Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/77

 He took a new lodging every week, and always the first thing he did was to enquire of his landlady the reputation of all the neighboorhood: but be never could hear one good character from any of them: only every one separately gave very broad hints of their own goodness, and what pity it was they should be obliged to live amongst such a set of people. As he was not quite so credulous to take their words, he generally, in two or three days, had some reason to believe they were not totally exempt from partiality to themselves. He went from house to house for some time, without meeting with any adventure worth relating. He found all the women tearing one another to pieces from envy, and the men sacrificing each other for every trifling interest. Every shop be went into, be heard men swear they could not afford their goods under such a price one minute, and take a great deal less the next; which even his charity could not impute to the desire of serving the buyer. In short, the generality of scenes he saw he could never mention without a sigh, or think of without a tear. In one of the houses where he lodged, the master of the family died while he was there. This man bad three daughters, every one of whom attended him with the utmost duty and care during bis illness, and at the approach of bis last moments showed such agonies of grief and tender sorrow, as give our hero great pleasure. He reflected how much happier the world would be, if all parents would sustain the helpless infancy of their children with that tenderness and care, which would be thought natural by every good mind, unexperienced in the world, for all creatures to have towards everything immediately placed under their protection; and as they grew older, form their minds, and instruct them with that gentleness and affection which would plainly prove everything they said or did was for their good,