the housekeeper to desire to know how his father wished the goose to be drest-appeared in a very musing posture.

'I am come,' says the son,' to ask you

here he paused, and began to think on what he had come about.

'I find,' cried his father, that I must provide somebody to sharpen your memory- what think you of a wife, Charles? Perhaps she may quicken your recollection.'

'A wife! A woman!"

'Ay, a fine young girl.'

'Otway, I think, was divided in his opinon;in one of his plays he says 'We would be brutes without her;'—in another, he calls her 'the fountain of all human frailty;'-for my part I must agree with Solon.'

'Plague on Solon, he is not my son; I want to know if a wife is agreeable-now tell me immediately-what do you say? A wife is a good dish, boy, for your nice appetites--you are not afraid of matrimony, hey!-sure it would be impossible for any woman to make a goose of such a sober, wise young man.' 'A goose- the son recollected the dinner, and begged to know how he wished it to be drest.

This being foreign to the subject, provoked the father, and he answered him both peevishly and harshly-with sage and onions.' He then resumed his subject, and with some difficulty procured his acquiescence. The old man was highly delighted with having so far succeeded, and gave

hin a twenty pound bill to buy clothes for the occasion-recommending a suit of white and silver, 'it being, in his opinion, the fittest to celebrate a wedding, and the most becoming for a bridegroom.

'But,' exclaimed the father, 'how would you wish to be dressed?'

The son started-looked foolish-coughed and cried 'eh'!

'How would you wish to be dressed?'

A long pause now. At last, the son echoing 'dressed,' and the father answering 'yes,' he repli ́ed, 'Oh, father, as you do-as you do, father-with sage and onions.'

At

The old gentleman was exasperated at this reply, and was obliged to repeat all he had said before, for the better comprehension of his son. last, having, as he thought, recovered his recollection, he now left him in a greater labyrinth than

ever.

When alone, the wife entered into his head, and seemed to afford him some temporary pleasure. He intended to go and see her. The house-keeper met him, and begged to know how the goose was to be dressed.

'Dressed, 0, in white and silver; that's my father's wish.'

He now went out, but forgeting his hat, was obliged to return; then anxious to see a friend of his, who was a student at Cambridge; he wrote a few lines folded up the letter to put in the Post

Office, but forgot to seal it.-Then thinking of his mistress, he directed the letter to her, instead of his friend. Away he goes-first directing his steps to the Post Office, and when half way-turning back to see his mistress-then backwards and forwards;-once indeed he went a mile beyond his mistress's house;-then returning in a great hurry, forgot to stop where she lived. At last he reached the Post Office, merely by chance—the letter box reminded him of his intention; but instead of throwing in the letter, he threw in the twenty pound bill, which was to purchase him clothes, then bending his course again to his mistress's house, he was stopped by a beggar woman, who craved charity; the young man stopped too, and informed her it was past two o'clock: thus he ran about, without answering any purpose, or doing the least good.

By means of the father, indeed, the marriage took place; yet the bridegroom was so absent, that he made a very mal-a-propos reply to the chaplain, during the ceremony. They all came home to Mr Thoughtful's house: the old gentleman gave up his chamber to the bride and bridegroom, but the young gentleman forgetting this, happened unfortunately to go to his own bed, and the poor bride was entirely forsaken. The father brought his absent son to recollection of his duty; he arose and dressed himself; but forgetting the most material part of his covering, made such an awkward appearance before his fair one, as shocked her not a little.

We are not at liberty to proceed in the mistakes of this absent man. Suffice it to say, that his wife in due time recalled his recollection, and young Thoughtful became more consistent.

NOBLE EXAMPLE OF VIRTUE IN SCIPIO.

Scipio the younger, when only twentyfour years of age, was appointed by the Roman republic to the command of the army against the Spaniards. His wisdom and valor would have done honor to the most experienced General. Determined to strike an important blow, he formed a design of besieging Carthagena, then the capital of the Carthagenian empire in Spain. His measures were so judiciously concerted, and with so much courage and intrepidity pursued by sea and land, that notwithstanding a bold and vigorous defence, the capital was taken by storm. The plunder was immense. Ten thousand free men were made prisoners and above three hundred more of both sexes, were received as hostages. One of the latter, a very ancient lady, the wife of Maudonius, brother of Indibilis, king of the Пlergetis, watching her opportunity, came out of the crowd, and, throwing herself at the conqueror's feet, conjured him, with tears in her eyes, to recommend to those who had the ladies in their keeping, to have regard to their sex and birth. Scipio, who did not understand her meaning at first, assured her that he had given orders that they should not want for anything. But the lady replied, Those conveniences are not what affect us. In the condition to which fortune hath reduced us, with what ought we not