butEnglishmendidnotseeenoughintheargumenttoinducethemtowithdrawtheirconfidencefromthepresentarrangementsofthegovernment，andDrAnticant’smonthlypamphletonthedecayoftheworlddidnotreceivesomuchattentionashisearlierworks。Hedidnotconfinehimselftopoliticsinthesepublications，butroamedatlargeoverallmattersofpublicinterest，andfoundeverythingbad。Accordingtohimnobodywastrue，andnotonlynobody，butnothing；
amancouldnottakeoffhishattoaladywithouttellingalie——theladywouldlieagaininsmiling。Therufflesofthegentleman’sshirtwouldbefraughtwithdeceit，andthelady’sflouncesfulloffalsehood。Waseveranythingmoreseverethanthatattackofhisonchipbonnets，ortheanathemaswithwhichheendeavouredtodustthepowderoutofthebishops’wigs？
ThepamphletwhichTomTowersnowpushedacrossthetablewasentitledModernCharity，andwaswrittenwiththeviewofprovinghowmuchinthewayofcharitywasdonebyourpredecessors——howlittlebythepresentage；anditendedbyacomparisonbetweenancientandmoderntimes，verylittletothecreditofthelatter。
’Lookatthis，’saidTowers，gettingupandturningoverthepagesofthepamphlet，andpointingtoapassageneartheend。
’Yourfriendthewarden，whoissolittleselfish，won’tlikethat，Ifear。’Boldreadasfollows——
’Heavens，whatasight！Letuswitheyeswideopenseethegodlymanoffourcenturiessince，themanofthedarkages；
letusseehowhedoeshisgodlikework，and，again，howthegodlymanoftheselatterdaysdoeshis。
’Shallwesaythattheformerisonewalkingpainfullythroughtheworld，regarding，asaprudentman，hisworldlywork，prosperinginitasadiligentmanwillprosper，butalwayswithaneyetothatbettertreasuretowhichthievesdonotcreepin？Istherenotmuchnobilityinthatoldman，as，leaningonhisoakenstaff，hewalksdowntheHighStreetofhisnativetown，andreceivesfromallcourteoussalutationandacknowledgmentofhisworth？Anobleoldman，myaugustinhabitantsofBelgraveSquareandsuchlikevicinity——averynobleoldman，thoughemployednobetterthaninthewholesalecardingofwool。
’Thiscardingofwool，however，didinthosedaysbringwithitmuchprofit，sothatourancientfriend，whendying，wasdeclared，inwhateverslangthenprevailed，tocutupexceedingwell。Forsonsanddaughterstherewasamplesustenancewithassistanceofdueindustry；forfriendsandrelativessomereliefforgriefatthisgreatloss；forageddependentscomfortindecliningyears。Thiswasmuchforoneoldmantogetdoneinthatdarkfifteenthcentury。Butthiswasnotall:cominggenerationsofpoorwool-cardersshouldblessthenameofthisrichone；andahospitalshouldbefoundedandendowedwithhiswealthforthefeedingofsuchofthetradeascouldnot，bydiligentcarding，anylongerdulyfeedthemselves。
’’Twasthusthatanoldmaninthefifteenthcenturydidhisgodlikeworktothebestofhispower，andnotignobly，asappearstome。
’Wewillnowtakeourgodlymanoflatterdays。Heshallnolongerbeawool-carder，forsucharenotnowmenofmark。
Wewillsupposehimtobeoneofthebestofthegood，onewhohaslackednoopportunities。Ouroldfriendwas，afterall，butilliterate；ourmodernfriendshallbeamaneducatedinallseemlyknowledge；heshall，inshort，bethatblessedbeing——
aclergymanoftheChurchofEngland！
’Andnow，inwhatperfectestmannerdoesheinthislowerworldgethisgodlikeworkdoneandputoutofhand？
Heavens！inthestrangestofmanners。Oh，mybrother！inamannernotatalltobebelieved，butbythemostminutetestimonyofeyesight。Hedoesitbythemagnitudeofhisappetite——bythepowerofhisgorge；hisonlyoccupationistoswallowthebreadpreparedwithsomuchanxiouscarefortheseimpoverishedcardersofwool——that，andtosingindifferentlythroughhisnoseonceintheweeksomepsalmmoreorlesslong——theshorterthebetter，weshouldbeinclinedtosay。
’Oh，mycivilisedfriends！——greatBritonsthatneverwillbeslaves，menadvancedtoinfinitestateoffreedomandknowledgeofgoodandevil——tellme，willyou，whatbecomingmonumentyouwillerecttoanhighly-educatedclergymanoftheChurchofEngland？’
Boldcertainlythoughtthathisfriendwouldnotlikethat:
hecouldnotconceiveanythingthathewouldlikelessthanthis。Towhataworldoftoilandtroublehadhe，Bold，givenrisebyhisindiscreetattackuponthehospital！
’Yousee，’saidTowers，’thatthisaffairhasbeenmuchtalkedof，andthepublicarewithyou。Iamsorryyoushouldgivethematterup。HaveyouseenthefirstnumberofTheAlmshouse？’
No；BoldhadnotseenTheAlmshouse。HehadseenadvertisementsofMrPopularSentiment’snewnovelofthatname，buthadinnowayconnecteditwithBarchesterHospital，andhadneverthoughtamomentonthesubject。
’It’sadirectattackonthewholesystem，’saidTowers。
’It’llgoalongwaytoputdownRochester，andBarchester，andDulwich，andStCross，andallsuchhotbedsofpeculation。
It’sveryclearthatSentimenthasbeendowntoBarchester，andgotupthewholestorythere；indeed，Ithoughthemusthavehaditallfromyou，it’sverywelldone，asyou’llsee:hisfirstnumbersalwaysare。’
BolddeclaredthatMrSentimenthadgotnothingfromhim，andthathewasdeeplygrievedtofindthatthecasehadbecomesonotorious。
’Thefirehasgonetoofartobequenched，’saidTowers；
’thebuildingmustgonow；andasthetimbersareallrotten，why，Ishouldbeinclinedtosay，thesoonerthebetter。I
expectedtoseeyougetsomeeclatinthematter。’
ThiswasallwormwoodtoBold。Hehaddoneenoughtomakehisfriendthewardenmiserableforlife，andhadthenbackedoutjustwhenthesuccessofhisprojectwassufficienttomakethequestiononeofrealinterest。Howweaklyhehadmanagedhisbusiness！hehadalreadydonetheharm，andthenstayedhishandwhenthegoodwhichhehadinviewwastobecommenced。Howdelightfulwouldithavebeentohaveemployedallhisenergyinsuchacause——tohavebeenbackedbyTheJupiter，andwrittenuptobytwoofthemostpopularauthorsoftheday！Theideaopenedaviewintotheveryworldinwhichhewishedtolive。Towhatmightitnothavegivenrise？whatdelightfulintimacies——whatpublicpraise——
towhatAthenianbanquetsandrichflavourofAtticsalt？
This，however，wasnowpasthope。Hehadpledgedhimselftoabandonthecause；andcouldhehaveforgottenthepledgehehadgonetoofartoretreat。Hewasnow，thismoment，sittinginTomTowers’roomwiththeobjectofdeprecatinganyfurtherarticlesinTheJupiter，and，greatlyashedislikedthejob，hispetitiontothateffectmustbemade。
’Icouldn’tcontinueit，’saidhe，’becauseIfoundIwasinthewrong。’
TomTowersshruggedhisshoulders。Howcouldasuccessfulmanbeinthewrong！’Inthatcase，’saidhe，’ofcourseyoumustabandonit。’
’AndIcalledthismorningtoaskyoualsotoabandonit，’
saidBold。
’Toaskme，’saidTomTowers，withthemostplacidofsmiles，andaconsummatelookofgentlesurprise，asthoughTomTowerswaswellawarethatheofallmenwasthelasttomeddleinsuchmatters。
’Yes，’saidBold，almosttremblingwithhesitation。’TheJupiter，youknow，hastakenthematterupverystrongly。
MrHardinghasfeltwhatithassaiddeeply；andIthoughtthatifIcouldexplaintoyouthathepersonallyhasnotbeentoblame，thesearticlesmightbediscontinued。’
HowcalmlyimpassivewasTomTowers’face，asthisinnocentlittlepropositionwasmade！HadBoldaddressedhimselftothedoorpostsinMountOlympus，theywouldhaveshownasmuchoutwardsignofassentordissent。Hisquiescencewasquiteadmirable；hisdiscretioncertainlymorethanhuman。
’Mydearfellow，’saidhe，whenBoldhadquitedonespeaking，’IreallycannotanswerforTheJupiter。’
’Butifyousawthatthesearticleswereunjust，IthinkthatYouWouldendeavourtoputastoptothem。Ofcoursenobodydoubtsthatyoucould，ifyouchose。’
’Nobodyandeverybodyarealwaysverykind，butunfortunatelyaregenerallyverywrong。’
’Come，come，Towers，’saidBold，pluckinguphiscourage，andrememberingthatforEleanor’ssakehewasboundtomakehisbestexertion；’Ihavenodoubtinmyownmindbutthatyouwrotethearticlesyourself，andverywellwrittentheywere:itwillbeagreatfavourifyouwillinfutureabstainfromanypersonalallusiontopoorHarding。’
’MydearBold，’saidTomTowers，’Ihaveasincereregardforyou。Ihaveknownyouformanyyears，andvalueyourfriendship；Ihopeyouwillletmeexplaintoyou，withoutoffence，thatnonewhoareconnectedwiththepublicpresscanwithproprietylistentointerference。’
’Interference！’saidBold，’Idon’twanttointerfere。’
’Ah，but，mydearfellow，youdo；whatelseisit？YouthinkthatIamabletokeepcertainremarksoutofanewspaper。
Yourinformationisprobablyincorrect，asmostpublicgossiponsuchsubjectsis；but，atanyrate，youthinkIhavesuchpower，andyouaskmetouseit:nowthatisinterference。’
’Well，ifyouchoosetocallitso。’