232 FABLES. 



younger, so that every time she combed his head, 

 she took equal pains to extirpate the black hairs. 

 Each continued her project, unknown to the other, 

 until the poor man, who thought their desire to 

 oblige him put them upon this extraordinary 

 officiousness in dressing his head, found himself 

 without any hair at all ! 



APPLICATION. 



As Christianity has banished polygamy, no im- 

 mediate moral can be derived by husbands from 

 this Fable, unless we conclude, that it is as impos- 

 sible to serve two mistresses as two masters; for 

 whatever we do to please the one, will probably 

 offend the other. To conciliate the affections of 

 persons w T hose tempers are opposite, is extremely 

 difficult, if not impracticable. To wives it may 

 teach, that those whose love is tempered with a 

 tolerable share of good sense, will be sure to have 

 no separate views of their own, nor do any thing 

 immediately relating to their husbands, without 

 consulting them first. All that we shall add to 

 what has been said, is to observe, that many 

 women may ignorantly, out of a pure effect of com- 

 plaisance, do a thousand disagreeable things to 

 their husbands. But in a married state, one party 

 should not be guessing at or presuming, but inform 

 themselves certainly, what will please the other; 

 and if the wife use her husband like a friend only, 

 the least she can do is first to communicate to him 

 all the important enterprizes she undertakes, and 

 especially those which she intends should be for his 

 honour and advantage. 



