Ossian Collection > Gentleman's magazine, and historical chronicle > Volume 66, Part 2

i'/rj6,] Mr. Parker's prudent Dijpcfnlon t^f hh Children.
bir, no confiderable time before this
tcck place. At eltven o'clock, the
jfnal hour, the family l)e-gan to retiie.
The voung folks went tirft. Herry
ucnt into Mr. Talbot's ro'im, to take
hib candle, and to afk him if lie want-
coi any tiling ; a conipliirent this he
zlsvays paid him. Soon after, Henry
ran liovvn ftairs; he entered ihe room ;
eve; V one of our party was retired;
ncT do 1 think there was a fervant up
in the houfe. * I am g'ad, Sir,' faid
he to find vou alone. Talbot, when I
went to take his candle, accoftcd me
thus : • Upon my life, Paiker, I ann
in love with your filkr.' ' What an-
Ju cr (iid you give him.' ' I laughed,
aiui told him, 1 fuppoled he ha.i been
taking; a ghifs ex:rai)rdinary in the af-
ternoon. I wifiied him a good night,
and fliut the door.' * The bed thing
you i jVi'd have done, Henrv. To-
morrow morning take caie to be in
private with him Defore brehkfa.'l. Af-
ttr break faft oid-.r the horfcs. You
nnd vour fifter pay a morning vifu to
tne Mifs L s. Mr. Talbot and
r. vfelf will lide round the hill.' I con-
{■.I'b I was not very eafy tliat night ;
tiioogh I re; 'iced at the proipeft I had
of kciling my daughter with a man,
whom, nctwithftanding the difparity
in years, I looked up to, I rang my
bell ar half paft feven, and"tcld the
fervant to call me when Mr. Tall)(jc
was moving. ' Oii I Mr. Taibot,' re-
plied he, ' has been in the garden near-
ly an hour.' ' Is Henry up?' » He
is in his liudy.' I ro(e ; drew on my
,bootS; and requefled l)reakfail a little
earlier than ulual. When I was rea-
^y, we all met in the breakfaif-narlour.
Julia was prepared, for her brother
ad fent to her before fhe came down.
I told them my plan, which was ap-
'proved by all.
" Mr. Talbot and myfelf moved
firft ; we did nor even take a (eivant
with us, conlidering him as an incum-
very ambitious : a competency 1 can
give litr. Your friend Henr/, you
may fiippofe, h^s let me into th's fe-
cret : he has told me too you have no
gredt txpc£lati( ns from your friends.
But a man of your education and fu*'
ture profc-ifion (for, yet he was uot or-
dained,) has a liilit to a fortune with
the lady he loves. I do not know wha
f'Ttune vou expefi with my d^ughier.
Here 1 firfl gave him an opportunity of
anfwering ; when he coiltfled.y re-
plied, " A fortune. Sir, fufficent to
make M:fs Parker happy. Should I
fuccetd in paying my addreiTes to her»
which, fince I have your approbation,
1 certainly (hall atempt, what thai
fortune is to be, you and herfelf will
determine on fome future day." As I
had met with repeated proofs of his li-
berality, 1 was not furprized at this
modeft, geneious, and manly reply.
We dropped the fubjeii, and, haring
finilhed our ride, joined the family at
three o'clock. 1 fliould have ttdd you,
1 had dtftred Henry not to converfe
with his filler on the fubjcfl. He did
not ; and 1 have fince repeatedly iieard
him laughing at her unulu^.l gravity on
that morning. ' Koiv far,' flie would
fav, 'do you think my father and
Mr. Talbot are, Henry? If we do not
make hafie, they will be home before
us.' Such converfation was the whole
he could get from her. She herfelf
has frankly owned fince, that, not-
withftanding the regaid and lelpefl ihe
entertained for the Mils L — s, flie
wiflied much to have heaid they were
from home; and that (he thought
every moment unufually lingering till
fl:e returned to our own houfe. At
prelent I interfered no faither in the
bufinef.. In the couife of two orihree
days, my daughter told me, Mr. Tal-
bot had made her an offer which flie
had accepted. 1 wiflied lier joy ; but,
at the fame time, told her not to raiie
her expeftations too high ; for, though
brance unlefs he could pofTibly be of 1 faw no prob.bi ity at piefent of any
any fervice, which feldom happens, thing likely to prevent the match, yet
We rode about three miles, when my that fomething might happen. ' Mr.
joung friend feemed to be very chear- Talbot,' laid i, is now not much mora
ful. I embraced this opportunity of than ii years of age, and you fcarcely
opening my mind to him. I told him, iq. If 'you be refolved to marry im-
I heard he was attached to my daugh- mediately, 1 do not fay I will not cen-
ter; and fcarcely afforded him time to " " ' ' "
embarrafs himftlf before I gave him to
underfland that, if he could gain her
fetit to it, but fliil advife you not to
think of It till he is ordained.' * I do
not, Sir,' faid fhe, * entertain an idea
afFeftions, 1 fliould be happy in confi- oTthe kind, nor will I ever confent to
dering him my fim. As to fortune, marry him till he is employed. Not-
Jk», i hdYs no reafon to imagine you vviihliandjng the regard 1 entertain foe
Mr.