smoking hours (for I am regular in these things,) Grace flew to get my pipe and tobacco.

At length the batteries were opened in form, and the attack commenced-as we sat round the dinner table, my wife's sister observed that she had a great favor to ask of me-her niece, Grace, she said, was her name-sake, that she was a great favorite with her,-that the girl had been brought up in the country, that she was now grown quite a woman, and begged that I would permit her to take her to the city and shew her something of life.—I replied, that the request was one, which I could by no means grant -that the country where she had been reared, was the proper place for the girl-why should she be parading off to the city, to catch the infection of its manners, or to be ridiculed and laughed at as an awkward country hoyden? Grace said not a word, but I could see, by the flush of her cheek and the toss of her head, that she scorned my words; at least, that she thought herself formed to excite very different feelings from those of ridicule or contempt: my three eldest broke forth at once in high dudgeon, "She go to the city truly a high thing, marry come up: fish of one and flesh of another-they had been women grown, maný a long day, and no city for them-in doors and out of doors, late and early, hot and cold, they were to work, while madam Grace, foorsoth, was to be made a lady of!" I quieted my girls, and told them the thing should not be.' Now all this time my wife Deborah had not uttered a word-and still I thought she looked as if she wished Grace success-I was the rather inclined to this opinion, because I knew she was vain of the girl's beauty, and counted on its one day making her fortune. To be further assured of her wishes on the subject, I waited till we were warmly tucked up in bed and every thing quiet, and then, as our manner is when any important subject is on the carpet, I opened the discussion-" Deborah, my dear, you have not given your opinion on this subject; I hope you do not wish to expose our child to this useless and dangerous trip?" She replied, "Husband, I would not differ with you before company, because I know my placebut why should'n't we indulge the girl?—she has been brought up according to the statues, (statutes, wife !) and there is no danger now-beside, why should not she have a chance to look about her and make her fortune-look at neighbor Gubbin's darter and all; she went a trip to the city, and she is now married to a rich man, and keeps her carriage-to be sure, comparisons are odorous-(odious, you mean, Deborah,) ah, I am no dictionary 'omanbut I mean that Sall Gubbins is not to compare to our

Grace in beauty."-The discussion was lengthy, but finally I suffered myself to be persuaded, though unconvinced, and consented to the trip. She was gone six months-and when she returned, so completely was she changed, that I scarcely knew my child-instead of the plump, rosycheeked country-girl, with health and life, and activity in every muscle-I saw a thin, emaciated, delicate figure, with cheek of snow, and languid step, moving slowly towards us all the warm habilliments of the country, the comfortable petty coats, the snug pocket-thrown aside; and in their place, a thin muslin dress, and a thing which I think they (very properly) call a ridicule.

A gush of parental affection filled my eyes, and taking her in my arms, I enquired what was the matter, and why she had not informed us of her illness, and why she travelled in such a dress, or undress rather, as must bring her life into imminent hazard: Smiling at my apprehensions, she replied, that she had not been ill-that, to be sure, she was rather in delicate health, which proceeded, she believed, from the extreme sensibility of her nervous system --but that she had gotten some composing drops from Dr. Bolus, a celebrated Physician, which she found of great use-All this was rue and worm-wood to me-in bitterness of heart I cursed my own folly a thousand timesbut the worst was yet to come, I found my lady's mind more metamorphosed than her body-she had been reading novels, plays and histories-nay, I even caught her one day delivering lectures to her younger sisters, on the Rights of Women,' a book she had met with in her aunt's library-I now found that there was no time to be lost, and set myself seriously to correct the effect of my own too early compliance.-I strictly prohibited the bringing any book into my family; positively forbid Grace, to hold conversations on what she had read, and commanded her regularly to take her turn with her sisters, week about, in managing the household affairs, a thing which under various pretexts she had since her return neglected-These were irksome duties to her now-but she was forced to submit, and things seemed to be getting right again, when you, Mr. Bachelor, stepped in, and ruined all my hopes.I have taken for some time past, The Enquirer; I read very carefully the news, the advertisements, and the prices current-but there are two things that I never look into, essays, and the speeches of our members of Congress-it was thus that your lucubrations escaped mewhen I had finished my paper, I threw it down, and tho't no more about it, never dreaming, that it would get into the hands of the women.-I began to discover after a while,

that something was the matter: whenever the week of one of my three youngest, particularly Grace, came round, there was a great falling off in the administration-My stockings were unmended, the dairy neglected, my butter-milk not furnished me in due season-in short, nothing went right. One morning after I had been kept waiting for my breakfast some time, I determined to go myself and see what the girls were about. I step't softly into their room; the door was open and I found Grace, reading aloud from a newspaper, with an agitated voice and impassioned manner, while my two youngest, were sitting round her, deyouring her words, and the tears trickling down their cheeks so deeply were they engaged, that my approach was entirely unperceived-I determined to keep my station in silence, till I discovered the extent of the mischief.It was your 5th number, Mr. Bachelor, and the matter which was beguiling these simple damsels of their tears, was your foolish story of a Roman woman, Agrippina, I think you call her, who had brought the ashes of her husband with her from some distant land, instead of giving him decent and Christian burial where he died. I listened to all this-but when you came to apply the case, and conclude with a strong appeal to our wonen, playing on their yanity, as you seem very capable of doing; my patience could hold no longer; I burst in upon the girls, snatched the paper from them, and in a voice of authority, summoned them to the hall. In this room I determined to convene the whole family, and have a solemn investigation of the affair. They all appeared (except my sons who are too young for these matters) and took their seats in silence -I proceeded with great forma, produced the statute book, read the law, charged Grace with her offence, inveighed bitterly against its enormity-and called on her to know what she could say in her defence-She rose, and to my astonishment and dismay, addressed me thus

"Father, I respect your authority within reasonable limits; nay, I would even step beyond them rather than displease you; but you expect too much, when you suppose, that I will go, or can be carried all lengths-I am now 18, capable, if ever, to think for myself, and I hope that in this free country, women have some rights-the law which you have read, I revolt against; it is gothic, obsolete, and I deny its authority-Have not women souls, have they not reason, is it not given them for a guide, and is it, not a duty which they owe to themselves, and to heaven to improve their talent, and not like the unprofitable servant to bury it? This language may surprise you-you brought me up in utter ignorance, and may well be astonished that I

have thought of these things; but my trip to the city threw books in my way, I read them eagerly, and though not with method or system, yet with some advantagethey opened my mind, they encreased my thirst after knowledge. At my return home you prohibited books-I then thought myself obliged to obey; and my mind seemed fast falling into its former lethargy, when the Old Bachelor-God bless him! came to my rescue-he awakened my curiosity, he roused my energies, he warmed my ambition, and determined me, at all hazard, to proceed in the career of knowledge. I immediately became subscriber to a circulating library not very distant. I was furnished with histories-they are now in the house. I and my younger sister's, have read and are reading them, with zeal, with enthusiasm-and I speak for them as well as myself, when I tell you firmly, but respectfully, that in this course we will persevere."-Astonishment held me dumb: my two youngest instantly rose, and avowed their sister's sentiments; and even Deborah, my old and faithful helpmate; Deborah, the wife of my bosom, took sides against me-My three eldest, to be sure, stuck to me-were clamorous; but I felt that they gave me but little aid-things of this sort, indeed, are not their fort-Finding such determined opposition and supported by such numbers, I thought it best not to proceed immediately to extremities

but gave the culprits one week to consider and to repent of their ways-assuring them, that I would be master in my family, that the name of Square toes, or the domestic laws, should not be disgraced, or violated by me-and they shall not, though my life should answer it. But see, Mr. Bachelor, the straits to which you have reduced me-my rules violated, my authority trampled on, my family in open rebellion-how, Sir, can you repair this injury-what amends can you make me, for order and good government destroyed, and anarchy and disorder introduced, and confusion worse confounded ?

Your injured and offended fellow-citizen,

OBADIAH SQUARETOES.

My friend Squaretoes and his admirable Grace, shall hear from me in my next number,

Number X.

Eheu! quid volui, misero mihi? Floribus Austrum
Perditus, et liquidis immisi fontibus apros.

Virg. Eclog. 2. V. 58.

-What have I done?

The boar amidst my chrystal streams I bring,
And southern wings to blast my flow'ry spring.

Dryden.

I design this number as an answer to the harsh and undeserved complaints made against me by Obadialı Squaretoes, in his letter published in my last number. Let no man say to himself, I will go forth and do good, and there shall be none to censure: for no purity of purpose can exempt him from this fate. He, particularly, who attempts an inroad on the existing state of things, although the change be demonstrably for the better, will be sure to find many who will treat his exertions, however honest, with resentment or contempt, and who will embrace their old errors with the fonder pertinacity, the more vigorous the effort to tear them from their arms. The old canons of the family of Squaretoes, and hereditary obstinacy with which the present head of that family determines to enforce them, reminds me of a story which I heard many years ago, and which places in a strong light, this oldfashioned bigotry in error. A road in the back parts of Pennsylvania had been so long used that it was worn into a deep and almost impassable gully. The surveyor had opened a new road along the bank which over-looked the former, and which was as remarkably smooth and firm, as the other was miry and rugged. A traveller, flying in his curricle along the new road, and seeing a waggon and powerful team floundering through the mud and mire of the rough gully below, had the curiosity to stop and ask the waggoner, why he chose the old road in preference to the new one which was so much superior? The waggoner was a hale and ruddy cheek'd Dutchman, about six and thirty years of age and without stopping his horses, he bawled out his answer in broken English-" Mine fader haf alwaysh been drife alonk dish rote, and so I drifes here too"-and so flourishing his whip over his head, he continued with great sang froid to stick to his old way, or rather to stick in it, which he literally did at every ten steps.

There is no man who respects the establishment of fami