But Mr. Merryman tells us he kept you all Friday and Saturday, talking about his little husbandry affairs, and that he would make you stop over the Sunday; how did poor Betty do without you all the time?

Tho. Why to be sure, Betty and I never were so long away from each other since we have been married, and now it is fourteen years, come a fortnight after next Mapleton fair day. It seemed to us a longful time to be apart; and we both of us found it desperate hard work to part with our poor daughter; but there she is gone to a charming place; and young Madam Merryman takes to her wonderfully. The Lord bless the child, and give her grace!

:

Wor. Aye Thomas, that sets all right, and keeps all right but how is it that you cannot bear to part with your children, when you have so many of them? Tho. The Lord be praised, we have none too many! Betty and I have always noticed it, the more we have of them, the more the Lord blesses us. Whenever we seem to be a little sharp run, one good body or another, besides your honour, is always sending us something; we want nothing but thankful hearts.

Wor. Why as Mr. Lovely's great uncle has left him his fortune, he talks of taking your eldest son Thomas off your hands.

Tho. To be sure, it is very kind of the young gentleman. Edward of the Golden Lion, has told me a deal about him. But it will be a desperate hard gripe for me and Betty to part with him. How movingly he talked about a sermon our minister preached a few Sundays ago, upon the wise and foolish virgins!* Dear child, he was quite in tears, while he was saying how much afraid he was, lest he should be among the foolish virgins? and Betty and I were as much overcome at his talk as he was.

Wor. Well Thomas, this should give you encou

*This must certainly have been the same sermon that so much offended Mr. Lovely, see Dialogue XXI.

ragement to bring up your children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

Tho. Why I'll assure your honour, that Betty, who is gone to live with Madam Merryman, is a very pretty spirited child: though little Sammy is a mighty stomachful boy; but by the Lord's blessing, he may get better as he gets older.

Wor. But Thomas, if Mr. Lovely should ever chuse to take your son, you must not object to it. I have no doubt but it will be the making of him, if he turns out well.

Tho. Oh no; if the young 'Squire should chuse to take him; I shall be sure to follow your honour's advice, and let him go; though they say he lives a desperate way off, almost half as far as London.

Mrs. Wor. But Thomas, how did you like Mr. Merryman on the Sunday?

Tho. Like him, Madam? Who could but chuse to like him; excepting Mr. Lovegood, I think he must be one of the finest men in all the world.

Wor. I suppose there was a fine crowd to see Mr. Merryman bring his bride to Church, for the first time.

Tho. Why your honour knows it is always crowded; for Rector Grumble of the next parish, has been preaching such scolding sermons against modern thusists, that he has driven all the people away. Some of them go off to a Dissenting meeting, where they say a very good man preaches, and a great many more of them come to Mr. Merryman's Church; and yet Rector Grumble keeps scolding at the empty pews as bad as ever.

Mrs. Wor. I hope Mr. Merryman does not scold in return.

Tho. He scold, dear gentlman! It would be a hard matter to set him a scolding. He has such a sweet loving heart of his own, since it has been changed by the grace of God! but to be sure the Church was wonderfully crowded. I am sure it ✩ was mighty moving: I never was so affected in all my born days.

Mrs. Wor. What was so moving Thomas?

Tho. Why madam, there was such a wonderful fine garland placed over the gate of the church yard, and on the side of it, there was a writing in great large letters, "God bless the appy pair!" and on the other side, "Long live the family of the Worthys!" and then your honour, there was over the garland a painting like two hands taking hold of each other, and holding two hearts joined together; and out of the two hearts, there was a flame of fire, and in that flame there was a writing, in these words, "God is love." And as soon as Mr. Merryman and his lady came into the church, the singers struck up with such a charming fine hymn, I don't think Mr. Lovegood could have made a better.

Wor. Why, perhaps Mr. Lovegood made it Thomas, for he was in the secret about the marriage: but we have seen a copy of it.

Tho. It was the same hymn your honour, that they sung in the court yard, the night Mr. Merryman and madam came home. And then the singers would have me with them, to help them to pitch the tune; but instead of singing, alas your honour! the sight of it so much affected me, in seeing the people stand up, as though they were all praying for a blessing on them, at the same time, it made me quite cry for joy; if it had been King George, and Queen Charlotte, the people could not have given them more honour. The Lord grant that they may be as happy as Betty and I.

Mrs. Wor. I should suppose all this love, and affection from the good people, was enough to overset my daughter.

Tho. Why Madam, I heard, when she came into her pew, she was so overcome, that she had almost swounded away.

Wor. Well Thomas, I have put my daughter into very good hands; and what is best of all, I trust they are both in the hands of the Lord.

Tho. Ah! but your honour knows, that he was not in the hands of the Lord before he heard our dear

minister at the visitation, and when he was running after all sorts of romancing nonsenses. And now

there are some folk who can scarcely help making their sports at him, though he lives such a different life, from what he did in his wicked unregenerate days.

Wor. Why has any one been laughing at him of late?

Tho. Why they say old Mr. Quibble, the lawyer, met him the other day, while he was carrying a poor old woman's basket on his horse, because she appeared so weak, that she could not carry it herself, while she was walking along the road to market; and there lawer Quibble, they say, made such a jeering and joking at him for it, when he was at 'Squire Wild's. But such sort of hard-hearted lawyers have no conceivance what the tender-hearted ministers of Christ feel, when they see their fellow creatures in such distress.

Mrs. Wor. Well, well, Thomas, we shall not be ashamed of our son-in-law for such easy, good-natured tricks as these; but did he not want you and your family to come over and live at Sandover, to take care of his gardens and little farming concerns? You might render them a deal of service, and I am sure they would be very kind to you.

Tho. Ah madam! that I am sure he would; but then there is my dear old master, and my mistress. Sometimes I hope the Lord will change her heart, for she is wonderfully different to what she was. And then there is Master Henry, and Miss Nancy, and it is to admiration how kind they all behave to me and Betty and then there is our dear minister. Why madam, I never can think of leaving Brookfield parish, while he preaches in the church.

Wor. Oh no Thomas, we have no inclination to part with you, though my son-in-law might be all the better for it; besides, I hope we shall have some church preferment for you by and by. It is much more likely that you should be clerk of the parish, than

that Mr. Lovegood should be archbishop of Canterbury.* I believe we must soon put off poor old Andrew Snuffle with a pension. He makes sad blunders, and you know he frequently puts our minister out shockingly; at times he cries Amen in the middle of a prayer; and when my daughter was married, he mistook the business, and began answering to the office of the churching of women.

Tho. Ah poor Andrew! his hearing is very bad; and his eyes are got very dim: but how shall such a poor creature as I am, stand up in such a place? Though to be sure it would be a rare help to Betty and our children.

[Servant enters.]

Serv. Sir, Mr. and Miss Considerate are come to wait upon you.

[They enter, and Thomas retires, after returning many thanks for having received two half-crowns, the one from Mr. and the other from Mrs. Worthy, and an order to be well fed in the kitchen.]

Consid. Sir, I am come with my daughter to wait upon you with our hearty congratulations, on the happy marriage which has taken place in your family.

Mr. and Mrs. Wor. We heartily thank you Sir; pray be seated. Is Mrs. Considerate well?

Consid. Very well, I thank you Sir: but if I may be allowed to tell a family secret, in our little way, it unfortunately happens to be washing week; and this is a season of great importance in little families. She supposes therefore, that as my daughter came with me, that her superintendence will be needed at home; otherwise she would have walked with us. She means however, very soon to pay her respects to you on this happy event.

Wor. Mrs. Considerate has at all times been a notable Martha.

* See Dialogue VI.