it," she added; and without giving another look at the shop window, she hastened on.

"Now," said her mother, "you have saved five or six shillings by that moment's consideration."

At this time beaver hats, trimmed with satin, were much worn. There was a capital hatter's in the town; where two large bow-windows, furnished with every variety of shade and shape, to suit all fancies, caught the eye of the fair passenger: some loaded with nodding plumes, others with most becoming pink satin linings, and trimmings to match; and some with broad embossed bands, and dangling tassels.

"Mamma," said Ruth, again, as they passed this shop, "would you stop one minute? don't you think a beaver hat would be very warm and comfortable for me this winter? and besides, how it would save my straw! That is a very pretty one, is it not?-just my size I should think :-shall we go in and inquire the price?"

"If you wish it, we will," replied her mother; so they entered the shop; where a genteelly dressed lady was then in the act of purchasing one of the very same shape. Ruth, seeing this, jogged her mother, that she might notice such a sanction to her own choice. They now inquired the price of the article in question.

"That hat, ladies, is one guinea, only," said the shopkeeper.

Ruth darted an inquiring look at her mother, to know whether she thought it cheap or dear.

"You recollect your straw hat, I suppose, my dear," said her mother. "Straws, ma'am,' interrupted the shopkeeper, are now considered uncommonly common :quite out, in fact. We have a surprising demand for beavers at the present time: our manufacturer assures me he cannot get them made up fast enough."

Ruth's respect for beavers and contempt of straws were wonderfully heightened by this speech."

"Allow me, ma'am," continued he, " to recommend the young lady to try it on." Ruth, knowing this would be a hazardous experiment, again looked at her mother: she then reflected a moment; (which, it must be confessed is a difficult thing to do, dispassionately, in a room full of hats and bonnets :) and then whispered to her mother, "I wish we had not come in, for after all, I could do without it." "I am very sorry we have given you any trouble, sir," said her mother to the shopkeeper, "I believe we shall not purchase one this morning.'

The shopkeeper bowed coldly; and whether he or Ruth felt most disappointed it would be hard to determine.

Soon afterwards, her mother had occasion to go to the stationer's. This shop displayed a great variety of articles of different sorts and value, from toys to telescopes. After looking about for some time, Ruth said to her mother, "I am very glad I did not buy a beaver hat, how much better it would be to have something that would last! see, are not these pretty?" added she, pointing to some small plated inkstands," they are only fifteen shillings, I find." Her mother smiled. “Ah, you are thinking of my writing desk: very true; I can certainly do without it," continued Ruth; and with this consideration she got safely out of the shop.

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Her mother had now finished her business in the town : but as they were returning to the inn, a pastry-cook's window reminded Ruth of a new want. Mamma," said she," are not you hungry? I am very; had not we better go in and have something?"

"I thought you brought some biscuits in your basket," said her mother: "True, so I did," said Ruth, 66 so we can do without it."

When they reached the inn, the chaise not being ready, Ruth's mother drew out her pencil and wrote something on the back of a bill; which she then handed to her

daughter, saying, "see, my dear, if I have cast this up right." Ruth took the paper and read the following

Total, saved by doing without it, £2 2 4

Ruth smiled, and said," Yes, mamma, it is quite right; and if it had not been for you I should have been quite wrong." "Nay, Ruth," replied her mother, "I must give you some credit this morning, for having yielded so easily to my suggestions: prudence does not consist in not being tempted, but in not yielding to temptation. Yes, you have saved at least 21. 2s. 4d. this morning by the timely use of those few simple words; and I think they would form an excellent motto for you, now that you are entrusted with the disposal of money.' 66 Yes," said Ruth, quite delighted, "I can do without it; this shall be my motto; I will write it on the lid of my money box it is an excellent motto, mamma!"

وو

When Ruth returned home, she was pleased to think not only that she had saved her money, but that not one of the articles she had wished for was really wanted. She now congratulated herself that, to the mere pleasure of novelty, which would have lasted but a few hours, she had not sacrificed a sum which would, by and by, purchase things that she would really want, and that she could not do without. Unnecessary expenses always rob either ourselves or others: we either deprive ourselves of something essential to our comfort afterwards; or defraud the poor and destitute of their just claims Economy and liberality go hand in hand.

Ruth found, during many future years, that the motto thus early adopted, was of excellent use as a check upon her expenditure: indeed it led her to form habits of selfdenial which were of essential importance to her during life. She was always dressed with a graceful simplicity, far more pleasing to persons of good sense and good taste than a more studied style; and thus, by purchasing only such things as she could not with comfort and propriety do without, she had always a little overplus with which to relieve her poor neighbours, and for other useful purposes. Ah," said she, to her mother, as she was making up a flannel gown for an old goody who "sadly bad of the rheumatize,” poor Betty Brown would have been obliged to do without this, if I had not sometimes recollected I can do without it."

was

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There is no danger of economy degenerating into covetousness, when what is saved from our needless gratification is devoted to the real wants of others.

"If I had not remembered my motto," thought she on another occasion, "when the man called yesterday with his box of lace, I should not have had three and sixpence to spare for this Bible to-day. And oh, how much better I can do without a piece of lace to my frock, than my poor neighbour can do without a Bible!"

How many a superfluous article of dress, how many a trifle that wearies or disgusts almost as soon as possessed, -how many a needless and injurious dainty to please the palate would be dispensed with, and how many more of the destitute might be relieved, if persons would but recollect, and recollect in time, Ruth's excellent motto, -"I can do without it."

XXXVII.

THIS, we remarked, was one of the best mottos in the world, or one of the worst. Its excellence has appeared in the use made of it by Ruth the economist: we shall now, according to promise, proceed to show it in its opposite appropriation. This sentence, with some variations, though not professedly adopted as a motto, was frequently employed by Eliza, by way of excuse for the negligence to which the indolence of her disposition continually inclined her. She disliked, beyond every thing, that patient care which is essential to success; which is requisite in order to do any thing properly; and which experience proves to be the best, and, in the end, the shortest way, in all the concerns of life.

This temper manifested itself in Eliza at an early age: -Suppose, for example, she was writing an exercise with a bad pen that spirted, or blotted, or scratched like a pin ;-rather than take the trouble of mending it, she would say to herself, It will do without it, or, I can manage without, and thus her writing was rarely fit to be

seen.

In like manner if a slide broke in her frock, or if the string came out of her shoe, instead of replacing them immediately, she would exclaim, "How provoking! there's that tiresome slide gone!" adding, "ah, well, I can do without it," and then she would beg somebody to pin it for her, a most untidy thing certainly :--or she would go half a day slip-shod for want of a shoe-string. It was just the same if a stitch came undone in any part of her dress, or if she had torn a small rent in her frock : instead of recollecting that true saying,--" a stich in time saves nine," she would let it go, upon the strength of her favourite saying, till it became a long job to mend