10 



a little sympathy and kindness seem to be a great 

 comfort ; and the school is so near the shrubbery, 

 that, unless the rain is very heavy, Caroline con- 

 trives to go there every day. 



When we are so much confined as we have been 

 for the three last days, we take care to practise 

 well at battledore and shuttlecock 3 yesterday 

 evening I kept it up to three hundred. Some- 

 times four of us play at once without any con- 

 fusion ; and sometimes even my uncle joins 

 us. My aunt encourages us to exercise ourselves 

 with active plays; and if you and Marianne 

 could peep at us, you would be amused at the 

 vigour and emulation with which we perform 

 Puss in the corner, and Friar's ground, or "turn 

 the blindfold hero round and round." After 

 luncheon is generally the time for these " la- 

 borious sports ;" Grace, of course, delights in 

 them, and my uncle and aunt seem fully to 

 enjoy our glee and gaiety ; for exercise and re- 

 creation, they say, should be mixed sufficiently 

 with all our studious employments. You will 

 smile when I confess that much as I like them 

 now, I felt at first that these "romps," as I called 

 them, were rather too childish : my aunt told 

 me to do as I liked ; but, as I found that I only 

 appeared conceited by sitting still, I soon con- 

 quered these silly feelings. 



I have nothing more to say, except that I 

 have begun to read Rollin's Ancient History ; 



