one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon?" Matt. vi. 24.

Charlotte made no answer; and, for some time, she sat quite silent. At last she said, "Susan, when were

you in town last?"

"The day before yesterday I fetched this linen from Mrs. Nichols," I answered.

"Did you see the captain then?" she asked.

"What captain ?" I said: "I know no captain."

'Why, have you not heard of the captain who is just come to town? Where can you have lived this last fortnight? He is come to lodge at Mr. Smith's, the mercer; and he is the finest, handsomest, freest, pleasantest gentleman I ever saw in my life. He seems to regard his money no more than the stones in the streets; and you cannot think how condescending and obliging he is. He smiles, and is so gracious when one meets him anywhere, and speaks so kindly."

"And speaks so kindly!" I repeated. "O! Charlotte, what business could a gentleman, a stranger too, have to speak to a poor girl in your situation?"

She coloured: "A poor girl, indeed!" she answered. "I like that, Susan; a poor girl, truly! I am no servant."

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'Perhaps not," I answered; " but you must know that the gentlefolks do not look upon you as their equal, nor will a gentleman treat you as such. You may be assured, that when a gentleman speaks freely to a young woman in your state of life, he means no good."

"Who says that the captain spoke freely to me, I should wish to know?" said Charlotte.

"Did you not say yourself," I asked, "that he smiled, and spoke kindly when you met him?"

"Well, and suppose he did," answered she; "and suppose he should think me handsome; and suppose he should think of making me his lady, where would be the wonder?"

"O! Charlotte," said I, “gentlemen are not so ready to raise up poor girls to be their wives. Do you think, whatever they may say, that they could like women in our humble station better than the fine ladies whom they see every day? How are we fit to appear in the company of gentlefolks? can we talk of the things which

they talk of? are we fit, with our homely and countrified discourse, to converse with learned people? Do not let us expect that our betters will raise us to be their equals. If a decent young man in our own station offers himself, we may listen to him; but if we think of making ourselves greater than our neighbours, we shall fall lower than we now are."

"I am sure I don't want to raise myself," said Charlotte. "I did nothing to make the captain notice me: I was walking very quietly down the lane, from the town towards the meadows, when he first thought proper to speak to me; I am sure I did not speak first.""

"But, perhaps you looked at him," I said.

"Looked at him, truly!" replied she; "why, who would not look at so fine a gentleman? You cannot think how very handsome he is."

"And do you think, Charlotte," said I, "because you did not speak, that this gentleman could not find out what passed in your mind? When we are angry, do not our looks show our displeasure, although we open not our mouths? You suffered your mind to be full of this stranger; you looked at him and admired him and he, no doubt, discovered these your thoughts by your looks, although you supposed them hidden by your silence. If he, therefore, treated you with any freedom, it was your own fault; and you have as much reason to blame yourself, as if you had tempted him to do so by speaking boldly to him."

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'Upon my word, Susan," answered she, "you take finely upon you, indeed! Who made you ruler over me, that you should dare to find fault with me at this rate? What, must I neither look nor speak? I suppose you would have me walk about with my eyes shut."

"I beg your pardon, Charlotte," said I, "if I have spoken harshly to you; but you were the friend of my early days, and although we have been but little together of late, yet I cannot but love you, and I wish, if possible, to convince you that you allow yourself in liberties, which you may think innocent, but for which I fear that you will be punished, perhaps, very severely after death. For although you are not so learned as the gentlefolks are, yet you have been taught to read your Bible; and it is your own fault, if you are ignorant of what is the duty of a Christian. Surely, you have read in the Holy

Scriptures, that 'every man that hath hope in God, purifieth himself as he is pure;' and again, he that committeth sin is of the devil."" 1 John iii. 3, 8.

"And pray, what sin have I committed ?" asked Charlotte.

"You have allowed your thoughts to be employed, my dear Charlotte," said I, "by very vain and improper subjects. Your heart has been occupied by this stranger, although God has commanded you to 'set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.' Col. iii. 2. You have broken this commandment of God, and are exposing yourself to great danger; and, unless you call upon your Almighty Saviour to give you grace to overcome this temptation, I fear that you will make yourself not only miserable in this world, but in that which is to come. For the holy apostle St. Paul says, 'to be carnally-minded is death."" Rom. viii. 6.

Charlotte made no answer, but stared at me; and at that moment my mistress knocked at the door.

Charlotte ran to open it, very glad, I believe, to break off her discourse with me.

In came Mrs. Bennet, with a large roll of fine Irish cloth under her arm, which she laid upon a small table; and, throwing herself upon a chair beside it, "Now, girls," said she, "guess for whom I am going to make that set of shirts: look at the cloth first: see how fine and even it is, and tell me who you think it fit for."

Charlotte said, she presumed it was for the 'squire of the next village; and I guessed, the worthy dean, the rector of our parish.

Mrs. Bennet laughed, and, clapping her hand on the cloth, said, "You are both mistaken; it is for a finer gentleman than either of these. Why, Charlotte, I wonder you cannot think of him: for I have a pretty shrewd guess that he is often uppermost in your head:" and then she laughed again.

I returned to my ironing without saying another word; and Charlotte, after thinking some time, cried, “Why, surely it is not for the captain?"

"You have it now," said my mistress. "Mercer Smith called me in to-day, as I was passing by, and told me that the captain wanted to speak to me. wondered what he could have to say to me; but it was about these shirts: he desired to have two of them made and washed by next Sunday morning. So, Susan, you

must set to work by daybreak; you have but three days to do them in, for I cannot help you. I am going out to-morrow, and we must not disoblige his honour for worlds."

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"O! Mrs. Bennet," said Charlotte, "if you will give me leave, I will come to-morrow and help Susan: it would be a pleasure to me to work for so fine a gentle

"I thank you, Charlotte," said I, "I shall want no help."

"Mind that," said my mistress; "she takes such pleasure in working for this smart youth, that she will not have your help, Charlotte."

Charlotte laughed.

But I will not repeat all their free jests. O! how truly did the wise King Solomon say, that the "thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord." Prov. XV. 26.

Charlotte insisted upon helping me in my work; and, as it was very late, Mrs. Bennet asked her to stay with her all night.

When I had finished my ironing, and had got them their suppers, I asked leave to go to bed, that I might hear no more of their vain discourse; and when I was alone in my little room, I knelt down and besought my Saviour to remember me, and to save me from being corrupted by this evil world.

Early the next morning I began my work; before Mrs. Bennet and Charlotte came down to breakfast.

As soon as breakfast was over, my mistress went out, and Charlotte and I sat down to work before the door. We were for some time silent; at length, Charlotte, throwing down her work, took out of her pocket a small pattern of flowered silk, which she showed me, asking me how I liked it.

"It is very pretty," said I.

"Should you not like a gown of it?" said she.

"No," I answered; "I think that a silk gown would not become a poor servant."

"Why, as you are a servant, it might not suit you; but I shall very soon have a gown of it," said she. "Mrs. Hall, the pawnbroker, has one to part with, as good as new, and she has promised to let me have it for a guinea and a half."

A guinea and a half!" I cried: "what a large sum! you will never be able to raise it."

"And why not?" said Charlotte; "I have already given Mrs. Hall half-a-guinea towards it, and I know that I shall soon be able to raise the guinea. But you must not say any thing about it, for my mother is not to know at present."

“O! Charlotte,” said I,“ what are you about to do? in what way can you get the money unknown to your mother and can you be so mean and foolish as to deceive your mother for the sake of a silk gown?"

"Bless me! why what is the matter now?" cried she. "Why, I shall show my mother the gown as soon as I have got it; and tell her that I paid for it out of the money which my uncles, and aunts, and grandfather have given me, and which I shall say I saved up. And she will not ask many questions, for she will be so pleased to see me so smart."

"And can you resolve to offend God," I said, “ to deceive your mother, and perhaps, to be punished for ever in another world, for the sake of a silk gown, which, in a few years, will fade and wear away, and will be good for nothing but to be thrown aside ?"

"As to deceiving my mother," answered Charlotte, "I am very easy about that; for I shall only do to her as she does to others, even to the very best of her friends. For not a day passes, to my knowledge, but she cheats some of her customers; and as to telling lies, she minds them not the least when she can get a few pence by them."

"But," said I, "if your poor mother does wrong, that is no reason why you should imitate her. Remember these words, my dear Charlotte, which are taken from the Holy Bible; All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone."" Rev. xxi. 8.

"But I am resolved," answered she, "to have the gown, so you may spare your preaching; only I beg you to say nothing about it."

"Will you answer me one question, Charlotte ?" said I. "How did you get that half-guinea which you have already given for your gown? I know that but last week you told Mrs. Bennet that you had spent all you had in the world on a new hat."

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"O! I am not obliged to tell you that," said she, laughing, "but all I will say is, that I got it where I hope to get more."

"I begin to be much afraid for you," said I;

"this