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and flowers her fifter had left behind her. While fhe was at the ball her father formed many plans of religious reformation; he talked of leffening his bufinefs, that he might have more leisure for devotion; though not just now, while the markets were fo high; and then he began to think of fending a handfome fubfcription to the infirmary; though, on fecond thoughts, he concluded he need not be in a hurry, but leave it in his will; but to give, and repent, and reform, were three things he was bent upon. But when his daughter came home at night, fo happy and fo fine, and telling how fhe had danced with Squire Squeeze the great corn contractor, and how many fine things he had faid to her, Mr. Bragwell felt the old fpirit of the world return in its full force. A marriage with Mr. Dashall Squeeze, the contractor, was beyond his hopes, for Mr. Squeeze was fuppofed from a very low beginning to have got rich during the war. As for Mr. Squeeze he had picked up as much of the hiftory of his partner between the dances as he defired, he was convinced there would be no money wanting, for Mifs Bragwell, who was now looked on as an only child, must needs be a great fortune, and he was too much used to advantageous contracts to let this flip. As he was gaudily dreffed, and poffeffed all the arts of vulgar flattery, Mifs Bragwell eagerly caught at his propofal to wait on her father next day. Squeeze was quite a man after Bragwell's own heart, a genius at getting money, a fine dashing

fellow at spending it. He told his wife that this was the very fort of a man for his daughter, for he got money like a Jew and spent it like a Prince; but whether it was fairly got, or wifely. Spent he was too much a man of the world to enquire. Mrs. Bragwell was not fo run away with by appearances, but fhe defired her huf band to be careful and quite fure that it was the right Mr. Squeeze, and no impoftor. But being affured that Betfey would certainly keep her carriage, fhe never gave herfelf one thought 'with what fort of a man fhe was to ride in it. To have one of her daughters drive in her coach, filled up all her ideas of human happiness. The marriage was celebrated with great fplendor, and Mr. and Mrs. Squeeze fet out for London, where they had a house.

Mr. Bragwell now tried to forget that he had any other daughter, and if fome thoughts of the refolutions he had made of entering on a more religious course would sometimes force themfelves upon him, they were put off, like the repentance of Felix, to a more convenient feafon, and finding he was likely to have a grand child, he became more worldly and ambitious than ever,thinking this a juft pretence for adding houfe to house, and field to field; and there is no ftratagem by which men more deceive themfelves than when they make even unborn children a pretence for that rapine, or that hoarding, of which their own covetoufnefs is the true motive. Whenever he ventured to write to Mr. Worthy

about the wealth, the gaiety and the grandeur of Mr. and Mrs. Squeeze, that faithful friend honeftly reminded him of the vanity and uncertainty of worldly greatnefs, and the error he had been guilty of in marrying his daughter before he had taken time to enquire into the real character of the man, faying, that he could not help foreboding, that the happiness of a match made at a ball might have an end. Notwithstanding, Mr. Bragwell had paid down a larger fortune than was prudent, for fear Mr. Squeeze fhould fly off, yet he was furprised to receive very foon a preffing letter from him, defiring him to advance a confiderable fum, as he had the offer of an advantageous purchafe, which he muft lofe for want of money. Bragwell was ftaggered, and refused to comply; but his wife told him he muft not be fhabby to fuch a gentleman as 'Squire Squeeze, for that fhe heard on all fides fuch accounts of their grandeur, their feafts, their carriages, and their liveries, that fhe and her husband ought even to deny themfelves comforts to oblige fuch a generous fon, who did all this in honor of their daughter; befides, if he did not fend the money foon, they might be obliged to lay down their coach, and then the fhould never be able to fhew her face again. At length Mr. Bragwell lent him the money on his bond: he knew Squeeze's income was large, for he had carefully enquired into this particular, and for the reft he took his word. Mrs. Squeeze alfo got great prefents from her mother, by reprefenting to her.

how expenfively they were forced to live to keep up their credit, and what honor fhe was conferring on the family of the Bragwell's by fpending their money in fuch grand company. Among many other letters fhe wrote her the following:

"To Mrs. Bragwell.

"You can't imagine, dear mother, how charmingly we live-I lye a-bed almost all day, and am up all night; but it is never dark for all that, for we burn fuch numbers of candles all at once, that the fun would be of no use at all in London. -Then I am so happy! for we are never quiet a moment, Sundays or working-days, nay, I fhould not know which was which, only that we have most pleasure on a Sunday, because it is the only day in which people have nothing to do but divert themfelves.-Then the great folks are all fo kind, and fo good, they have not a.bit of pride,, for they will come and eat and drink, and win my money just as if I was their equals; and if I have got but a cold, they are fo very unhappy that they fend to know how I do ; and though I fuppofe they can't reft till the footman has told them, yet they are fo polite, that if I have been dying they feem to have forgot it next time we meet, and not to know but they have feen me the day before. Oh! they are true friends; and forever fmiling, and fo fond of one another, that they like to meet and enjoy one

another's company by hundreds, and always think the more the merrier.

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The style of her letters, however, altered in a few months. She owned that though things went on gayer and grander then ever, yet fhe hardly ever faw her husband, except her house was full of company, and cards, or dancing was going on; that he was often fo bufy he could not come all night, that he always borrowed the money her mother fent her when he was going out on this nightly business; and that the laft time fhe had afked him for money, he curfed, and fwore, and bid her apply to the old farmer and his rib, who were made of money. This letter Mrs. Bragwell concealed from her husband.

At length on fome change in public affairs, Mr. Squeeze, who had made an overcharge of fome thousand pounds in one article, lost his contract; he was found to owe a large debt to government, and his accounts must be made up immediately. This was impoffible, he had not only spent his large income without making any provifion for his family, but had contracted heavy debts by gaming and other vices. His creditors poured in upon him. He wrote to Bragwell to borrow another fum; but without hinting at the lofs of his contra&t. These repeated demands made Bragwell fo uneafy, that inftead of fending him the money, he refolved to

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