ELOPEMENT. 15 



the affirmative ; and, upon further inquiry, 

 I found that, being the daughter of re- 

 spectable parents, she had been sent to a 

 boarding-school, where the sight of that 

 fascinating object, a stage-coach, had more 

 charms for her than the usual routine of 

 female study; and, from the weakness of 

 her heart or understanding, the nod and 

 smile of its conductor soon supplanted 

 the tuition of either the drawing or music 

 master. After a few stolen interviews 

 with this member of so engaging a pro- 

 fession, in an unhappy hour she con- 

 sented to an elopement, and was married 

 to him. 



It was not long before she had good 

 reasons for repenting the steps she had 

 taken ; and while lamenting and telling me 

 the many evil consequences of her error, 

 arising principally from his ill-treatment, 

 she went into an adjoining room and 

 dragged from the place of its concealment a 

 large portmanteau. She informed me that 



