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have returned from their wild excurfions in the regions of diffipation, as the bird, after fluttering in the air defcends into her neft, to partake and increase its genial warmth with her young ones.

6. Such and fo fweet are the comforts of home, when not perverted by the folly and weakness of man. Indifference, and a careleffnefs on the fubject of pleafing thofe whom it is our beft intereft to pleafe, often render it a feene of dulnef and infipidity.

7. Happy if the evil extended no farther. But the tranGition from the negative ftate of not being pleafed, to pofi rive ill humour, is but too easy. Fretfulnefs and peevishr nefs arife, as nettles vegetate, fpontaneously, where no falutary plants are cultivated. One unkind expreffion infalliblygenerates many others. Trifles light as air, are able to kindle the blaze of contention.

8. By frequent conflicts and unreferved familiarity, all that mutual refpect which is neceffary to preferve love, even in the most intimate connections, is entirely loft; and the faint affection which remains, is too feeble to be felt amid the furious operation of the hateful paffions.

9. Farewell peace and tranquility, and cheerful converfes and all the boafted comforts of the family circle. The net, which fhould preferve a perpetual warmth by the constancy of paternal and conjugal affection, is rendered cold and joylefs. In the place of the foft down which should cover it, are fubftituted thorns and briars.

10. The waters of ftrife, to make ufe of the beautiful al allufion of fcripture, rufh in with impetuous violence and ruffle and difcolor that ftream, which, in its natural and uns difturbed current, devolves its waters all smooth and limpid.

II. But it is not neceffary to expatiate on the mifery of family diffention. I mean more particularly to fuggeft, fa mily diffention, befides all its own immediaite evils, is the fruitful parent of moral misconduct.

12. When the feveral parts, which compofe a family, find themselves uneafy in that home which is naturally the feat of mutual enjoyment, they are tempted froin the ftraight road of common prudence, to purfue their happiness through adevious wild of paffion and imagination.

13. The fon arrived at years of maturity, who is treated

harthly at home, will feldom fpend his evenings at the domeftic fire fide. If he lives in the city, he will fly for refuge to company, and in the end, it is very probable he will form fome unhappy connection, which cannot be continued without a plentiful fupply of money.

14. Money, it is probable, cannot be procured. What then remains, but to purfue thofe methods which unprincipled ingenuity has invented, and which. fooner or later, lead to their proper punishments, pain, fhame and death!

15. But though the confequences are not always fuch as the operation of human laws produce, yet they are always terrible, and deftructive of happiness and virtue.

16. Mifery is indeed the neceffary refult of all deviation from rectitude; but early debauchery, early difeafe, early profligacy of all kinds, are peculiarly fruitful of wretchednefs, as they fow the feeds of mifery in the fpring of life, when all that is fown takes deep root, and buds and bloffoms, and brings forth fruit in profufe abundance.

17. In the difagreements between children and parents, it is certain that the children are ufually most culpable. Their violent paffions and defective experience, render them disobedient and undutiful. Their love of pleafure operates fo violently as often to destroy the fource of filial affection.

18. A parent is ftung to the heart by the ingratitude of a child. He checks his precipitancy, and perhaps with too little command of temper; for who can always hold the reins? Afperity produces afperity. But the child was the aggreffor, and therefore deferves a great part of the mifery which enfues.

19. It is, however, certain that the parent is often imprudent, as well as the child undutiful. He fhould endea-" vour to render home agreeable, by gentlenefs and reasonable indulgence: For man, at every age, feeks to be pleafed, butmore particularly at the juvenile age.

20. He fhould indeed maintain his authority, but it fhould be like the mild dominion of a limited monarch, and not the iron rule of an auftere tyrant. If home is rendered : pleafing, it will not be long deferted. The prodigal will foon return, when his father's houfe is always ready to receive him with joy.

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21. What is faid of the confequences of domeftic difu nion to fons, is equally to be applied to daughters. Indeed, as the misconduct of daughters is more fatal to family peace, though perhaps not more heinous in a moral view, particu lar care fhould be taken to render them attached to the comforts of the family circle.

22. When their home is difagreeable, they will be ready to make any exchange; and will often lofe their characters, virtue and happinefs in the pursuit of it. Indeed the fe male character and happiness, are so easily injured, that no folitude, can be too great in their prefervation. But pru dence is neceffary in every good cause as well as zeal; and is found by experience that the gentleft method of go vernment if it is limited and directed by good fenfe is the beft.

23. It ought indeed to be fteady, but not rigid; and every pleasure which is innocent in itself, and in its confee quences, ought to be admitted, with a view to render lefs

greeable that unwinking vigilence, which a delicate and fenfible parent will judge neceffary to be ufed in the care of a daughter.

24. To what wickednefs as well as wretchednefs, mattimonial disagreements lead, every day's history will clearly inform us. When the husband is driven from his home by a termagant, he will feek enjoyment which is denied him at home, in the haunts of vice, and in the riots of intem perance: Nor can female corruption be wondered at, though it must be greatly pitied and regretted, when, in the heart of a husband, which love and friendship fhould warm, hatred is found to rankle.

25. Conjugal infelicity not only renders life most uncom fortable, but leads to defperate diffolutenefs and careleffuefs in manners, which terminates in the ruin of health, peace and fortune. ^«

26. But it avails little to point out evils without recom mending a remedy. One of the first rules which fuggeks itself is, that families fhould endeavour, by often and ferioufly reflecting on the fubject, to convince themfelves that not only the enjoyments, but the virtue of every individual, "greatly depends on a cordial uniona» d

27. When they are convinced of this, they will endea vor to promote it; and it fortunately happens, that the we

ry with and attempt of every individual must infallibly fe cure fuccefs. It may, indeed, be difficult to reftrain the occafional fallies of temper; but where there is, in the more difpaflionate moments, a fettled defire to preferve domeftic union, the transient violence of paffion will not often produce a permanent rupture.

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28. It is another imoft excellent rule, to avoid a gross fåmiliarity, even where the connection is moft intimate." The human heart is fo conftituted as to love refpect. It would indeed be unnatural in very intimate friends to behave to each other with ftiffnefs, but there is a delicacy of man ner, and a flattering deference, that tends to preferve that degree of efteem, which is neceffary to fupport affection, and which is loft in contempt, when it deviates into exceffive familiarity.

29. An habitual politenefs of manners will prevent even indifference from degenerating to hatred. It will refiné, exalt and perpetuate affection.

30. But the best and most efficacious rule is, that we fhould not think our moral and religious duties are only to be practifed in public, and in the fight of thofe from whofe applaufe we expect the gratification of our vanity, ambition or avarice: But that we fhould be equally attentive to our behavior among thofe who can only pay us by reciprocal love.

31. We must fhew the fincerity of our principles and profeffions, by acting confiftent with them, not only in the legiflature, in the field, in the pulpit, at the bar, or in any public affembly, but at the fire fide.

SELF TORMENTING.

1. "DON'T witht should go off, it would kill

ON'T meddle with that gun, Billy," faid a care

you." "It is not charged, mother," fays Will." Well! But may be," fays the good old woman, "it will go off, * even if it is not charged."" But there is no lock on it ma'am," "Q dear Billy; I am afraid the hollow thing there, the barrel I think you call it, will fhooty if there is no lock."

2. Don't laugh at the old Lady. Two thirds of our fears and apprehenfions of the evils and mifchiefs of this Jife, are just as well grounded, as hers were in this cafe.

3. There are many unavoidable evils in life, which if

becomes us as men and as Chriftians, to bear with fortitude; and there is a certain period affigned to us all, and yet dreaded by most of us, wherein we muft conflict with death and finally lofe connection with all things beneath the fun. These things are beyond our utmost power to relift, or fagacity to evade.

4. It is our wifeft part, therefore, to prepare to encounter them, in fuch a manner as fhall do honour to our profef fion, and manifeft a perfect conformity to that directory on which our profeffion ftands. But why need we anticipate unavoidable evils, and "feel a thoufand deaths in fearing one ?"

5. Why need a woman be everlafting burying her children, in her imagination, and fpend her whole time in a fancied courfe of bereavement, because they are mortal, and muft die fome time or other? A divine teacher fays, "fufficient for the day is the evil thereof;" but we put new and unneceffary gall in all the bitter cups we have to drink in life, by artfully mixing, fipping, and fmelling-beforehand; like the fqueamish patient, who, by viewing and thinking of his phyfic, brings a greater diftrefs and burden on his stomach, before he takes it, than the phyfic itfelf could ever have done.

6. I would have people be more careful of fire arms than they are : I don't take a gun barrel, unconnected with powder and lock, to me more dangerous than a broomfick.

7. Sergeant Tremble and his wife, during a time of general health, feel as eafy and fecure as if their children were immortal. Now and then a neighbour drops off with a confumption, or an apoplexy; but that makes no impreffion, as all their children are plump and hearty.

8. If there are no cancers, dyfenteries, fmall-pox, bladders in the throat, and fuch like things to be heard of, they almost bid defiance to death: but the moment information was given that a child fix miles off, had the throat diftemper, all comfort bade adieu to the houfe; and the mifery then endured from dreadful apprehenfions, left the difeafe fhould enter the family, is unfpeakable.

9. The old fergeant thought that when the wind blew from that quarter, he could fmell the infection, and therefore ordered the children to keep houfe, and drink worm

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