an upright character. You may depart."

Nothing

Betty received the money with a low curtsey, dismissing from her heart all her previous anger, and after thanking the Baronet for his generosity, she quitted the room. Sir Andrew then turned to Claypole, and with a look, between triumph and pity, said, "Now you will observe what little cause you have to blame me at giving a nativity so contrary to what happened. can be really foretold unless the time is stated with precision. The child's death, at this early period, is clear to all intent, because, subtracting the loss of that space while Betty executed her errand from that which is given to me, we shall find an error of thirty odd minutes, leaving the exact hour to be eleven, and forty eight minutes. No child born under Gemini, ever survives a week, when ushered into the word so very late. If born the first hour of the morning, a very

different sign takes its reign; and thus my calculations were naturally baulked by the fallacy of the date given me to work on,"

"I am sure, sir," said the farmer, “you will not accuse me of telling you this purposely it is a mistake; and I pray Heaven that I may bear my load of affliction with a pious resignation to its will."

"That, farmer, is another thing," said the Baronet; "I heartily wish you the strength and composure necessary to enable you to sustain the shock which your feelings have received, and if it lies in my power to alleviate your sufferings, I will perform all I can with cheerfulness. I now wish you the recovery of your usual tranquillity, and I promise to see you on the morrow at this hour.'

"Would your honor wish to see the child?-it lies in the chamber."

"No, farmer, I am not desirous of adding to your grief; be of good heart,

and time will perhaps reward you for it."

Sir Andrew, rising from his chair, carefully replaced his pencil and his memorandum book, putting them into his pocket. He shook hands with Claypole with real sympathy at his misfortune; then, beckoning to our hero, to follow, he quitted the house of mourning as fast as his speed would permit him.

"What a thousand pities," said Sir Andrew," that no precise plan was ever generated for the cultivation of sense in women. What ornaments they would become to this world if they only added a few grains of this valuable requisite to their other qualities. But their weak and volatile dispositions will not permit them this attainment, and we men must content ourselves as we can. Had Claypole's wife but reflected ever so little, she might have spared herself and me some considerable share of re

gret. What can we expect from women ?"

Every thing," replied Louis, "when pains are taken to rear their minds with the precepts of truth and morality."

"An old story!" exclaimed Sir Andrew; "they receive as much education as we men, and yet they never improve, unless it is in chattering faster than they ought. One woman helps another in this case. For instance, Claypole's wife by her blundering and incorrectness has led me into an error. This error of mine will most assuredly be thrown into my face by Mrs. Manners. Thus you note, for the fault of one I am blamed by another, and this is the certain cause of all the squabbles which occur between the sexes.'

"Our opinions will differ, Sir Andrew, on this point."

"Then I am dumb, for 1 argue with no person that shuts his mind to a con

viction of truth. But I'll forgive it in you, Colonel," added Sir Andrew, " as you would ill sustain your reputation as a soldier if you did not also defend the women.'

Louis laughed at this indulgent reply of Sir Andrew: they jogged homewards; and, as the Baronet had really predicted, Mrs. Manners failed not to make good use of the opportunity to attack him upon the deceptive nature of the science. It could not be concealed that while Sir Andrew affected to underate her sense and judgment, he stood in reality under the greatest dread of her keen remarks, which will account for his general method of expressing himself when he spoke of the other sex.