traveller or the poor dependent out of doors.

Thus we lived several years in a state of much happiness, not but
that we sometimes had those little rubs which Providence sends to
enhance the value of its favours. My orchard was often robbed by
school-boys, and my wife's custards plundered by the cats or the
children. The 'Squire would sometimes fall asleep in the most
pathetic parts of my sermon, or his lady return my wife's
civilities at church with a mutilated curtesy. But we soon got
over the uneasiness caused by such accidents, and usually in
three or four days began to wonder how they vext us.

My children, the offspring of temperance, as they were educated
without softness, so they were at once well formed and healthy;
my sons hardy and active, my daughters beautiful and blooming.
When I stood in the midst of the little circle, which promised to
be the supports of my declining age, I could not avoid repeating
the famous story of Count Abensberg, who, in Henry II's progress
through Germany, while other courtiers came with their treasures,
brought his thirty-two children, and presented them to his
sovereign as the most valuable offering he had to bestow. In this
manner, though I had but six, I considered them as a very
valuable present made to my country, and consequently looked upon
it as my debtor. Our eldest son was named George, after his
uncle, who left us ten thousand pounds. Our second child, a girl,
I intended to call after her aunt Grissel; but my wife, who
during her pregnancy had been reading romances, insisted upon her
being called Olivia. In less than another year we had another
daughter, and now I was determined that Grissel should be her
name; but a rich relation taking a fancy to stand godmother, the