conduct, and condemn mine, until all seemed impressed with the idea that she lived under a prevailing consciousness that others would condemu her. Her behaviour at home placed her on a level with her servants; otherwise

she treated them so haughtily, or looked upon them with such contempt, that her commanding air, and peremptory tone so effectually lost the superiority of her situation, that she became despised by those who otherwise might have regarded her with respect and esteem ; and my domestic affairs were in as deplora-, ble a state, as if I had lost. the mistress of my house. She watched their trivial actions as a spy, and then troubled me with every little misdemeanor which fellunder her observation, with the apparent pleasure of a petty informer.

As where love and pity inflame the soul,
The lips must move..

2

So I was oft constrained to speak, but if I gave my advice in any thing, I was sure to meet with pert, self-sufficient replies on the one hand, and on the other sullen looks and dumb resentments.. I have seen with grief and caution every tender moment snatched, to urge a request and wrest a promise from the. generous weakness of unguarded affection. Poor creature, her years and opportunity of doing and obtaining good, fled like vain wishes, until like the

visions of imagination; the possibility of reformation, and temporal advantage vanished.

To continue the narrative of my troubles; we changed our neighbourhood, and our place of worship, but a change of place is no natural cause of the increase of piety, for I found it inevitably produces dissipation of mind. It is true we conversed upon the subject, and thought our being transplanted to a new soil, was beginning life anew, but this was vain, as the state of my family will shew.

My wife, I always hoped, would be the friend, mother, and master of her little girls, but here I had trouble enough. For sometimes she was so fond and indulgent, nothing was good enough for the darling; she might pout and strike, kick over her stool, dance the cups and glasses about like parched peas, and turn up her nose in scorn, and perhaps she would say, Emmy, my Emmy, my love, how you behave ; that is not pretty. I shall not love you for all that! At another time, if the child only sat crossed legged to support her doll, while