^m, THE RURAL SOCRATES. 



** in depriving us of the ready money we were daily r€^ 

 " ceiving from our cuflomers! Is not this to take the 

 *' bread from your children's mouths ? Our poor little 

 *^ ones, muftfoon be reduced to beg from door to door I 

 *^ --Hope better things, good folks ! (replfed Kliyogg^ 

 ** with a compofed tone of voice, and a fmiling counte- 

 ^^ nance ;) Examine all circumftances vviih delibera- 

 *' tion before you condemn me. Have I ever refufcd 

 *' my children any thing neceffary to their happinefs ? 

 ** I thank God for having enabied me to fupply them 

 ^^ with wholefome food and proper cloathing 1"— ^'Wc 

 *' do not deny it, (faid they) but as they grow older^ 

 *' will it not require more to maintain them J" — "True; 

 ^^ but their (Irength will increafe in proportion, and 

 *' confequently the time is dravt^ing nearer^ xvhen they 

 ^' will be able to aflift in improving our eftate. Are 

 *' not the crops coniiderably larger than when I firfl en- 

 *' tered upon farming I And is not it apparent that noth- 

 ^^ ing is wanting but more hands to make a further aug- 

 *' mentation of our income r'^-— ^'^ We have no objec- 

 *^' tion to make to that point. But why is the profit we 

 '• draw from the tavern to be defpifed ? This, added 

 *' to wh-at you make by farming, would be a great affiil- 

 '^ ancc to the family/'—'' You omit in your calcula- 

 '' tion, (faid Kliyogg) that there mufl be one fervant 

 '^ extraordinary to wait on tlie company, whofe labor 

 *' h entirely loft to the farm." — " We acknowledge 

 *' that the article of hufoandry ma^y fufFer a little ; yet 

 '^ the advantage is far fuperior to the lofs.''-— '' I am 

 '^ rendy to admit, (faid Kliyogg) that our advantage 

 ^' from the tavern is proportionably more lucrative 

 ^^ than fromthe farm ; yet can you believe that the mo- 

 '^ ney acquired by indulging the vices of our fellow-crea- 

 '' tures will be attended with a bleffing ? Are you deaf 

 '' to the fad complaints which are poured forth incei- 

 '' fantly by the wives of profell«?d drunkards and dc- 

 ''- bauchees, at the caufe of their unhappinefs ? Does 

 ^' tK)t every ckv nfforfl inftances r-f Tons who have great 



** wealth 



