chose her wedding gown, "not for a fine glossy surface, but for such qualities as would wear well." She is certainly an excellent housewife, and is specially noted for her gooseberry-wine, which she most generously presses upon every chance visitor. Fond of keeping up appearances, impulsive and credulous, she often thwarts her husband's wishes; but he loves her too tenderly not to overlook her little womanly vanities and contrivances.

Both Dr. Primrose and his wife are proud of their healthy and blooming family, and believe that they could have given to their country no more valuable present than their six children. George, their oldest son, not having won the lady of his love, has gone out into the world to seek his fortune.

The two daughters, Olivia and Sophia, are the pride of their mother's heart, for in them she sees a second self. Her vanity and satisfaction are sometimes laughable to see. "Hold up your heads, girls," she will often say, "hold up your heads! Handsome is that handsome does." And indeed they are beautiful girls, as you will find in all the country round; Olivia, sprightly and commanding; and Sophia, modest and gentle.

The second son, Moses, is still a student at home; and, like many another boy of sixteen, he thinks that no one else knows quite so much about the ancients as he does. Last, but by no means least, come the two little boys, Bill and Dick, who are the pets of the whole family.

Now that I have described to you the different members of the family, wouldn't you like to take an imaginary peep into the little cottage? We will look only into one room, which serves for both parlor and kitchen.

How snug and cosy everything is! The clean, whitewashed walls, the bright array of plates on the shelves of the dresser, and the air of neatness all around, make up for the lack of costly furniture. How pretty are the plants in the window, and the vines that clamber over the porch!

There, in the warm corner of the fireside, is the Vicar's arm-chair, in which he sits and talks to his children as they gather around him in the pleasant evening time.

But what is that hanging over the mantel in such an elegant frame? It reads: "Sacred to the memory of Deborah Primrose, one of the best of women as

well as the most prudent of housewives, and the only wife of Dr. Primrose."

Ah! I remember. The good doctor wants to display his principles concerning monogamy; and so, while his wife is yet living, he has had this epitaph written, and hung up over the mantel, where she can see it every day.

"Here," he says, "it serves two purposes: it reminds my wife of her duty to me, and my fidelity to her; while it inspires her with a passion for fame, and constantly puts her in mind of her end."

Do you see that large picture leaning against the side of the wall? Well, there is quite an amusing story connected with it, and, as the Vicar has told it to me a number of times, I am going to give it to you in his own words:

"My wife and daughters, happening to return a visit to neighbor Flamborough's, found that family had lately got their pictures drawn by a limner?, who traveled the country, and took likenesses for fifteen shillings a head. As this family and ours had long a sort of rivalry in point of taste, our spirit took the

2 Limner- a portrait painter.

alarm at this stolen march upon us, and notwithstanding all I could say, and I said much, it was resolved that we should have our pictures done too. "Having, therefore, engaged the limner-for what could I do?- our next deliberation was to show the superiority of our tastes in the attitudes. As for our neighbor's family, there were seven of them, and they were drawn with seven oranges, a thing quite out of taste, no variety in life, no composition in the world. We desired to have something in a brighter style, and, after many debates, at length came to a unanimous resolution of being drawn together, in one large historical family piece. This would be cheaper, since one frame would serve for all, and it would be infinitely more genteel; for all families of taste were now drawn in the same

manner.

"As we did not immediately recollect an historical subject to hit us, we were contented each with being drawn as independent historical figures. My wife desired to be represented as Venus 3, and the painter was asked not not to be too

diamonds in her stomacher and hair.

3 Venus-goddess of love and beauty.

frugal of his

Her two little

ones were to be as Cupids by her side; while I, in my gown and band, was to present her with my books on the Whistonian controversy.

"Olivia would be drawn as an Amazon, sitting upon a bank of flowers, dressed in a green joseph,7 richly laced with gold, and a whip in her hand. Sophia was to be a shepherdess, with as many sheep as the painter could put in for nothing; and Moses was to be dressed out with a hat and white feather.

"Our taste so much pleased the Squire, that he insisted on being put in as one of the family, in the character of Alexander the Great at Olivia's feet. This was considered by us all as an indication of his desire to be introduced into the family, nor could we refuse his request. The painter was therefore set to work, and, as he wrought with assiduity and expedition, in less than four days the whole was completed. The piece was large, and it must be owned he did not spare his colors; for which my wife gave him great praise.

"We were all perfectly satisfied with his

4 Cupid-god of love.

5 Whistonian- referring to William Whiston, a strong supporter of monogamy. 6 Amazon-a female warrior.

7 Josepha riding dress.

8 Assiduity-diligence.