" My wife, who saw that I was affected, wept, and, while I
was drying my own eyes, I always cried to her, "My dear, do not weep."

'I then descended to the company, with the letter in my hand, and told
them that I should let them hear a story about my son. I then gave the
letter to my friend, Squire Sleekface, and requested him to read it. My
friend, who is almost as broad as long, has a jolly round countenance,
and when he is merry he shakes the whole house with his laughter. The
Squire read with decent composure till he came to the old horse at full
charge, with the paniers dancing by its sides. Here he made a full stop;
the letter fell upon his knee, and his sides were convulsed with
laughter. He began again, and got tolerably well through with the ass
race, till he arrived at the turning-post, where Joseph was laid in the
mire. At this place my friend, with his immoderate laughter, slid off
his chair, and fell with his back flat upon the floor, and there he lay
rolling from one side to another, while we all stood round him shaking
our sides with laughter. At this moment honest Jonathan stalked in with
his solemn pace, and took his station waiting my orders. His appearance
added still more to our mirth.

'At length said I, "Honest Jonathan, lend us a hand." We got the Squire
placed upon his chair; we all dried our eyes, and again took our seats.
When the last part of your letter was read, all was silence and
attention, and at the end of it my friend Sleekface called, "A bumper!"
He then gave the toast, "May Joseph honour his father by being an honest
man!" The second toast was, "May we, without being philosophers, embrace
every man as a brother; and, without being courtiers, may we ever smile
upon a friend!" We then drank the land o' cakes, and we concluded the
whole with singing "Rule Britannia."'

The Journal

It was the custom in Mr. Pemberton's family for the children and their
governess, Miss Lambert, to assemble in the parlour every Saturday
evening that she might read a journal of their behaviour during the past
week in the presence of their father and mother. Those who were
conscious of having acted rightly longed for the time of examination, as
they were sure not only of receiving applause, but also of being
admitted as guests to supper, when an agreeable entertainment was
provided for them.

The countenances of the guilty were easily distinguished. Gladly would
they have avoided the eye of thei