MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



499 



his wife and his married daughter, 

 giving to his nephew, (a deceased 

 brother's son) a hundred pieces of 

 silver, and sending him away to 

 seek his fortune, the wife, owing 

 to an old quarrel with his deceased 

 mother, leading him a most un- 

 happy life at home. The old 

 gentleman then sets out for his 

 estate in the country, recom- 

 mending his pregnant wife to 

 the humane treatment of his fa- 

 mily, and in the hope of receiving 

 from them speedy congratulations 

 on the birth of a son. 



He is no sooner departed, how- 

 ever, when the son-in-law cannot 

 conceal from the daughter his dis- 

 appointment at the pregnancy of 

 the old man's second wife, as, if 

 she brings forth a girl, he will lose 

 half the family property, and if a 

 son, the whole. His wife soothes 

 him by a hint how easily she may 

 be got rid of, and the old man 

 persuaded that she had suddenly 

 disappeared ; and shortly after 

 both the son-in-law and the au- 

 dience are left to infer that she 

 has actually contrived to put her 

 to death. In the mean time, the 

 old man waits the lesult in great 

 anxiety J his family appear in suc- 

 cession to console him for the loss 

 of his second wife, which he is 

 reluctantly brought to believe. In 

 the bitterness of his disappoint- 

 ment, he bursts into tears, and 

 expresses strong suspicions of some 

 foul play. He attributes his mis- 

 fortunes to his former thirst of 

 gain, resolves to fast for seven 

 days, and to bestow alms publicly 

 at a neighbouring temple, in the 

 hope that tlie objects of his charity 

 may treat him as a father. Among 

 the beggars at the temple^ his 



nephew appears, in the most hope- 

 less state of poverty, being reduced 

 to take up his lodging under the 

 furnace of a pottery j he is in- 

 sulted by the son-in-law, and re- 

 proached by the old wife ; but his 

 uncle, moved with compassion, 

 contrives to give him a little 

 money, and earnestly advises him 

 to be punctual in visiting the 

 tombs of his family at the ap- 

 proaching spring, assuring him 

 that a due attention to fihal piety 

 must ultimately lead to wealth. 

 The nephew accordingly appears 

 at the tombs, performs the rites 

 of oblation, as far as his poverty 

 will admit, and invokes the shades 

 of his ancestors to conmiiserate 

 his distress, and to grant him their 

 protection. He no sooner departs 

 than the uncle and aunt appear, 

 and express their indignation that 

 their own daughter and son-in- 

 law have neglected their duty, in 

 not being there with the custo- 

 mary offerings ; they observe that, 

 from the earth being turned up, 

 and paper burnt, some needy per- 

 son must have been there, and 

 conclude it to be their nephew. 

 The scene of the tombs, and the 

 reflections to which it gives rise 

 in the old man's mind, have con- 

 siderable interest; he reasons with 

 his wife, convinces her that the 

 nephew is more worthy, as well 

 as nearer in blood, than the son- 

 in-la^v; she relents, and expresses 

 a wish to make him reparation ; 

 he appears, a conciliation takes 

 place, and he is again received into 

 the family. Soon after this, the 

 son-in-law and daughter appear, 

 with a great noise, and a proces- 

 sion of village officers, to perform 

 the ceremonies ; but are received 

 2K? by 



