wide extent," replied Mr.
Stanley. "When girls are continually hearing what an advantageous, what
a desirable marriage such a young friend has made, with a man so rich,
so splendid, so great, though they have been accustomed to hear this
very man condemned for his profligacy perhaps, at least they know him to
be destitute of piety; when they hear that these things are not
considered as any objection to the union, what opinion must these girls
form, not only of the maxims by which the world is governed, but of the
truth of that religion which those persons profess?

"But to return to Mr. Flam. He passed through the usual course of
education, but has profited so little by it, that though he has a
certain natural shrewdness in his understanding, I believe he has
scarcely read a book these twenty years, except Burn's 'Justice' and
'The Agricultural Reports.' Yet when he wants to make a figure, he now
and then lards his discourse with a scrap of thread-bare Latin which he
used to steal in his school-boy exercises. He values himself on his
integrity, and is not destitute of benevolence. These, he says, are the
sum and substance of religion; and though I combat this mistaken notion
as often as he puts it in my power, yet I must say that some who make
more profession would do well to be as careful in these points. He often
contrasts himself with his old friend Ned Tyrrel, and is proud of
showing how much better a man he is without religion than Ned is with
all his pretensions to it. It is by thus comparing ourselves with worse
men that we grow vain, and with more fortunate men that we become
discontented.

"All the concern he gives himself about his wife and daughters is, that
they shall not run him in debt; and, indeed, he is so liberal that he
does not drive them to the necessity. In every thing else, they follow
their own devices. They teased him, however, to let them spend two or
three winters in town, the mother hinting _that it would answer_. He was
prevailed on to try it as a speculation, but the experiment failed. He
now insists that they shall go no more, till the times mend, to any of
the advertising places, such as London, Brighton, or Bath; he says that
attending so many fairs and markets is very expensive, especially as the
girls don't go off. He will now see what can be done by private contract
at home, without the cost of journeys, with fresh keep and trimming and
docking into the bargain. They must now take th