"After long experience," said Mr. Stanley, "I will venture to pronounce,
that not all the anxious cutting out of pleasure, not all the costly
indulgences which wealth can procure, not all the contrivances of
inventive man for his darling youthful offspring, can find out an
amusement so pure, so natural, so cheap, so rational, so healthful, I
had almost said so religious, as that unbought pleasure connected with a
garden."

Kate and Celia, who had for some time been peeping into the bower, in
order to catch an interval in the conversation, as soon as they found
our attention disengaged, stole in among us, each took the fond father
by a hand, and led him to the turf seat. Ph[oe]be presented him a book
which he opened, and out of it read with infinite humor, grace, and
gayety, THE DIVERTING HISTORY OF JOHN GILPIN. This, it seems, was a
pleasure to which they had been led to look forward for some time, but
which, in honor of Kate, had been purposely withheld till this memorable
day. His little auditors, who grouped themselves around him on the
grass, were nearly convulsed with laughter, nor were the tenants of the
bower much less delighted.

As we walked into the house, Mr. Stanley said, "Whenever I read to my
children a light and gay composition, which I often do, I generally take
care it shall be the work of some valuable author, to whose writings
this shall be a pleasant and tempting prelude. What child of spirit who
hears John Gilpin, will not long to be thought old and wise enough to
read the 'Task?' The remembrance of the infant rapture will give a
predilection for the poet. Desiring to keep their standard high, I
accustom them to none but good writers, in every sense of the word; by
this means they will be less likely to stoop to ordinary ones when they
shall hereafter come to choose for themselves."

Lady Belfield regretted to me that she had not brought some of her
children to the Grove. "To confess a disgraceful truth," said she, "I
was afraid they would have been moped to death; and to confess another
truth still more disgraceful to my own authority, my indulgence has been
so injudicious, and I have maintained so little control, that I durst
not bring some of them, for fear of putting the rest out of humor; I am
now in a school where I trust I may learn to acquire firmness, without
any diminution of fondness."

CHAPTER XXVI.

The next morning Mr. Stanley proposed that we should pay a visit to som