270 A SPECIMEN OF THE BLACK ART ! 



there ought to be nothing competitive between those so allied. The 

 circumstances of home are to be taken into the account of education, 

 which must be the joint work of both parents, though pre-eminently 

 the mother's ; the father must assist or he will counteract, there can 

 be nothing negative from one so proximate. Hence an additional 

 motive is presented to preserve the institution of domestic education ; 

 it is not only essential to filial love, an indemnity, parents, particularly 

 mothers, dearly purchase, but it is a perpetual inducement to im- 

 provement .in the parents themselves. Thus beautifully do the do- 

 mestic relations act and re-act on each other, and a virtuous home be- 

 comes the depot of principles and feelings consistent with and con- 

 servative of the most important and universal interests. 



A SPECIMEN OF THE BLACK ART ! 



THE lieutenant was welcomed home with great joy by his relations 

 and friends. He had been some years in the West Indies, and the 

 neighbours of Castleward were delighted to listen to his long stories 

 of Trinidad, of battles with sharks and alligators, and in return he 

 sipped their claret, shot over their estates, and amused himself as 

 comfortably as a gentleman on a long leave of absence could desire. 

 The lieutenant's sister had been married to a Mr. Washington, who 

 form his name was supposed to be a blood relation to the celebrated 

 General Washington; and as this distinguished individual had no 

 children, all the old women and wiseacres of Ballyraggett, Bally- 

 spallen, and Ballynakill, made up their minds that his excellency, 

 when dying, would leave a good legacy in America to his blood re- 

 lation, Mr. George Washington, of Dureen, in Ireland. The house 

 of his brother-in-law was a comfortable home for Lieutenant Palmer, 

 so he had taken up his residence there for many months, bag and 

 baggage. 



Nothing could exceed the delight of Mr. Washington when it was 

 announced to him that his beloved wife was taken ill and was in ex- 

 cessive torture. The entire household, including some relations and 

 friends, were just seated at a comfortable and plentiful dinner. The 

 first slices off the round or turkey were cut and tasted, when Mrs. 

 Gregory, the lady's doctor, entered the apartment to announce the 

 happy arrival of as fine a boy as could be, and that Mrs. Washington 

 was as well, or indeed even better than could be expected under the 

 circumstances. A general cheer from the whole company followed, 

 and bumpers of hot punch were drunk with enthusiasm to the health 

 of the young General Washington. Mrs. Gregory turned fidgetty ; 

 and at length beckpned old Mrs. Palmer to the window with a mys- 

 terious air and whispered something in her ear, on hearing which the 

 old lady fell flat on the floor as if dead. The old dames hobbled off to 

 her assistance, and Mrs. Gregory affected to feel strongly herself, 



