Come, said Charles, the sun is not yet set, let us take a walk and look about the town, while supper is preparing. It is cold, replied I. Yes, answered Charles, but let us not mind that. There is nothing better at this season than to be accustomed to rough weather, and to harden ourselves against the winter. You will see this winter, continued he, how little I care for wind, frost, rain, or snow. I never stay in the house, I run through all weathers. At this moment we came to a small cottage, where an old woman sat at a spinning-wheel, she seemed to be very poor. Let us go in and see her spin, said Charles; and we entered, begging the woman not to take it amiss, as we did not wish to interrupt her, but to see her spin. She began to talk to us, still turning her wheel. You are very diligent, said Charles. I must be so, replied the old woman, for it is my only support, except a trifle the gentry give me, in the winter, to buy coals, for they are very dear, and my hands are sometimes so cold, I cannot turn my wheel. Charles then asked, if her daily labour was sufficient to procure her bread. She answered yes, but it sometimes happens in the winter, when I have fewel to buy, that I have not money to purchase flax, and then I must sit in the cold idle and hungry. And is there nobody that will lend you a trifle, cried Charles, when you are in such extreme distress? Good lack, said the old woman, I dare say there are many good hearts in the world; but the rich, who are tender-hearted, sit in their warm parlours, and do not see the hardships we poor folk undergo. Charles then gave her a guinea and we hurried out of the cottage, to avoid her thanks; but her blessings followed us. While we were at supper, he enquired of the landlord, if she was an industrious woman; he assured us she was, and patiently endured many hardships rather than become burdensome to the parish. Charles then desired him to supply her with coals the ensuing winter; let her turn her wheel glibly, and I will pay you, good Sir, when I see you in the spring. We visited Harry, and Charles desired to be called, if he was very ill during the night. Harry looked pleased; Ah! Sir, said he, I find you care for a poor sick servant, as well as for a gentleman. Before we went to bed we could not help talking of the old woman. CHARLES. How happy it is for her that she can work, and keep out of the work-house; even in her old age her industry enables her to be useful to society, and to command a little abode of her own. WILLIAM. Yet we slight such coarse hands; where should we get linen, if there were not industrious spinners? CHARLES.