ts of humanity were half so dear to us as
the smallest article that pleases our palate or flatters our vanity, we
should not so easily abandon them in disgust."

Mr Barlow happened once to be in company with a lady with whom he was
upon a footing of intimacy, who was talking in this manner. "Nobody,"
she said, "had greater feeling than herself, or was more desirous of
assisting her fellow-creatures. When she first came into the country she
had endeavoured to relieve all the misery she heard of; she had given
victuals to one, physic to a second, and clothes to a third; but she had
met with such ill-behaviour and ingratitude in return, that she had long
been obliged to resign all her charitable intentions, and abandon the
poor to their fate." All the company assented to a doctrine that was so
very conformable to their own practice and inclinations, and agreed that
nothing could be more injudicious than any attempts to be charitable.

Some little time after this conversation cards were produced, and the
lady, who had been so eloquent against the poor, sat down to whist, at
which she played for several hours with equal ignorance and ill-fortune.
When the party was over she was complaining to Mr Barlow of her losses,
and added that she scarcely ever in her life had sat down to cards with
better success. "I wonder, madam," replied Mr Barlow, "you do not then
give up entirely." "Alas!" answered the lady, "I have often made this
resolution, but I never had the courage to keep it." "Indeed, madam,"
said Mr Barlow, "it is impossible you can be deficient in courage, and
therefore you wrong your own character." "You do me too much honour,"
said the lady, "by your good opinion; but whoever has given you this
information is deceived." "I had it only from yourself, madam." "From
me, sir? When did I ever give you such a character of myself?" "Just
now, madam, when you declared that, upon the bad success of half-a-dozen
experiments, you had resolved never more to be charitable, and had kept
the resolution ever since. I can hardly conceive that your love of cards
is so much greater than that of your duty and religion, and therefore,
my dear madam, I must repeat it, that you certainly undervalue your own
fortitude."

Such were the opinions of Mr Barlow in respect to the poor; and
therefore, instead of widening the distance which fortune has placed
between one part of mankind and another, he was continually intent upon
bringing the two c