properly
tricked out, so that the very means they took to please him made him
dislike them.

There was one Betsy West, a young woman of excellent character, and
very modest appearance. He had seldom seen her out, as she was
employed night and day in waiting on an aged, widowed mother, who
was both lame and blind. This good girl was almost literally eyes
and feet to her helpless parent, and Mr. Stock used to see her,
through the little casement window, lifting her up, and feeding her
with a tenderness which greatly raised his esteem for her. He used
to tell Will Simpson, as they sat at work, that such a dutiful
daughter could hardly help to make a faithful wife. He had not,
however, the heart to try to draw her off from the care of her sick
mother. The poor woman declined very fast. Betsy was much employed
in reading or praying by her, while she was awake, and passed a good
part of the night while she slept, in doing some fine works to sell,
in order to supply her sick mother with little delicacies which
their poor pittance could not afford, while she herself lived on a
crust.

Mr. Stock knew that Betsy would have little or nothing after her
mother's death, as she had only a life income. On the other hand,
Mr. Thompson, the tanner, had offered him two hundred pounds with
his daughter Nancy; but he was almost sorry that he had not in this
case an opportunity of resisting his natural bias, which rather lay
on the side of loving money. "For," said he, "putting principle and
putting affection out of the question, I shall do a more prudent
thing by marrying Betsy West, who will conform to her station, and
is a religious, humble, industrious girl, without a shilling, than
by having an idle dressy lass, who will neglect my family and fill
my house with company, though she should have twice the fortune
which Nancy Thompson would bring."

At length poor old Mrs. West was released from all her sufferings.
At a proper time Mr. Stock proposed marriage to Betsy, and was
accepted. All the disappointed girls in the town wondered what any
body could like in such a dowdy as that. Had the man no eyes? They
thought Mr. Stock had more taste. Oh! how it did provoke all the
vain, idle things to find, that staying at home, dressing plainly,
serving God, and nursing a blind mother, should do that for Betsy
West, which all their contrivances, flaunting, and dancing, could
not do for them.

He was not disappointed in his hope of meeting wi