J79*' SOPHIA, ON FEMALE EDUCATION. 269 



I durft not anfwer him ; for I thought he was faying a 

 thing that was impoffible ; and you know papa alwavs 

 tells me, that nobody Ihould ever juke about God, 



My deareft Alathea, what your pjpa told you yef- 

 terday is not only not impoirible, but oiic: of the few 

 things that one can know to a certainty. If you was 

 to find a wooden trencher, a tray, or an egg-cup in the 

 ground, would not you know that it had not grown 

 there, but been placed there bj' fomebody, and that it 

 had been turned in a turnmg-lathe out of a piece of wood. 

 Yes, mamma. Then my, dear Alathea, the world was 

 originally like a fhapelefs piece of wood, and the grcatpa- 

 pa of the world turned every thing in a lathe of his own 

 to anfwer the good purpofes of his children and his 

 creatures ; and we are all his children and his crea- 

 tures, men, women, children, hories, cows, fheep, and 

 dogs, and every thing that lives or moves, or has any 

 kind of being. 



Alathea leaps upon my knee, kifles me again and 

 again ; and laughing in tears, cries out, O mamma ! 

 this is charming. Then papa is my brother, and you 

 are my filter, and my grandpapa made the moon and 

 fvery thing elfe. 



I now inftantly take her off from the continuance of 

 this converfation, as being quite above her capacity, 

 and gently lead her to the workmanlhip and occupa- 

 tions of the day, leaving the impreffion to produce its 



beneficial effefts hereafter Thus, Mr. Editor, have I 



given you a flight Iketch of the commencement of my 

 plan of female education, which, if you do not forbid, 

 ihall be followed out in fome of your future papers, with 

 a defcription pf the more interefting, though not more 

 important period of education which is to follow ; and 

 I remain, Sir, with eileem for your undertaking, your 

 fincere well-wifher, 



SoPHtA. 



Th<! continuance of this int^rcfting (ketch is carneftly intretted. Edit. 



