it proceeded. We were no sooner sat down, but, after having looked
upon me a little while, "My dear," says she, turning to her husband,
"you may now see the stranger that was in the candle last night."
Soon after this, as they began to talk of family affairs, a little
boy at the lower end of the table told her that he was to go into
join-hand on Thursday. "Thursday!" says she. "No, child; if it
please God, you shall not begin upon Childermas-day; tell your
writing-master that Friday will be soon enough." I was reflecting
with myself on the oddness of her fancy, and wondering that anybody
would establish it as a rule, to lose a day in every week. In the
midst of these my musings, she desired me to reach her a little salt
upon the point of my knife, which I did in such a trepidation and
hurry of obedience that I let it drop by the way; at which she
immediately startled, and said it fell towards her. Upon this I
looked very blank; and observing the concern of the whole table,
began to consider myself, with some confusion, as a person that had
brought a disaster upon the family. The lady, however, recovering
herself after a little space, said to her husband with a sigh, "My
dear, misfortunes never come single." My friend, I found, acted but
an under part at his table; and, being a man of more good-nature
than understanding, thinks himself obliged to fall in with all the
passions and humours of his yoke-fellow. "Do not you remember,
child," says she, "that the pigeon-house fell the very afternoon
that our careless wench spilt the salt upon the table?"--"Yes," says
he, "my dear; and the next post brought us an account of the battle
of Almanza." The reader may guess at the figure I made, after
having done all this mischief. I despatched my dinner as soon as I
could, with my usual taciturnity; when, to my utter confusion, the
lady seeing me quitting my knife and fork, and laying them across
one another upon my plate, desired me that I would humour her so far