SOMERVILLE. 2$ 



into society. She was very pretty, and had a refined 

 and delicate kind of beauty, which won universal 

 admiration ; indeed, amongst her companions she 

 went by the name of " The Rose of Jedwood." 

 Although her friends were comparatively poor, they 

 belonged to the upper strata of society, and she 

 received plenty of invitations to join in whatever gaiety 

 was going. True, her mother made it a rule to refuse 

 to go into public during her father's absence ; but 

 Mary never felt the want of a chaperon. Several 

 lady friends she had who were quite willing to take 

 charge of her, and girls were allowed abundant 

 liberty in that pleasant Edinburgh society of the 

 period. Bond fide balls were not common, but 

 friendly supper-parties were very usual, and to these 

 the partners of the previous evening were admitted, 

 and presented by the young ladies to their parents. 

 Games, music, and even a little quiet dancing, were 

 the amusements on these occasions, and it was the 

 fashion for the girls to propose a toast or a sentiment 

 to be approved by the guests. Mary Fairfax seldom 

 ventured to give a toast : she was too timid to 

 obtrude herself upon her friends thus ; but she enjoyed 

 hearing what others had to say, and thoroughly 

 entered into the spirit of the entertainment. It is to 

 be noted that she always made her own dresses for 

 these festive gatherings. 



Though thus mixing in society, Mary never aban- 

 doned what she had taught herself to regard as the 



