ve her
own way, simply for fear that, through contradiction, she might plunge
herself into even worse courses than those she now habitually
followed. In short, she was the talk and jest of the whole town."

"What a charming creature!" remarked Mrs. Becker.

"No servant of her own sex could put up with her for two days
together; she styled everybody that came near her fools and asses, and
did not hesitate to strike them if they ventured to contradict her.
She got on, however, tolerably well with ostlers, stable-boys, cabmen,
and such like, because they could treat her in her own style, and were
not ruffled by her abuse."

"How amiable!" exclaimed Mrs. Wolston.

"Herbert heard of this young person, and, through a fast friend of his
own, obtained an introduction to her, and on the very first interview
he offered her his hand. He was known still to be a wealthy man, so
neither the lady herself nor anybody connected with her made the
slightest objection to the match, thinking probably that, if there
were six of the one, there were at least half a dozen of the other."

"They ought to have gone to Bedlam, instead of to church," said
Willis; "that is my idea."

"Nevertheless, they went to church; and, after the marriage, Cecilia
sought and obtained an introduction to the lady, and, whether by
entreaties or by her good example, I cannot say; be this as it may,
the unpromising personage in question became one of the best wives and
the best mothers that ever graced a domestic circle--in this respect
even excelling the pattern Cecilia herself; and, what is still more to
the purpose, she succeeded in completely reforming her husband. When I
left England there was not a more prosperous merchant, nor a more
estimable man in the whole city of Bristol, than Herbert Philipson."

"From which we may conclude," remarked Mrs. Becker, "it is always
advisable to have angels for friends."

"We may also conclude," remarked Mrs. Wolston, "that when a stroke of
adversity, or any other misfortune, overturns the edifice of happiness
we had erected for the future, we may build a new structure with fresh
material, which may prove more durable than the first."

"Talking of having angels for friends," said Becker, "puts me in mind
of the association of Saint Louis Gonzaga, at Rome. On the anniversary
of this saint, the young and merry phalanx forming the association
march in procession to one of the public gardens. In the centre of
this garde