a mother, or a wife, or a sister, or a daughter has by heart.  And from that he went on to discourse on the great advantages of an early marriage.  He was not the man, nor was he speaking to a mother who was the woman, ever to become a vulgar and coarse-minded matchmaker; at the same time, he liked to see Matthew and Mercy sent out on a message together, leaving it to nature and to grace to do the rest.  The pros and cons of early marriage were often up at his hearty table, but he always debated, and Gaius was a great debater, that true hospitality largely consisted in throwing open the family circle to let young people get well acquainted with one another in its peace and sweetness.  And Gaius both practised what he preached, and at the same time endorsed his watchful wife’s last testament, when he gave his daughter Phebe to James, Christiana’s second son, and thus was left alone, poor old Gaius, when the happy honeymoon party started upward from his hostel door.

5.  Their next host was one Mr. Mnason, a Cyprusian by nation, and an old disciple.  “How far have you come to-day?” he asked.  “From the house of Gaius our friend,” they said.  “I promise you,” said he, “you have gone a good stitch; you may well be weary; sit down.”  So they sat down.  “Our great want a while since,” said Old Honest, “was harbour and good company, and now I hope we have both.”  “For harbour,” said the host, “you see what it is, but for good company that will appear in the trial.”  After they were a little rested Old Honest again asked his host if there were any store of good people in that town; and, “How,” he said, “shall we do to see some of them?  For the sight of good men to them that are going on pilgrimage is like to the appearing of the moon and stars to them that are sailing upon the seas.”  Then Mr. Mnason stamped with his foot and his daughter Grace came up, when he sent her out for five of his friends in the town, saying that he had a guest or two in his house at present to whom he would like to introduce them.

Now, this is another of the good qualities of a good host, to know the best and the most suitable people in the town, and to be on such terms with them that on short notice they will step across to help to entertain such travellers as had come to Mr. Mnason’s table.  And it is an excellent thing to be sure that when we are so invited we shall not only get a good dinner, but also, as good “kitchen” with our dinner, good company and good conversation.  It is nothing short of a fine art to gather together and to seat suitably beside one another good and suitable people as Mr. and Miss Mnason did in their hospitable house that afternoon.  And then, as to the talk:  let the host and the hostess introduce the guests, and then let the guests introduce their own topics.  And as far as possible, in a city and a day like this, let our topics be books rather than people.  And let the books be the books that the guests have