e it enables us to do justice to all, and puts it in our power to
benefit some by it, as we see they deserve.

You have but one child; and I am a bachelor, and have never a one--all
bachelors cannot say so: wherefore your daughter may be the better for
me, if she will keep up with my humour; which was never thought bad:
especially to my equals. Servants, indeed, I don't matter being angry
with, when I please; they are paid for bearing it, and too-too often
deserve it; as we have frequently taken notice of to one another. And,
moreover, if we keep not servants at distance, they will be familiar.
I always made it a rule to find fault, whether reasonable or not, that so
I might have no reason to find fault. Young women and servants in
general (as worthy Mr. Solmes observes) are better governed by fear than
love. But this my humour as to servants will not effect either you or
Miss, you know.

I will make very advantageous settlements; such as any common friend
shall judge to be so. But must have all in my own power, while I live:
because, you know, Madam, it is as creditable to the wife, as to the
husband, that it should be so.

I am not at fine words. We are not children; though it is hoped we may
have some; for I am a very healthy sound man. I bless God for it: and
never brought home from my voyages and travels a worser constitution than
I took out with me. I was none of those, I will assure you. But this I
will undertake, that, if you are the survivor, you shall be at the least
ten thousand pounds the better for me. What, in the contrary case, I
shall be the better for you, I leave to you, as you shall think my
kindness to you shall deserve.

But one thing, Madam, I shall be glad of, that Miss Howe might not live
with us then--[she need not know I write thus]--but go home to Mr.
Hickman, as she is upon the point of marriage, I hear: and if she behaves
dutifully, as she should do, to us both, she shall be the better; for I
said so before.

You shall manage all things, both mine and your own; for I know but
little of land-matters. All my opposition to you shall be out of love,
when I think you take too much upon you for your health.

It will be very pretty for you, I should think, to have a man of
experience, in a long winter's evening, to sit down by you, and tell you
stories of foreign parts, and the customs of the nations he has consorted
with. And I have fine curiosities of the Indian growth, such as