CHAPTER VI. 



THE PAKABLE OF JOASH. 



1. SOME ten or twelve years ago, I bought three timea 

 twelve are thirty-six of a delightful little book by Mrs. 

 Gatty, called ( Aunt Judy's Tales' whereof to make 

 presents to my little lady friends. 1 had, at that happy 

 time, perhaps from four-and-twenty to six-and- thirty I 

 forget exactly how many very particular little lady 

 f riends ; and greatly wished Aunt Judy to be the thirty- 

 seventh, the kindest, wittiest, prettiest girl one had ever 

 read of, at least in so entirely proper and orthodox litera- 

 ture. 



2. Not but that it is a suspicious sign of infirmity of 

 faith in our modern moralists to make their exemplary 

 young people always pretty; and dress them always in 

 the height of the fashion. One may read Miss Edge- 

 worth's ' Harry and Lucy,' ' Frank and Mary,' ' Fashion- 

 able Tales,' or * Parents' Assistant,' through, from end to 

 end, with extremest care; and never find out whether 

 Lucy was tall or short, nor whether Mary was dark or 

 fair, nor how Miss Annaly was dressed, nor which was 

 my own chief point of interest what was the colour of 



