off his hat to a lady without telling a lie;--the
lady would lie again in smiling. The ruffles of the gentleman's
shirt would be fraught with deceit, and the lady's flounces full of
falsehood. Was ever anything more severe than that attack of his on
chip bonnets, or the anathemas with which he endeavoured to dust the
powder out of the bishops' wigs?

The pamphlet which Tom Towers now pushed across the table was entitled
"Modern Charity," and was written with the view of proving how much in
the way of charity was done by our predecessors,--how little by the
present age; and it ended by a comparison between ancient and modern
times, very little to the credit of the latter.

"Look at this," said Towers, getting up and turning over the pages of
the pamphlet, and pointing to a passage near the end. "Your friend
the warden, who is so little selfish, won't like that, I fear." Bold
read as follows--

Heavens, what a sight! Let us with eyes wide open see the
godly man of four centuries since, the man of the dark ages;
let us see how he does his godlike work, and, again, how the
godly man of these latter days does his.

Shall we say that the former is one walking painfully
through the world, regarding, as a prudent man, his worldly
work, prospering in it as a diligent man will prosper, but
always with an eye to that better treasure to which thieves
do not creep in? Is there not much nobility in that old
man, as, leaning on his oaken staff, he walks down the High
Street of his native town, and receives from all courteous
salutation and acknowledgment of his worth? A noble old
man, my august inhabitants of Belgrave Square and such like
vicinity,--a very noble old man, though employed no better
than in the wholesale carding of wool.

This carding of wool, however, did in those days bring with
it much profit, so that our ancient friend, when dying,
was declared, in whatever slang then prevailed, to cut up
exceeding well. For sons and daughters there was ample
sustenance with assistance of due industry; for friends and
relatives some relief for grief at this great loss; for aged
dependents comfort in declining years. This was much for
one old man to get done in that dark fifteenth century. But
this was not all: coming generations of poor wool-carders
should bless the name of this rich one; and a hospital
should be founded and endowed wit