EVENING PAUTIES. 



113 



cation, and those advantages which the old 

 world possesses, (in having books and ma- 

 terials for forming the mind, of which there 

 is here great need,) conversation soon slack- 

 ens, and on a repetition of visits you have 

 the same topics every night, argued and re- 

 argued in the same words. This sameness 

 also pervades their music, as they do not 

 play by sight, and would not know a note 

 of music if they had it ; the consequence 

 is, that all being retained by the ear, there is 

 no variety, so that a young lady soon ex- 

 hausts her stock of musical knowledge, and 

 you can only expect a repetition. The wo- 

 men seldom visit each other of an evening, 

 except when specially invited ; consequently 

 you seldom find a family sufficiently large to 

 form a dance ; and they do not play at cards. 



These stupid parties have, I think, been 

 the cause of a general system of gallantry, 

 which at present is a bar to social and gene- 



VOL. II. I 



