I am rather of opinion, that he dabbles in the funds.

But how in the name of wonder, could Sempronius, so little amiable as he appears to be, have obtained such a treasure, as the wife whom I am now going to describe?or rather how came he to be so singularly fortunate as to draw two such great prizes in Hymen's lottery; a lottery, in which [Heaven have pity on all poor Christian husbands!] there are so many blanks?Many years ago he lost a wife.... Oh! she was worthy to have been the empress of her whole sex!-So beautiful.... so good.. .."You have seen her then ?"-[Such was my uncle's demand one day, when I was indulging myself in enthusiastic but just commendations of the lady in question]"You have seen her then? You knew her ?"-Alas! never! I was not so fortunate" But you have been told of her charms and merits ?"-Not a syllable; I never heard her mentioned in my life—

"Then pray, how are you so certain,

that she was so beautiful and so good?" Why, my dear uncle, you must know, that her picture in oils hangs in the second wife's sitting-room, and never was my eye gratified by more perfect features or a more noble countenance: and that this counte'nance belonged to the wife of Sempronius, there can be no doubt. Sempronius himself (but much younger) is introduced in the picture; and the attitude in which the painter has represented them, sufficiently marks the relation of the parties: besides, if there were no other reason for concluding that she was his wife, I should be convinced of it by the striking resemblance between her countenance and that of a young man about twenty, who appears to be our neighbour's son, and probably is the only offspring of this marriage.

-"Well! Sir! well! so much for her beauty, and her marriage. Now, Sir, granting that she was a wife, what makes you suppose, that she must necessarily have been a good one ?"

"My dear Sir, it is quite impossible,

;

that she should have been otherwise Whenever Sempronius is displeased with his present help-mate, he never fails to point to that portrait: he seems to contrast her conduct with that of the object of his reproof, and to hold her up as a model for the imitation of her whole sex-while on the other hand, his second wife-[she is reading King Lear at this moment, for the edition is Boydell's, and I can distinctly read the title so we will call her Cordelia, if you please]Cordelia then, whenever she finds her patience on the point of being shipwrecked among the numberless little domestic storms, which the unhappy temper of our friend Sempronius is perpetually raising, constantly fixes her eyes on that mild heavenly countenance, and seems to ask-" In this situation how would you have acted?"-She then turns to her peevish husband with a serene look

; the clouds of displeasure, which were. gathering on her brow, have totally disappeared; she takes his hand kindly, as if imploring his pardon for having given him

offence; and never leaves him, till her winning manners and engaging smiles have charmed away his ill-humour, as David's lyre banished the evil spirit from the bosom of the frantic Saul."

-"But pray, nephew, what makes you be so certain, that the original of this portrait, which produces such beneficial effects, is no longer in existence ?"—

"Surely, the presence of a second wife is a proof fully sufficient of the decease of a first."

-"But there may be no second wife in the case: Cordelia may be his daughter.".

"Impossible, my dearest uncle! absolutely impossible! A thousand little circumstances.... the tender familiarity which exists between her and Sempronius. . . . the authority with which she governs the whole house....the intimate yet respectful conduct towards her of her step-son Edward [you see, I make no scruple of christening my neighbours over again].... the difference, which Sempronius makes in his be

haviour, when addressing her, and when addressing the said Edward.... No; it is quite impossible, that Cordelia should be any thing but his wife. Besides, to put the matter out of all doubt, you must know that there is a little boy about eight or nine years old, whose features exhibit the same mixed resemblance to Cordelia and Sempronius, which Edward's exhibit to Sempronius and the lady, of whose portrait I have spoken in terms of such warm approbation.".

Cordelia then is the wife of Sempronius ; and what a wife! Perhaps, she is the only woman on earth worthy to occupy the place of her predecessor! Her whole constitution seems to be composed of gentleness and benevolence; and in truth, it was necessary that she should be composed of such materials, in order that the vinegar of her husband's disposition might be softened down and rendered supportable by the infusion of her oil of roses. I am thoroughly instructed in her mode of life, for I can overlook the whole

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