t '5 * 



THE RURAL SOCRATES. 



as a dragoon in the militia ; not without much expencd 

 however ; though ftill without injuring himfclf. — He 

 jiow took me out upon the nev/ farm of his lia'other, to 

 Ihew me all his improvements, made or projedled. 



When we returned from our excurfion, we found the 

 /bn-in laz'j oi'KWyogg ; wlio to my great adonifhment, 

 appeared to fliew Tome coolnefs in his manner of receiv- 

 ing the compliment which I addrefTed to him upon the 

 ceremony ot the day. — *' How happens it, (faid I) that 

 ^'' upon a day v/hen Providence fo manifeilly fiiev^sits 

 *' favor to the family, that you appear {o little fcnfible 

 '^ of it ?" — f^I am perfeftly impreiled as I ought to be, 

 ^' (faid he,) in that refpeft ; but our father on his fide, 

 *•' ought not to be fo fingularas he is/'-—'* How is that, 

 ^' (I anfwered^ flill more adonifned ;) for your father 

 *' was vei-y gay when I met him r" — '' Of that there is 

 ^' no doubt; but it is always in his own way, from 

 '^ which he will never in the lead depart. He would 

 ' not be drefTed to day differently from his mode on 

 other days 5 he infifled on all the family working as 

 in common, till noon ; and if we had confented to his 

 own method In everything, we fliouid have been the 

 '- laughing-flock of the neighborhood. The bride- 

 ^^ groom forfooth, alone and without attendants, mufl 

 *' conduct the bride to town to be married ; and they 

 '^^ mud even go on foot, though we had two hor- 

 .^' fes in the dable. All decorum upon this occafion 

 ^^ he treated as a folly, wiiich called others from 

 ^' their work and ,gave them a lelTon of idlencfs ; 

 '^ adding, that when peafants kept horfes, it was for 

 "' woik, and not to indulge Inch idlenefs. • We could 

 '^^ fcarcely even periuadc him to let his fons put on the 

 ^' new clothes which they at this moment wear. And fo 

 *^' occupied is he with his idea of working,that he laughs at 

 ^' all the amuicments, in which one is fometimesinclined 

 '' to indulge onefelf." — '^ My dear Hans, (I anfwcred,) 

 ^' you iill mc with an adonifhment, from which I can- 

 '■ ■■ jiot recover myfelf. Have you not more than once 

 • ■ ' ' tedifed' 



