so plain a man as myself; but as
it fell on a mere luxury, and therefore could not hurt the poor, I
was always sorry that it could not be made productive enough to be
continued. A man in my middling situation, who is contented with a
good glass of beer, poured from a handsome earthen mug, the glass,
the mug, and the beer, all of English manufacture, will be but
little disturbed at taxes on plate or on wine; but he will regret,
as I do, that many of these taxes are so much evaded, that new taxes
are continually brought on to make up the deficiencies of the old."

During supper the young ladies sat in disdainful silence, not
deigning to bestow the smallest civility on so plain a man as Mr.
Worthy. They left the room with their mamma as soon as possible,
being impatient to get away to ridicule their father's old-fashioned
friend at full liberty.

THE DANCE; OR, THE CHRISTMAS MERRY-MAKING; EXEMPLIFYING THE EFFECTS
OF MODERN EDUCATION IN A FARMHOUSE.

As soon as they were gone, Mr. Worthy asked Bragwell how his family
comforts stood, and how his daughters, who, he said, were really
fine young women, went on. "O, as to that," replied Bragwell,
"pretty much like other men's handsome daughters, I suppose, that
is, worse and worse. I really begin to apprehend that their
fantastical notions have gained such a head, that after all the
money I have scraped together, I shall never get them well married.

"Betsy has just lost as good an offer as any girl could desire:
young Wilson, an honest substantial grazier as any in the country.
He not only knows every thing proper for his station, but is
pleasing in his behavior, and a pretty scholar into the bargain; he
reads history-books and voyages of a winter's evening, to his infirm
father, instead of going to the card-assembly in our town; he
neither likes drinking nor sporting, and is a sort of a favorite
with our parson, because he takes in the weekly numbers of a fine
Bible with cuts, and subscribes to the Sunday School, and makes a
fuss about helping the poor; and sets up soup-shops, and sells
bacon at an under price, and gives odd bits of ground to his
laborers to help them in these dear times, as they call them; but I
think they are good times for _us_, Mr. Worthy.

"Well, for all this, Betsy only despised him, and laughed at him;
but as he is both handsome and rich, I thought she might come round
at last; and so I invited him to come and stay a day or two at
Christmas, w