pliance with his late wife's advice, he offered himself as a husband to Miss O'Neil.

Harriot O'Neil was then in her twentyfirst year, extremely handsome, lively, sweet-tempered, and accomplished. She was astonished at Mr. Goodwin's offer-her pride revolted, and vanity whispered she might marry much better. But the stings of fast-approaching poverty, with the wellknown comforts of Mr. Goodwin's excellent houses, his carriage, and heavy purse, with the advantages to be found in his protection for her adored sister, all combined to conquer; and in a short time she bestowed her hand upon a man even older than her late father.

Harriot, gay and thoughtless, now dashed about in high spirits, and spent her husband's money with all the graces of a duchess, except the appellation. She restored comfort and cheerfulness to his house, and happiness to the bosom of Mr. Goodwin. His first wife never had any family, and the birth of a lovely boy, our reader's acquaintance Charles, made him the happiest of mankind; his child he adored, his young wife he idolized, and now seemed to live only to indulge her in, and even anticipate, her every wish.

Innumerable of Harriot's relations (for the genealogical tree flourishes and spreads in Ireland to a most surprising extent), who had forgotten the Miss O'Neils were in England, now thronged round Mrs. Goodwin, and experienced a most hospitable reception from their new-claimed relation, Mr. Goodwin, whom, with much condescension, they cordially acknowledged: and many of these gentlemen of renovated memory, being authors, had their cause espoused by the good-natured Harriot, who persuaded her indulgent husband, and often against his sober judgment, to publish works by which he frequently lost considerably. Sometimes these ninety-ninth cousins would condescend to borrow sums of money, which another relapse into loss of memory would lead them to omit the reimbursement of. In short, myriads of those locusts, whom the air of their native country (alike ungenial to venomous reptiles and the wily adventurer) would not nourish, and who in London, with the outcasts of every country, can live by their wits-who pretended to be, even in the most remote degree, related to Mrs. Goodwin, were acknowledged by her; who now, like the queen bee, attracted

the whole swarm around her, to be befriended and fed by her infatuated husband.

The most prodigal hospitality was now the order of the day; and waste, with all its concomitant evils, was the consequence. Mr. Goodwin's once-full coffers were perceptibly draining, when unfortunately forming a party with some of his wife's real and very dashing relations to dine at Shooter's Hill, as he was returning to town in full gallop with a set of jovial claret-primed beaux, he fell from his horse upon his head, and received a most violent concussion. For ten days he continued in a state of total insensibility, his life despaired of; and when by slow degrees his reason seemed feebly to return, the most serious apprehensions were entertained for his intellect: at length, all fears happily subsided, and a total alienation of his mind from every kind of thought or care was expressly commanded by his physicians, and a tour to the coast for amusement, in a quiet way, prescribed.

His now almost broken-hearted wife attended him unremittingly through his illness with the most animated and affectionate tenderness and care; and after an absence of some months, Mr. Goodwin returned in

perfect health to the metropolis, where he was soon doomed to experience a sad reverse of fortune.

He had a partner, to whom, in his long absence, the whole care of the business had devolved. This man was wary, sordid, and devoid of integrity; he had observed the profusion of Goodwin's style of living was leading him into difficulties, which he judiciously resolved to shun; but, following the dictates of a bad heart, he, during Mr. Goodwin's unavoidable absence, by wellarranged manoeuvring, not only defrauded him of several large sums, but by invidious reports relative to his intellects, irreparably injured him in his business. The moment Mr. Goodwin returned, and before the fect re-establishment of his constitutional health permitted, as heretofore, his taking an active part in business, at this perfidious man's request the partnership was dissolved.

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Goodwin, alone, found his business had most fatally decreased; and instead of exerting the energies of his mind to rally and restore it, he gave way to that nervous languor of spirits his recent indisposition had given birth to at once desponded, and all was lost.

In the first step of reform, their coach was laid down, without a murmur from Harriot; in the next, the villa at Highgate': then their house in town they found too great for their reduced finances; and they removed to a smaller one: still Mrs. Goodwin submitted with smiling resignation: but when at length dire necessity compelled them to take their Charles, then ten years old, from Westminster-school, where for three years he had been putting forth the most promising blossoms, her firmness forsook her, and bitterly she wept for this darling, the pride of her heart, being degraded into a common ignorant boy, to receive his education at a shabby day-school.

At length, the poor Goodwins were compelled even to leave their comparativelysmall house in the city, and take even a smaller one in Great Russel-street, to strive, by letting lodgings, to assist their trifling remaining business in supporting their large, (and in despite of misfortune) fine, and promising family.

Mrs. Goodwin's own sense (for her adoring husband had never even breathed a hint of the kind) having convinced her that her thoughtless folly and extravagance had been,