nd while he was indulging in
festivity with his friends at home, he was easy enough as to the
manner in which he _spent_ it. But a man can neither be making
bargains, nor making feasts always; there must be some intervals
between these two great objects for which worldly men may be said to
live; and in some of these intervals the most worldly form, perhaps,
some random plans of amendment. And though many a one may say in the
fullness of enjoyment, "Soul take thine ease, eat, drink, and be
merry;" yet hardly any man, perhaps, allows himself to say, even in
the most secret moments, I will _never_ retire from business--I will
_never_ repent--I will _never_ think of death--eternity shall
_never_ come into my thoughts. The most that such a one probably
ventures to say is, I need not repent _yet_; I will continue such a
sin a little longer; it will be time enough to think on the next
world when I am no longer fit for the business or the pleasures of
this.

Such was the case with Bragwell. He set up in his mind a general
distant sort of resolution, that _some years hence_, when he should
be a _few years older_, a _few_ thousands richer; when a few more of
his _present schemes should be completed_, he would then think of
altering his course of life. He would then certainly set about
spending a religious old age; he would reform some practices in his
dealings, or perhaps, quit business entirely; he would think about
reading good books, and when he had completed such a purchase, he
would even begin to give something to the poor; but at present he
really had little to spare for charity. The very reason why he
should have given more was just the cause he assigned for not giving
at all, namely the _hardness of the times_. The true grand source of
charity, self-denial, never came into his head. _Spend less_ that
you may _save_ more, he would have thought a shrewd maxim enough.
But _spend less_ that you may _spare more_, never entered into his
book of proverbs.

At length the time came when Mr. Worthy had promised to return his
visit. It was indeed a little hastened by notice that Mr. Bragwell
would have in the course of the week a piece of land to sell by
auction; and though Mr. Worthy believed the price was likely to be
above his pocket, yet he knew it was an occasion which would be
likely to bring the principal farmers of that neighborhood together,
some of whom he wanted to meet. And it was on this occasion that Mr.
Bragwell p