1791- SOPHIA ON FEMALE EDUCATION. 267 



bv having every thine done for them by the fervants, 

 thev have [jecome filly and helplefs. O mamnn, what a 

 terrible thing is this; will you teach me how to do every- 

 thing for myfelf? Yes, my dear, I will with all rny 

 heart, &.c. &c. 



Thus I initiated thy Alathea in the hiftory of nature, 

 and in general politics, beginning •>,vith her at five years 

 old, and her filler foon after became a novice in tht fame 

 fcience. I found one day Alathea in tears for thelofs 

 of one of her garters ; I condoled with her, but told 

 her, that one of my own garters was worn through, fp 

 that I wanted one as well as herfelf, but thai: 1 was 

 bufy making another in its ftead. I took out of my 

 pocket a worlled garter half wrought upon quills, and 

 began to knit, faying, it fhould not be long before I 

 cured my misfortune. O mamma, will you teach me 

 to make garters ? I fet Alathea immediaiely to ork -, 

 and in the courfe of a day or two, I teach her to knit in 

 this fimple manner ; and in the courfe of a fortnight or 

 three weeks, flie comes in tranfports with a pair of 

 garters of her own handy-work. She then propofes to 

 work a pair for me in return for my having taught her 

 the art, and then a pair for her fifter Ifabella ; all goes 

 on charmingly; the habits of induftry and independence 

 are eftablifhed ; flie is as playful and happy as ever, 

 but ihe never tires in the intervals. Bye and bye Ifabel- 

 la imitates her example ; and I fee the fruits of my fyf- 

 tem forming in the tree that I had planted. In this 

 way I trained my daughters to all feminine employ- 

 ments ; and at the fame time continually cuhivated 

 their underftandiugs, and regulated the ftrength 4f 

 their imaginations 



Alathea feeing the cook one day puzzled about the 

 affairs of the kitchen, and coming to confult me, was 

 furpriftd to find me looking into a book, and turning 

 over the pages, inftead of returning an anfwer. O mam- 

 ma ! wliy don't you tell poor Mary what flie is to do ? I 

 m locking here, my dear, to be able to infiruft her. I 



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