'26 IMPROVERS AND IMPROVEMENT. 



" I thought my Steward told you that you were welcome to 

 drive your pig upon the road sometimes/' 



" He did, Sir; only it isn't the road he wants, but it's what he's 

 used to, is the face of a Christian, and all the dumb craturs like it. 

 The cocks and kins, and let alone the turkeys, would lay twice as 

 many eggs as they do ay, and more, if they might be with me in 

 a warm cabin." 



Somewhat softened and amused, in spite of himself, at the manner 

 in which the old hen-wife gave vent to her sorrow and expatiated on 

 the calamities which a kitchen grate and a flight of stairs had 

 plunged her into, the generous landlord left her, and, during the re- 

 mainder of his walk, he naturally enough thought over the scene he 

 had witnessed, and endeavoured to trace effects to their causes. 



He began to perceive the mistake he had fallen into, in supplying 

 his people with things of which they had never felt the want things 

 which were to them a great deal of extra trouble, attendant with no 

 adequate reward, but, on the contrary, with great discomfort, as ap- 

 pears from the circumstance of the grate. 



We must bear in mind that these poor people, as yet, have no 

 idea that neatness is essential to comfort. 



Sir Henry, in his anxiety to make his tenant comfortable, had 

 forgotten how much we are all controlled by the strong power of 

 habit, and that to leave off long-practised customs and usages, and 

 to acquire new ones, is a difficult task for middle-aged people, and 

 must be still worse for old ones. 



" Yes," said he, "it is the young we must compel to improve- 

 ment: it is no punishment; while the bodily and mental faculties are 

 flexible, they may be accustomed to any thing." 



He determined in all his future innovations to begin with the 

 young, and leave the old people free to adopt improvements or not, 

 as they chose. 



In this amendment, we ourselves beg leave to support him ; and 

 perhaps, at some future time, we may show how eminently success- 

 ful his endeavours became. 



H.E. D. 



