sons who have many pleasures and
entertainments in their possession, which they do not enjoy; it is,
therefore, a kind and good office to acquaint them with their own
happiness, and turn their attention to such instances of their good
fortune as they are apt to overlook. Persons in the married state
often want such a monitor; and pine away their days by looking upon
the same condition in anguish and murmuring, which carries with it,
in the opinion of others, a complication of all the pleasures of
life, and a retreat from its inquietudes.

"I am led into this thought by a visit I made to an old friend who
was formerly my schoolfellow. He came to town last week, with his
family, for the winter; and yesterday morning sent me word his wife
expected me to dinner. I am, as it were, at home at that house, and
every member of it knows me for their well-wisher. I cannot, indeed,
express the pleasure it is to be met by the children with so much
joy as I am when I go thither. The boys and girls strive who shall
come first, when they think it is I that am knocking at the door;
and that child which loses the race to me runs back again to tell
the father it is Mr. Bickerstaff. This day I was led in by a pretty
girl that we all thought must have forgot me; for the family has
been out of town these two years. Her knowing me again was a mighty
subject with us, and took up our discourse at the first entrance;
after which, they began to rally me upon a thousand little stories
they heard in the country, about my marriage to one of my
neighbours' daughters; upon which, the gentleman, my friend, said,
'Nay; if Mr. Bickerstaff marries a child of any of his old
companions, I hope mine shall have the preference: there is Mrs.
Mary is now sixteen, and would make him as fine a widow as the best
of them. But I know him too well; he is so enamoured with the very
memory of those who flourished in our youth, that he will not so
much as look upon the modern beauties. I remember, old gentleman,
how often you went home in a day to refresh your countenance and
dress when Teraminta reigned in your heart. As we came up in the
coach, I repeated to my wife some of your verses on her.' With such
reflections on little passages which happened long ago, we passed