AVERSION SUBDUED.

A DRAMA.

SCENE, A road in the Country.—ARBURY, and BELFORD, walking.

Belford. PRAY, who is the present possessor of the Brookby estate?

Arbury. A man of the name of Goodwin.
B. Is he a good neighbor to you?

A. Far from it; and I wish he had settled a hundred miles off, rather than come here, to spoil our neighborhood.

B. I am sorry to hear that; but what is your objection to him?

A. O, there is nothing in which we agree. In the first place, he is quite of the other side in politics; and that, you know, is enough to prevent all intimacy.

B. I am not entirely of that opinion; but what else?

A. He is no sportsman, and refuses to join in our association for protecting the game. Neither does he choose to be a member of any of our clubs.

B. Has he been asked?

But

A. I do not know that he has, directly; but he might easily propose himself, if he liked it. he is of a close, unsociable temper, and, I believe, very niggardly.

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VIII.

B. How has he shown it?

A. His style of living is not equal to his fortune; and I have heard of several instances of his attention to petty economy.

B. Perhaps he spends his money in charity. A. Not he, I dare say. It was but last week, that a poor fellow, who had lost his all, by a fire, went to him with a subscription paper, in which were the names of all the gentlemen in the neighborhood; and the only answer, he received, was, that he would consider of it.

B. And did he consider?

A. I do not know, but I suppose it was only an excuse. Then his predecessor had a park well stocked with deer, and used to make liberal presents of venison to all his neighbors. But this frugal gentleman has sold them all off, and keeps a flock of sheep, instead of them.

B. I do not see much harm in that, now mutton is so dear.

A. To be sure, he has a right to do as he pleases with his park, but that is not the way to be beloved, you know. As to myself, I have reason to think he bears me particular illwill.

B. Then he is much in the wrong, for I believe you are as free from ill-will to others, as any man living. But how has he shown it, pray

?

A. In twenty instances. He had a horse upon sale, the other day, to which I took a liking, and bid money for it. As soon as he found I wanted it, he sent it off to a fair, in another part of the

country. My wife, you know, is passionately fond of cultivating flowers. Riding, lately, by his grounds, she observed something new, and took a great longing for a root or cutting of it. My gardener mentioned her wish to his, (contrary, I own, to my inclination,) and he told his master; but, instead of obliging her, he charged the gardener, on no account, to touch the plant. A little while ago, I turned off a man, for saucy behavior; but, as he had lived many years with me, and was a very useful servant, I meant to take him again, upon his submission, which I did not doubt would soon happen. Instead of that, he goes and offers himself to my civil neighbor, who, without deigning to apply to me, even for a character, engages him immediately. In short, he has not the least of a gentleman about him, and I would give any thing to be well rid of him.

B. Nothing, to be sure, can be more unpleasant in the country, than a bad neighbor; and I am concerned, it is your lot to have one. But there is a man who seems as if he wanted to speak with you. (A countryman approaches.)

A. Ah! it is the poor fellow that was burnt out. Well, Richard, how do you succeed? what has the subscription produced you?

Richard. Thank your honor, my losses are nearly all made up.

A. I am very glad of that; but when I saw the paper, last, it did not reach half way.

R. It did not, sir; but you may remember asking me, what Mr. Goodwin had done for me,

and I told you he took time to consider of it. Well, sir; I found, that, the very next day, he had been at our town, and had made very particular inquiry about me and my losses, among my neighbors. When I called upon him, a few days after, he told me, he was very glad to find that I bore such a good character, and that the gentlemen, round, had so kindly taken up my case; and he would prevent the necessity of my going any further, for relief. Upon which he gave me, God bless him! a draft upon his banker, for two hundred dollars.

A. Two hundred dollars!

R. Yes, sir. It has made me quite my own man again; and I am now going to purchase a new cart and team of horses.

A. A noble gift, indeed! I could never have thought it. Well, Richard, I rejoice at your good fortune. I am sure, you are much obliged to Mr. Goodwin.

R. Indeed I am, sir, and to all my good friends. God bless you! sir. (Goes on.)

B. Niggardliness, at least, is not this man's foible.

A. No. I was mistaken in that point. I wronged him, and I am sorry for it. But what a pity it is, that men of real generosity should not be amiable in their manners, and as ready to oblige, in trifles, as in matters of consequence.

B. True; it is a pity, when that is really the

case.

A. How much less an exertion it would have

been, to have shown some civility about a horse, or a flower root !

B. Apropos* of flowers, there is your gardener carrying a large one in a pot. (Enter Gardener.)

A. Now, James, what have you there?

Gard. A flower, sir, for madam, from Mr. Goodwin's.

A. How did you come by it?

G. His gardener, sir, sent me word to come for it. We should have had it before, but Mr. Goodwin thought it could not be moved safely. A. I hope he has more of them.

G. He has only a seedling plant, or two, sir; but, hearing that madam took a liking to this, he was resolved to send it to her, and a choice thing it is! I have a note for madam, in my pocket. A. Well, go on. (Exit Gardener.)

B. Methinks, this does not look like deficiency in civility.

A. No; it is a very polite action; I cannot deny it, and I am obliged to him for it. Perhaps, indeed, he may feel he owes me a little amends.

B. Possibly. It shows he can feel, however. A. It does. Ha! there is Yorkshire Tom coming, with a string of horses, from the fair.

*Apropos, by the way. A word of French origin, pronounced ap-ro-po. It is used to introduce an observation, incidentally made, and which, though appropriate to the occasion, does not strictly belong to the subject immediately under discussion.