fastened to the axle tree of his carriage, made an excellent cornmill, and sent his horses out every day to take an airing, and grind their own corn. The friction of the machine, created a wholesome necessity for exertion in the horses, which in a little time, became perfectly serviceable, active, and sprightly. My companions in misery, only wanted to be under the necessity of grinding their own corn, and like the horses of my friend, the mathematician, to combine the pleasure of eating, with the labour of earning a meal.

Next to this necessity for exertion, is a hobby; a pursuit of some kind or other, something to awake the sleeping mind, if it be only to get up and play puss in a corner. I know a worthy gentleman, who has kept off ennui and its twin sister, Dyspepsy, by a habit of going every day round all the docks, counting the vessels, and reading the names on the stern. He came nigh being drowned the other day, in leaning over the edge of a wharf, to find out the name of a beautiful new ship. Another distances the foul fiend, which is as lazy as a pampered house dog, by walking up one street and down another, examining all the new houses that are building, counting the number of rooms, closets, and pantries, and noting divers other particulars. He can describe the marble mantelpieces of every new house in town. But in my opinion, the wisest of all my friends, was a wealthy idler, who was fast sinking into the embraces of the besetting fiend of the age. He all at once bethought himself of altering his dinner hour, and afterwards went about telling it to all his friends. Let not the dingy moralists, who send out their decrees for the acquisition of happiness, from the depths of darkness, and know no more of the world than a ground mole, turn up their noses at these my especial friends. Did they know what they ought to know, before they set themselves up as teachers; did they only know that when men have made their fortunes by industry and economy, when they have paid their debt to society in useful and honourable pursuits, there comes a time when the bow must be unstrung, when amusements, or at least light occupations become indispensable, and trifles assume the importance, because they exercise the influence of weighty circumstances on our happiness. It is then that he who can find out an innocent mode of living, and innocent sources of amusement, which interfere with no one's happiness, and contribute to his own; which keep his mind from preying on itself, and his body healthy, is better entitled to the honours of philosophy than inexperienced people

are aware.

What would have been the effect of the new light which had thus broke in upon me, whether habit would have yielded to conviction, or whether, as is generally the case with old offenders, I should have

continued to act against my better reason, I know not. Happily, as I now know, I was not left to decide for myself; fortune took the affair in her own hands. I one morning received a letter apprising me of the failure of our house, and the probable ruin it would bring upon myself. That very day I set out for the city, with a vigour and activity beyond all praise, and proceeded directly on without stopping by the way, or once thinking of my digestion. "Adieu,” said the poet, as I took leave of him, "never trust to the present age, but look to posterity for your reward." "Farewell," said the despiser of this world, "take care of your health, and never eat sausages." "Good bye," said the politician, "beware of the ingratitude of republics." "Day-day, Mr Ambler," said the nervous gentleman, "can you tell me which way the wind blows? I wish you all hap-" here he was beset by a yawn which lasted till I was in my carriage, and on my way to the city.

Arriving in town, I plunged into a sea of troubles. The younger partner of our house being in a hurry to grow rich, had encouraged a habit of speculating, which unfortunately for us all, produced a pernicious habit of gambling in schemes of vast magnitude. Having thrown doublets two or three times in succession, he did not, like a wise calculator, conclude that his luck must be nearly exhausted, and retire from the game with his winnings. He doubled again, and lost all. I will not fatigue my readers with the details of a bankruptcy of this kind. It will be sufficient to say, that I took the business directly in hand; nearly deranged my head in arranging my affairs, and by dint of extraordinary industry, and I will say extraordinary integrity, managed to do what only three men before me in similar circumstances had ever done in this city, since the landing of Hendrick Hudson. I paid the debts of the firm to the last farthing, leaving myself nothing but a good name, a good conscience, and a large farm in the very centre of the Highlands. I worked every day in the business like a hero, and took no care what I should eat or what I should drink. My mind was fully occupied, and I was perpetually running about, or examining into my affairs at the counting house.

I went to pay off my last and greatest debt, to my last creditor, a hard featured, hard working, gigantic Scotsman, who had the reputation of being a most inflexible dealer. When all was settled he said, "Mr Ambler, of course you mean to begin business again. Remember that my credit, ay, sir, my purse is at your service. You have gained my confidence." "I thank you, Mr Hardup," replied I, "warmly, sincerely, for I know you are sincere in your offers. But I mean to retire into the country with what I have saved from the wreck of my fortune. I am tired of business, and

too poor to be idle. I have a farm in the mountains, which, I thank God, is mine; for my creditors are all paid. You, sir, are the last." "Very well, very well," replied Mr Hardup, stumping about as was his custom, "but is your farm stocked, and all that?" I was obliged to answer in the negative. It was almost in a state of nature. Mr Hardup said nothing more, and I bade him farewell with a feeling of indignation at his idle inquiries. The next day I received the following note, enclosing a check for a sum which I shall not mention :

SIR-You must have something to stock your farm. Pay the enclosed when you are able. I shall come and see you one of these days, when you are settled. Send me neither receipt nor thanks for the money. There is more where that came from. You have gained my confidence, I repeat again; and no man ever gained, without I hope being the better for it, sooner or later.

"Your friend and servant,

"ALEXANDER HARDUP."

"P. S. Get up early in the morning, see to matters yourself; and never buy any thing dear except a good name.

A. H.

A worthy man was this Mr Hardup; and I shall never, while I live, again judge of any body by the expression of the face, or the common report of the world.

It was in the spring of the year 1818, that I bade adieu to the city, and went to take possession of my farm, where I arrived, just when the sun was gilding the mountain tops with his retreating rays, as he sunk behind the equally high hills on the opposite side of the river. The scene indeed was beautiful to look at, but by no means encouraging to a man who was going to sit down here, and labour for a livelihood. I was received by an old man and his wife, who had occupied my farm a long time, at a very moderate rent, which they never paid. The aspect of the house was melancholy. Broken windows, broken chairs, and a broken table. But there was plenty of fresh air, and I slept that night on a straw bed, and studied astronomy through the holes in the roof. The dead silence too that reigned in this lonely retreat, contrasted with the ceaseless racket of the town, to which I had been so long accustomed, had a mournful effect on my spirits, and disposed my mind to gloomy thoughts of the future. The fatigue of my journey, however, at last overpowered me, and I fell asleep with the certainty of waking next morning with some terrible malady, arising from

my exposed situation. It is a singular fact, that I slept that night more sweetly than I had done, ever since I determined upon the enjoyment of a life of luxury and ease; and what is equally singular, I waked early in the morning, without either a sore throat, a swelled face, or a rheumatic headache. I am certain of this, for I felt my throat, shook my head to hear if it cracked, and looked in a bit of glass to see if my face retained its true proportions. I confess, I was rather disappointed. "But never mind," thought I, "I shall certainly pay for it to-morrow."

The morrow came, however, and I was again disappointed. I was sure it would come next day. But wonderful as it may seem, I thought I felt better than when I had slept in a feather bed, and a close room, warmed with anthracite coal. I began to be encouraged, and by degrees became reconciled to the enormity of sleeping on a straw bed, in a room where the air was playing about in zephyrs, without catching cold. My reader, if he chance to be in the enjoyment of ease and luxury, will shrink with horror from my dinners, which consisted of a piece of salt pork and potatoes for the first course, and some bread and butter, or bread and milk for the dessert. At first, I was certain the pork would produce indigestion; but I suppose, as there was nothing particularly inviting in it, I did not eat enough to do me any harm, for I certainly felt as light as a feather after my meals, and instead of dozing away an hour in a chair, was ready for exercise at a minute's warning.

The old couple welcomed me to my "nice place," and were exceedingly eloquent in praise of my nice, comfortable house, the nice pork, the bread and butter, and the milk all equally "nice." By degrees I began to be infected with their unaffected content, and sometimes actually caught myself enjoying the scanty comforts before me. I did not reason on the matter, and cudgel myself into an unwilling submission to necessity: but I benefitted by the example of the honest old couple, without reasoning at all about it. Reason and precept, are a sort of pedagogues, that at best but bring about a grumbling acquiescence; but example comes in the shape of a gentle guide, himself pursuing the right way, and not commanding us to follow, but beckoning us on with smiles.

I confess, when I looked around on my domain, I despaired of ever bringing it into order, beauty, or productiveness. I knew not the magic of labour and perseverance; nor did I dream that the fields around me which seemed only fruitful in rocks and stones, could ever be made to wave in golden grain, or green meadows. The only spot of all my extensive estate that seemed susceptible of improvement, was about twenty acres that lay directly before my

door, between two shelving rocky mountains, and through which ran a little brook of clear spring water. But even this was so sprinkled with rocks which had rolled down from the neighbouring hills, that it was sufficiently discouraging to a man who had for several years worn spatterdashes, because he shrunk from pulling on his boots. I spent a month nearly, in pondering on what I should first undertake, and ended in despairing to undertake any thing.

One day I was leaning over the bars, at the entrance to my house, when a tall raw-boned figure, with hardly an ounce of flesh to his complement, came riding along, on a horse as hardy and rawboned as himself. He stopt at the bars, and bade me good morning. In justice to myself, I must say, that though proud enough in all conscience, I am not one of those churls, who because they have a better coat on their backs, which by the way often belongs to the tailor, think themselves entitled to receive the honest salute of an honest man, with coldness or contempt. Beshrew me, such arrant blockheads, they call this vulgar insolence, when in fact, it is the impulse of nature whispering to the inmost man, that there is nothing in outward circumstances, or the difference of wealth or dress, which places one being so high above another, that he must not speak to him, when they happen to meet or be thrown together. Even when I was enjoying a life of luxury and ease, and possessed of great wealth, it was a pleasure to me to talk with these honest fellows in linsey woolsey; and I will here bear this testimony, that I have gained from them more practical knowledge, heard more plain good sense, and caught more valuable hints from the government and enjoyment of life, than I ever did from all the philosophers I ever conversed with, or all the books I ever read. "Good morning, good morning," said the tall man on the tall horse, and "good morning, good morning," replied I, repeating the salutation twice, not to be outdone in courtesy. "I believe you don't know me," said he, after a short pause, which short as it was, proved the longest he ever afterwards made in his conversations with me. "I believe you don't know me! my name is Lightly, and I am your next neighbour over the mountain yonder." "And my name is Ambler," said 1, "and I am heartily glad to have you for a neighbour. Won't you alight ?" "Why, I don't care if I do; it was partly my business to come and have a talk with you."

Mr Lightly accordingly dismounted, and fastening his horse under a tree, to protect him from the sun, which was waxing hot, followed me into the house. After taking something, he looked about, first at one mountain, then at another, and at length began, "A rough country this you've got into, Mr Ambler." "Very,"