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their education than their dispositions. I found them not only
good-humored, but charitably disposed: but their charities were small
and casual, often ill applied, and always without a plan. They knew
nothing of the state, character, or wants of the neighboring poor; and
it had never been pointed out to them that the instruction of the young
and ignorant made any part of the duty of the rich toward them.

When I once ventured to drop a hint on this subject to Mrs. Ranby, she
drily said there were many other ways of doing good to the poor, besides
exposing her daughters to the probability of catching diseases, and the
certainty of getting dirt by such visits. Her subscription was never
wanting when she was _quite sure_ that the object was deserving. As I
suspected that she a little over-rated her own charity, I could not
forbear observing, that I did not think it demanded a combination of all
the virtues to entitle a poor sick wretch to a dinner. And though I
durst not quote so light an authority as Hamlet to her, I could not
help saying to myself, _Give every man his due, and who shall 'scape
whipping_? O! if God dealt so rigidly with us; if he waited to bestow
his ordinary blessings till we were good enough to deserve them, who
would be clothed? who would be fed? who would have a roof to shelter
him?

It was not that she gave nothing away, but she had a great dislike to
relieve any but those of her own religious persuasion. Though her
Redeemer laid down his life for all people, nations, and languages, she
will only lay down her money for a very limited number of a very limited
class. To be religious is not claim sufficient on her bounty, they must
be religious in a particular way.

The Miss Ranbys had not been habituated to make any systematic provision
for regular charity, or for any of those accidental calamities for which
the purse of the affluent should always be provided; and being very
expensive in their persons, they had often not a sixpence to bestow,
when the most deserving case presented itself. This must frequently
happen where there is no specific fund for charity, which should be
included in the general arrangement of expenses; and the exercise of
benevolence not be left to depend on the accidental state of the purse.
If no new trinket happened to be wanted, these young ladies were liberal
to any application, though always without judging of its merits by their
own eyes and ears. But if there was a co