character of the poor Gentleman that would do no good when he was
young, though he was not yet thirty. He would at intervals talk
with great good sense; but in general he was fondest of the
company of children, whom he used to call harmless little men. He
was famous, I found, for singing them ballads, and telling them
stories; and seldom went out without something in his pockets for
them, a piece of gingerbread, or an halfpenny whistle. He
generally came for a few days into our neighbourhood once a year,
and lived upon the neighbours hospitality. He sate down to supper
among us, and my wife was not sparing of her gooseberry wine. The
tale went round; he sung us old songs, and gave the children the
story of the Buck of Beverland, with the history of Patient
Grissel, the adventures of Catskin, and then Fair Rosamond's
bower. Our cock, which always crew at eleven, now told us it was
time for repose; but an unforeseen difficulty started about
lodging the stranger: all our beds were already taken up, and it
was too late to send him to the next alehouse. In this dilemma,
little Dick offered him his part of the bed, if his brother Moses
would let him lie with him; 'And I,' cried Bill, 'will give Mr
Burchell my part, if my sisters will take me to theirs.'--'Well
done, my good children,' cried I, 'hospitality is one of the
first Christian duties. The beast retires to its shelter, and the
bird flies to its nest; but helpless man can only find refuge
from his fellow creature. The greatest stranger in this world,
was he that came to save it. He never had an house, as if willing
to see what hospitality was left remaining amongst us. Deborah,
my dear,' cried I, to my wife, 'give those boys a lump of sugar
each, and let Dick's be the largest, because he spoke first.'

In the morning early I called out my whole family to help at