Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

not whether I, a wife, fhould be willing to be as officious as I am at present about my parent." The happy father has her declaration that he will not marry during his life, and the pleasure of seeing that refolution not uneafy to her. Were one to paint filial affection in its utmost beauty, he could not have a more lively idea of it than in beholding Fidelia ferving her father at his hours of rifing, meals, and rest.

Whilft the general crowd of female youth are confulting their glaffes, preparing for balls, affemblies, or plays; for a young lady, who could be regarded among the foremost in thofe places, either for her person, wit, fortune, or converfation, yet to contemn all these entertainments, to fweeten the heavy hours of a decrepid parent, is a refignation truly heroic. Fidelia performs the duty of a nurse with all the beauty of a bride; nor does the neglect her person, because of her attendance on him, when he is too ill to receive company, to whom fhe may make an appearance.

What adds to the entertainment of the good old man, is, that Fidelia, where merit and fortune cannot be overlooked by epiftolary lovers, reads over the accounts of her conquefts, plays on her fpinet the gayeft airs, (and while she is doing fo, you would think her formed only for gallantry) to intimate to him the pleasures she defpises for his fake.

Those who think themselves the pattern of good breeding and gallantry, would be aftonished to hear. that, in those intervals when the old gentleman is at ease and can bear company, there are at his house, in the most regular order, affemblies of people of the highest merit, where there is converfation without mention of the faults of the absent, benevolence between men and women without paffion, and the highest fubjects of morality treated of as natural and accidenta difcourfe; all which is owing to the genius of Fidelia who at once makes her father's way to another world eafy, and herself capable of being an honour to his name in this.

Family Disagreements the frequent Cause of

Immoral Conduct.

FTER all our complaints of the uncertainty of human affairs, it is undoubtedly true, that more mifery is produced among us by the irregularities of our tempers, than by real misfortunes.

And it is a circumftance particularly unhappy, that thefe irregularities of the temper are very apt to difplay themselves at our fire-fides, where every thing ought to be tranquil and ferene. But the truth is, we are awed by the presence of strangers, and are afraid of appearing weak or ill-natured when we act in the fight of the world; and fo, very heroically, referve all our ill-humour for our wives, children, and fervants. We are meek where we might meet with oppofition, but feel ourselves undauntedly bold where we are fure of no effectual resistance.

The perverfion of the best things converts them to the worst. Home is certainly well adapted to repofe and folid enjoyment. Among parents and brothers, and all the tender ties of private life, the gentler affections, which are always attended with feelings purely and permanently pleafurable, find an ample fcope for proper exertion. The experienced have often declared, after wearying themfelves in purfuing phantoms, that they have found a fubftantial happiness in the domestic circle. Hither they 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 to increase its genial warmth with her young ones.

Such and fo fweet are the comforts of home, when it is not perverted by the folly and weakness of man. Indifference, and a careleffness on the fubject of pleasing thofe whom it is our best interest to pleafe, often render it a scene of dulnefs and infipidity. Happy if the evil extended no farther. But the transition from the

negative

negative state of not being pleased, to pofitive ill-humour, is but too eafy. Fretfulness and peevishness arife, as nettles vegetate, fpontaneously, where no falutary plants are cultivated. One unkind expreffion infallibly generates many others. Trifles light as air are: able to kindle the blaze of contention. By frequent conflicts and unreferved familiarity, all that mutual respect which is neceffary to preserve love, even in the moft intimate connections, is entirely loft, and the faint affection which remains is too feeble to be felt amidst the furious operation of the hateful paffions. Farewell peace and tranquillity, and cheerful converse, and all the boafted comforts of the family circle!

But it is not neceffary to expatiate on the mifery of family diffenfion. I mean more particularly to fuggeft, that family diffenfion, befides all its own immediate evils, is the fruitful parent of immoral conduct.

When the feveral parts which compose a family find themselves uneafy in that home which is naturally the feat of mutual enjoyment, they are tempted from the ftraight road of common prudence, to pursue their happiness through a devious wild of paffion and imagination. The son, arrived at years of maturity, who is treated harshly at home, will feldom fpend his evenings at the domeftic fire-fide. If he live in the metropolis, he will fly for refuge to the places of public diverfion. There, it is very probable, fome unhappy connection will be formed, which cannot be continued without a plentiful supply of money. Perhaps money. cannot be procuted honeftly but from the parent; but money must at all events be procured. What then remains, but to pursue those methods which unprincipled ingenuity has invented, and which, fooner or later, lead to their condign punishments, pain, fhame, and death!

But though the confequences are not always such as the operation of human laws produces, yet they are always terrible, and deftructive of happiness and virtue. Mifery is indeed the neceffary refult of all deviation from rectitude; but early debauchery, early disease,

early

early profligacy of all kinds, are peculiarly fruitful of wretchedness; as they fow the feeds of mifery in the fpring of life, when all that is fown ftrikes deep root, and buds and bloffoms, and brings forth fruit in profuse abundance.

In the difagreements between children and parents, it is certain that the children are ufually moft culpable. Their violent paffions and defective experience renden them disobedient and undutiful. Their love of pleafure operates fo violently, as often to deftroy the force of filial affection. 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. It is however certain, that the parent is often imprudent, as well as the child undutiful. He fhould endeavour to render home agreeable by gentlenefs and reasonable indulgence: For man at every age feeks to be pleafed, but more particularly at the juvenile age. 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 aufbere tyrant. If home be renderedi pleafing, it will not long be deferted. The prodigal will foon return, when his father's houfe is always ready to receive him with joy.

What is faid of the confequences of domeftic difunion to fons, is equally to be applied to daughters. Indeed, as the mifconduct of daughters is more fatal to family peace, though perhaps not more heinous in a moral view, particular care, fhould be taken to render them attached to the comforts of the family circle. When their home is difagreeable, they will be ready to make any exchange; and will often lofe their characters, virtue, and happiness, in the purfuit of it. In deed the female character and happiness are fo easily injured, that no folicitude can be too great in their prefervation. But prudence is neceffary in every good

cause,

cause, as well as zeal and it is found by experience, that the gentlest method of government, if it be limited and directed by good fenfe, is the best. It ought indeed to be steady, but not rigidi; and every pleasure which is innocent in itself and in its confequences, ought to be admitted, with a view to render lefs difagreeable. that unwinking vigilance which a delicate and fenfible father will judge neceffary in the care of a daughter.

To what wickednefs, as well as wretchednefs, matrimonial disagreements lead, every day's history will clearly inform us! When the husband is driven from his home by a termagant, he will feak enjoyment, which is denied him at his own home, in the haunts of vice, and in the riots of intemperance: 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 friendfhip fhould warm, hatred is found to rankle. Conjugal infelicity not only renders life most uncomfortable, but leads to that defperate diffolutenefs and carelessnefs in manners, which terminate in the ruin of health, peace, and fortune. If we may form 2 judgment from the divorces and feparations which happen in the gay world, we may conclude, that the prefent manners are highly unfavourable to conjugal felicity. And we fee, confiftently with my theory, that the confequence of these domestic difagreements is the prevalence of vice in a very predominant degree, as well as of mifery.

But it avails little to point out evils without recommending a remedy. One of the first rules which fuggefts itself is, that families fhould endeavour, by often and seriously reflecting on the fubject, to convince themselves, that not only the enjoyment, but the virtue, of every individual, greatly depends on a cordial union. When they are convinced of this, they will endeavour to promote it; and it fortunately happens, that the very wish and attempt of every individual must infalli bly fecure fuccefs. It may indeed be difficult to re ftrain the occafional fallies of temper; but where ther

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »