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which she thought they were entitled to enjoy, 

 as well as to enable her to assist those whom she 

 considered as dependent on her bounty ; and at 

 the same time to save something every year as 

 a provision for her children. About all this I 

 then knew or cared but little ; I was insensible 

 to the merit of her steady perseverance in these 

 duties, and thought very lightly of the talents 

 necessary for such management; or I thought of 

 them, only to regret that intellectual creatures 

 could \vaste so much of their existence upon such 

 vulgar labours. 



I have in latter years often wondered how my 

 mother's plain good sense could be so blinded 

 by partiality, that she never even tried to con- 

 quer my absurd fancies, and, by forcing me into 

 obedience, to teach me to be useful ; indeed, it is 

 most painful to me now to think of her generous 

 but ill-judged forbearance. 



While she was engaged in superintending her 

 servants, or instructing my young brothers, or 

 occupied in needle-work for us all during whole 

 days, with scarcely the interruption of a walk, 

 or the indulgence of a book, I was pouring over 

 my high-flown studies ; perhaps, reading Horace 

 with one brother, or conquering mathematical 

 difficulties with the other; or, seated under an 

 old ilex-tree in the lawn, writing verses. Some- 

 times, to gratify my mother, I condescended to 

 practise on the piano-forte ; but this was one of 



