ived towards her for what she was, is heightened by my
gratitude for what she is. The love of a wife is as much above the
idle passion commonly called by that name, as the loud laughter of
buffoons is inferior to the elegant mirth of gentlemen. Oh, she is
an inestimable jewel! In her examination of her household affairs,
she shows a certain fearfulness to find a fault, which makes her
servants obey her like children; and the meanest we have has an
ingenuous shame for an offence not always to be seen in children in
other families. I speak freely to you, my old friend; ever since her
sickness, things that gave me the quickest joy before turn now to a
certain anxiety. As the children play in the next room, I know the
poor things by their steps, and am considering what they must do
should they lose their mother in their tender years. The pleasure I
used to take in telling my boy stories of battles, and asking my
girl questions about the disposal of her baby, and the gossipping of
it, is turned into inward reflection and melancholy.'

"He would have gone on in this tender way, when the good lady
entered, and, with an inexpressible sweetness in her countenance,
told us 'she had been searching her closet for something very good,
to treat such an old friend as I was'. Her husband's eyes sparkled
with pleasure at the cheerfulness of her countenance; and I saw all
his fears vanish in an instant. The lady observing something in our
looks which showed we had been more serious than ordinary, and
seeing her husband receive her with great concern under a forced
cheerfulness, immediately guessed at what we had been talking of;
and applying herself to me, said, with a smile, 'Mr. Bickerstaff, do
not believe a word of what he tells you: I shall still live to have
you for my second, as I have often promised you, unless he takes
more care of himself than he has done since his coming to town. You
must know he tells me, that he finds London is a much more healthy
place than the country; for he sees several of his old acquaintances
and schoolfellows are here--_young fellows with fair, full-bottomed
periwigs_. I could scarce keep him this morning from going out
_open-breasted_.' My friend, who is always extremely delighted with
her agreeable hum