l^l letter from I sahella to Albert. Sept: 26. 



be read by the mistrefs, so that we can say nothing 

 but that we are very well, — like the school exceeding- 

 ly, — are vastly happy in our situation, and so on ; 

 ndw, as I disliked my situation very much, you may 

 believe I avoided writing from thence as much as 

 pofsible, so that I contented myself with writing 

 to my mother in the common style, without thinking 

 of addrefsing a single line to you. 



Now that I can write with freedom, I take the first 

 opportunity of exprefsing my unhappinefs at ever 

 having been sent to that boarding school. It is a sad 

 place indeed. Not that I do not thrnk very well of our 

 mistrefs, — I believe fhe is a very good woman ; but 

 having so many young mifses to superintend, it is 

 impofsible Ihe can look after them in the way I could 

 Vfiih, or as I have been accustomed to at home. All 

 ihe can do is to watch over their behaviour vrhen un- 

 der her own eye, and take care of their external con- 

 duct ; with regard to which points fhe is extremely 

 •\*gilant indeed. But what is the consequence ? The 

 young mifses learn a habit of disguise and difsimula- 

 tion that is quite fliocliing to me. You know that 

 the most scrupulous adherence to truth has been 

 ever inculcated to us, by our dear parents, as the basis 

 of every virtue ; \and tlie smallest deviation from it 

 has been ever represented to us as the certain inlet 

 to every vice ; so that disguise is, to me, the most 

 ihocking of all things : yet all at a boarding school is 

 disguise. The surface must be polifhed, whatever be 

 within; andyou •^'ouldbefhocked tosee thatsome girls 

 who are the most forward to do bad things, and in 

 private prompt others to do them, can put on a most 



