41)8 EDUCATION AND LITERATURE 



per school tor the developement of the affections of the heart, that 

 particular pains were taken to direct aright your nascent sensibilities, 

 to point out the proper objects which should claim all the treasures 

 of your awakening passions, to render you in theory at least a duti- 

 ful daughter, an affectionate sister, a sincere friend, and an amiable 

 as well as a lovely woman." 



" Good gracious ! why, you must be a parson, surely : how you do 

 talk ! Why, I was never allowed to write to my parents, as we always 

 copied our letters from a letter-book, and were expressly forbidden to 

 talk about home : and I believe I should have forgotten it, but that 

 I went there once a year ; and then I was sent to the coast to be out 

 of the way, of which indeed I was very glad, as my father and mo- 

 ther were cross and stupid ; and as to my brothers, 1 seldom saw 

 them, and when I did, 1 was soon tired, as they were always run- 

 ning after other girls, instead of being with me. I suppose you 

 mean by * nascent sensibilities,' love. Well, there were the Italian, 

 French, and dancing-masters, they were sad rakes, and made fine 

 sport for us; and there was the writing-master, he was always 

 pinching our cheeks ; the teacher of astronomy was indeed a very 

 nice man, and several of us ran away with him to the brick-field but 

 came back again ; and then the drawing-master was very funny, and 

 used to sketch all sorts of queer things for us; and besides, there 

 were the village lads, and the footmen. I assure you there were 

 plenty of men to fall in love with : and as to friends oh ! I had 

 several dear friends at school, but I have quarrelled with them all 

 since." 



" Excellent! I see your affections as a daughter, a sister, a de- 

 voted mistress, and a friend, were diligently looked after. There 

 cannot, at all events, be a doubt but that your polite and fashion- 

 able education has given you a taste for elegant literature, and that 

 your vacant hours are, in part at least, devoted to reading." 



" Oh ! of course, our bookseller has orders to supply us with a 

 monthly parcel of new works novels, ladies' books, annuals, books 

 of engravings, and any thing that is fashionable. Some of them I read, 

 and then amuse myself with cutting out the plates for my portfolio 

 and scrap-books : those that are handsomely bound are placed in the 

 library ; others, if the paper is not too stiff, T tear up for curl-papers; 

 and others are given to the servants." 



" And now, my dear lady, permit me to ask you one question. 

 The great end of your expectations is, I presume, marriage, or what 

 I have frequently heard called amongst you, a comfortable establish- 

 ment : which is it, amongst the numerous matters that have engaged 

 your attention, on which you found your hopes of being an agreeable 

 companion and an attractive and permanently delightful wife? nay, 

 don't frown, you are a beautiful woman, and, in so far, an angel: 

 what I mean is, what moral and intellectual discipline have you 

 undergone, to enable you to bear or disarm the rugged temper of 

 a husband ? to soothe him and support yourself through the trials of 

 life, to direct the infant minds of your offspring, to accommodate 

 your expenditure, should fortune frown upon your future prospects, 

 to restrain the vivacity and impetuosity of your sex's passions, to 



