my self-confidence; and when Ellen left the room, which she soon did, we had a long conversation, during which she opened to me many of the family arrangements and plans.

She told me that my brother and Ellen were engaged to each other, and were to be married as soon as the deep mourning for my uncle was laid aside, and that they were to continue to live with them; and she seemed to have great delight in the anticipation of this arrangement. She also added, that my father had a plan for me, which she thought very good, namely, that I should, if it could be managed, enter into partnership with old Mr. Southcott, the surgeon of the village; and thus, when he dropped off, as he was getting very infirm, I might fall into his place.

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My father," I answered, "will, I suppose, give me leave to judge in these matters for myself. You know, mother, that you and my father have always lived in this wood, and you can know nothing of life; but, at any rate, there can be no doubt that, in matters relative to my own profession, I must know better than people of your description."

"True, James, true, my dear," said my mother, colouring, and looking alarmed at the great man her son: "but I only gave you a hint, my dear, I meant no offence. To be sure you must know best." And the poor woman looked this way and that way, as if she thought that she had taken a liberty by sitting down in my pres

ence.

I threw one leg over the other, and, looking up to the chimney-piece, began to make comments on a piece of embroidery in worsted, which had hung there in a frame ever since I could remember. Mother," I said, "what an abominable smoky thing that is over the fireplace: why don't you make a bonfire of it?"

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She replied, meekly, "It was my mother's work, James."

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Upon my word, the old lady was a second Arachne,” I replied.

"Arachne !" she repeated, looking bewildered, "who is that, James?"

"One who adorns many houses, mother," I replied, "with her fine handiworks."

"Some London lady, I suppose," she answered: "but when Robert is married we are to have the par

lour painted, and new curtains, and then Ellen's map of the world is to be put up in the gold frame, instead of that piece."

"Indeed," I said, "you will be prodigiously fine;" and, hearing my brother's voice, I sauntered to the window, whistling an opera tune, and saw him and my father come up to the house in dresses suited to their occupations, though perfectly neat. I turned to look to the door as they entered; and presently they came forward and shook me heartily by the hand; after which Robert kissed our mother, and asked kindly after her health.

I might have taken a lesson from my brother respecting my conduct to our mother; but I chose to despise him, and we never learn from those we despise.

I had no conversation with my father respecting my arrangements, until the evening, when we were all met round the fire. The plan at which my mother had hinted was then proposed to me; namely, that I should endeavour to be admitted into partnership with old Mr. Southcott.

"What sort of a practitioner may this same Mr. Southcott be?" I asked: "one of the old school, I have no doubt-ignorant, probably very ignorant-a mere quack."

My mother replied, that Mr. Southcott gave general satisfaction in the country, and obtained a handsome maintenance.

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Well," I said, "all that may be; and I thank you for your hints," I added, looking at one and the other of my parents; "but you must allow me to judge for myself. I have seen a good deal of the world; and at my time of life-"

I was proceeding, when Robert took me up, saying, "At your time of life, and mine too, James, persons are very apt to think themselves wiser than their parents. We have not even had experience enough to know our own folly."

I was offended, and did not endeavour to hide my displeasure. I measured Robert with my eye; and looked him for a minute in the face with as much contempt as I could summon into my countenance.

Our mother noticed my manner, and said, James, dear, don't be offended at Robert; when you know him better you will find that he is the kindest, best creature in the world; but you do not understand him yet. You

have lived with a very different kind of people: you have had a superior education. Robert does not understand the world." And then turning to her younger son, "Don't smile, Robert," she added, "you vex James; and you know that he is a stranger, and we must make much of him."

"I beg your pardon, James, if I have offended you," said my brother, offering me his hand, which motion I, however, affected not to see; and thus the conversation respecting my plans dropped for that time, and the discourse was turned into another channel.

During that evening, my father, who was as simple and good a man as ever existed, continued to give me such advice as he thought for my good; it not having yet entered his head that he had a son who was determined to abide by his own opinions, and to act as he thought right in his own eyes, without any reference to divine or paternal authority. The subjects which he pressed upon me were chiefly religious and moral: I forget precisely what they were, as I paid little attention to them; but this I recollect, that I gave him maxim for maxim, and opinion for opinion, till I had fairly carried him into the land of confusion; for, without meaning to speak disrespectfully of my parents, which God forbid, the fact is that they were not persons of superior abilities, though possessing that sort of sense which, when united with amiable tempers and true piety, fits persons above all others to get on comfortably through life.

While these things were passing between my father and me, Robert sat looking on the pavement: and I saw his colour change several times; but he did not speak till I made some remark respecting religion which did not please him; on which, looking up, he said, "James, do you remember our infant days, when we used to climb up the old yew-tree on a Sunday evening, to read the Pilgrim's Progress? those were happy times, James. I was very solitary in the yew-tree when you were gone. Religion in those days was very sweet to us. I can remember that you were then my teacher, and—”

"And now, I suppose, you would wish to become my teacher?" I said, interrupting him. "But, understand me, Robert, I am now for liberty of conscience, and emancipation from spiritual authority. I have no idea of one man dictating to another in matters of this kind ;

and therefore I trust that you will not think of interfering with me."

"Please to explain yourself," said Robert.

"I do not see what explanation is necessary," I replied; "what I have said is very simple: all I would desire is, that men should exercise the same liberality one with another that God exercises towards us all. He created us with various intellectual endowments, and reasoning faculties; and with different innocent and pleasurable feelings; and he has placed us in a world where we find a variety of circumstances to gratify those feelings, but he exercises no further influence over us; he leaves us to judge and act for ourselves; and to suffer or to be happy, in consequence of our own evil or good conduct."

"According to your plan, then," replied my brother, smiling, "he ought to have turned us out of his hands full-grown; and not to have placed us, during the first years of our lives, in such a situation of weakness as to make us dependent on the mercy of others; and hence to become, in the natural course of things, subservient and subjected to parents, who, after having had the trouble of rearing us, think they have a right to counsel and influence us through life? And, really," he added, smiling still more decidedly, "Providence has made a great mistake by compelling us, according to the laws of nature, to enter life in a state of such entire helplessness for to this cause we may attribute all the tyranny which exists in the world; for we find, from the notes of our old Bible, that, from the patriarchal government, arose the monarchical first; and then from this all other regular governments had their origin; moreover, from the necessities of man in his infancy, also proceed the dependence of the wife upon her husband, and many other systems of tyranny of the same kind; with all the various ties and clogs of domestic life; from all of which we might have been exempted, had we been introduced into the world full-grown, and entirely independent of each other."

:

"Dear Robert," said my mother, "how you talk! Did ever any one hear of a person being full-grown when he was born? How can you go on so; and presume to find fault with Providence ?"

"O! Mrs. Penson," said Ellen, "you do not understand Robert; he is only joking. I dare say Mr. James

understands him." And she then addressed me for the first time since our meeting at breakfast, saying, “You must not suppose, Mr. James, that your brother is ig norant, though he has always lived in the country; there is often a great deal of time for people to read, and think too, when they live in the country."

I found that I was likely to have two, instead of one, against me, whenever I attacked Robert; and that my brother was not quite so weak an adversary as I expected: I therefore closed the argument, by saying, that I should depart from my own principles if I did not allow my brother to enjoy his opinions as freely as I did mine; adding, that I considered emancipation from all prejudices to be a state of things greatly to be wished: and, thus speaking, I took up my candle, and went to my bed-room; resolving to get out of the house, and into a settled situation, as soon as I could.

I have now said enough to show my reader what he may expect of me; and shall, accordingly, pass over the events of the three succeeding years as succinctly as possible.

Notwithstanding my father's advice, I did call upon Mr. Southcott; and actually did contrive, with the consideration of a few hundreds, to persuade him to take me as a partner; and, more than that, within two years I married his niece Eliza; and entered, by his death, into full possession of his business, his new brick house with two bow-windows, his garden, his fish-pond, his paddock, his old horse, and his cow; with a quantity of ready money, in which sum was contained the premium I had given for the partnership. But, before I had the honour of leading Miss Eliza to the altar, Ellen had become the wife of Robert, and the young pair had fixed their residence with their parents at the Woodhouse; a scheme which, in this particular, answered to the extent of their wishes.

And now my reader may picture me to himself, a smart young surgeon; not indeed, perhaps, of the first style, but quite sufficiently polished for my line of practice; extremely well pleased with myself; and, as times then were, by no means deficient in the knowledge of my profession; with my smart house; a wife who was far less disagreeable to me than might have been expected, when it is considered that I sought her only from interested motives; and a sufficient income to enable