r his freedom and uncharitableness, and remembering what Abel had told me of his own idle and trifling course of life, I felt impelled by the new spirit of virtue that possessed me to take him to task; which I did in the followi

amend thine own crying faults. It has been said to me, Jonathan, my son, and verily I fear it is true, that thou squeakest upon flutes, and that thou make

and I find nothing again

t thou find nothing agains

my head approves the counsel. Where's the harm in these t

lly useless, the time bestowed upon them is time lost and wasted;

one more-it has set an example of both before our eyes, and thus laid the foundation of the divine arts in Nature. What is the world around us but a great concert-hall, echoing with the music of bird and beast, of wind, water, and foliage? what but a great gallery of pictures, painted by the hand of Providence? Nature is a painter-Nature is a musician; and her sons can do nothing better than follow her example. But were Nature neith

t every word, "thee has a talent for argument, which I would thee would cultivate; for then thee could get into the

rst thing I should reform

ot done with thee. Thee was dancing last night

legs; and I can't see the harm of it, for

asonable being, that hath a brain, shou

e not so abundant as heels; and thee should expect the m

y I will not be rigid with thee; but, verily, I must speak to thee of what I hold

rvour. "Heaven made women to be loved,

I, "I have he

if thee had not; for thee knows her we

onathan, I fear

hat is, as giddy as a

hing worse! Verily, I have heard

there is no end to the slanders people wil

folly. But thee will allow, Jonathan, that when thee is among the people of the world, thee uses the

ts of making me a merchant, and thee compelled me to study French and German. Now, when I meet a French

or German,

nd Quaker. Moreover, uncle, does thee know Ellen Wild is of opinion we Friends don't speak good grammar? Now she and I spent a whole hour the other evening, trying to parse '

entioned, thou knowest, have crept into our speech as cor

world is used for conversational purposes also.

nt, Jonathan. But how comes it thou wert

, "Snipe has been b

"does thou striv

od deeds, we should do them in secret. Uncle

e than I can express at the tho

ha'n't go there again until they get a better company. But, uncle Zachariah, thee has exhorted me enough for one time, and it is my turn now. So do thou be conformable, and answer my questions; for, I can tell thee, I have a fault

" said I

uncle, thee did once talk of giving me a counting-house, and ten or twenty thousand dollars, as the case might be, to begin a commission business; and Mr. Wild talked of doing

, "have I so m

in to talk of thy philanthropy, and say thou art flinging away so much money that presently thou wilt have nothing left to give me. Mr. Wild is of this mind, and he has h

ill straightway see what I can do for thee. Verily, what is wealth but the dro

vowed I was "his dear old dad, for all I was only his uncle," and ra