

14 INTRODUCTION. 



children, Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot determined upon leaving them 

 at their respective schools; having confided the care of them, 

 during the holidays, to Mrs. Fortescue, the widowed sister of 

 Mr. Wilmot 



Idle, frivolous, and gay, Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot had be- 

 stowed little personal attention upon their children, but had 

 considered that, in placing them at fashionable schools of 

 high reputation, they had amply fulfilled their duties as 

 parents, and had released themselves from all further neces- 

 sity of watching the growth of their children's minds. 



Frederick was now twelve years old, and, like most boys 

 of his age. his acquirements were limited to a slight know- 

 ledge of Latin and Greek. 



Henrietta was fifteen; she had been two years at school, 

 and, being naturally quick and intelligent, had surpassed 

 most of her companions in superficial attainments, and had 

 acquired a degree of consequent importance among her school- 

 fellows, which served but to increase her natural vanity and 

 self-esteem. 



Far different were her cousins Esther and Mary Fortescue, 

 the first of the same age as Henrietta, the second about five 

 years younger. 



Bereft of her husband soon after the birth of Mary, Mrs. 

 Fortescue had devoted her whole attention to the education of 

 her daughters, and, fully impressed with the responsibility of 

 instilling right principles into the minds of her children, she 

 had taken the whole charge of their education upon herself, 

 and placing it on the only solid foundation religious prin- 

 ciple, she had endeavored, under Divine assistance, to bring 

 them up in a knowledge of the truth, "in the nurture and ad- 

 monition of the Lord." 



Both amply repaid the fostering care of their mother, and 

 Mary already gave promise of that amiable disposition, that 

 solid good sense, that uncompromising rectitude, which were 

 more fully shining forth in her elder sister. 



The midsummer holidays had arrived, when their cousins 

 were to come from school. Esther was absent en a visit to 

 her friend Mrs. Clifford, but was to return upon the follow- 



