•)•

ties,   and  the   abounding  means  of  good  and  content
ment."

It  is  hardly  necessary  to*  describe  Mr.  Davids  dwell"
j  ing  to  convince  our  readers  that,  though  in  a  ruinous
condition,  it  had  all  the  decency  and   comfort   that  en
ergy  and  neatness  in  the  mistress  could  give  it.     The
furniture,  though    racked    by    more    moves    than    three,

which  Franklin  pronounces  to  be  equivalent  in  destruc-

0

tion  to  a  fire,  was    yet  decent,  and   indicated  a  history
of  better  times.
There  was  one  valuable  piece  of  furniture  in  the
room  that  served  Mrs.  Davis's  family  for  kitchen  and
parlor  —  a  capacious  old-fashioned  bureau,  surmounted
by  a  writing-desk  and  book-case,  in  which,  with  a  few
volumes  of  history,  poetry,  and  travels,  and  some  well-
preserved  school-books,  there  was  a  large  family  Bible,
not  a  grease-spot  to  be  found  on  its  well-read  leaves,
not  a  dog's-ear  on  their  corners.  It  had  been  used
with  care  and  reverence.  It  is  worth  while  to  extract
a  passage  from  good  old  Mr.  Bethan's  will  —  Mr.  Be-
Uian  was  Mrs.  Davis's  father  —  concerning  this  Bible.
"Besides  the  five  hundred  dollars  aforesaid,  I  give


THE  GOOD  RURAL  MATRON.  41

and  bequealli  to  my  daughter  Martha  my  great  family
Bible,  the  same  received  from  my  honored  father  on
my  wedding-day.  I  have  brought  up  my  children  —
ten  in  number  —  on  the  milk  and  meat  of  its  holy
word,  and  I  recommend  to  my  daughter  Martha,
aforesaid,  to  do  the  same ;  and  may  its  nurture  and  ad
monition  prosper  with  future  generations,  as,  by  the
blessing  of  God,  they  have  done  with  my  aforesaid
daughter  Martha/'  The  good  man's  pious  prayer  was
granted.
