fragrant flowers, placed in vases in different parts of the room, and the warbling of various birds on the trees without, were calculated to furnish as delightful a feast to some of the other senses, as those which were here provided for the gratification of the eye. The objects seen from the window were, a lawn, which sloped down to a large and noble piece of water, encircled by trees, many of which were exotic; and beyond these, certain woody knolls, intersected by small valleys marked to the eye by their deeper shade. A blue upland in the remote distance finished this exquisite picture.

A very great degree of sense, judgment, wit, beauty, and sprightliness, was certainly not necessary to set off a lady of high rank, elegantly dressed, and desiring to make herself agreeable in a situation like this; especially as most of her visiters were common characters, and as lady Harriet could, and often did, speak very eloquently on the subject of maternal tenderness, &c. &c. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, if she was held forth in the neighbourhood as the very prototype of Madame Genlis's La bonne mere, al-though it often happened, that she did not see her children during more than an hour in the morning, and in an evening only for that interval when they were permitted to be present in the dining-room and drawing-room; leaving them in the mean time with an inexperienced governess, who, although mistress of some accomplishments, had not the smallest idea of forming the mind, directing the principles, or even making the best of her pupils' time in an ordinary way. With respect to religion, Miss Hartley knew nothing but its most common forms; and as to neatness, order, and economy, this director of youth had as little notion of them as of algebra or conic sections. With such a head, we may imagine that the school-room and sleeping apartments belonging to these young ladies exhibited no very striking specimens of accurate arrangement; but as the young people were profusely supplied with books, paper, materials for drawing, toys, and trinkets, every place which they occupied was scattered with these articles, many of them in a torn and dilapidated state, and not a few utterly destroyed.

If we consider that what children are with respect to their books and toys, they will probably hereafter become

with regard to their more important possessions, and that the same unprincipled carelessness which rendered them incapable of arranging a cabinet, or taking care of a drawing-box, will hereafter prevent them from managing an estate, or ordering a family-in this view of the case, instead of making vain and foolish excuses for their carelessness, we ought to set ourselves strenuously to correct it, and to subdue the disposition from which it proceeds. It is impossible indeed for the most pious and careful parent to change the heart of a young person, or to make him a lover of God who by nature is a child of wrath; this must be the work of a more powerful hand than that of man. But decent, orderly, and economical habits may be induced by the parent or teacher; and surely, when grace is given, these will smooth the way to the acquirement of those humble Christian modes of conduct, and that scriptural self-denial, without which the Christian Character displays a degree of inconsistency discernable to every eye. But leaving these reflections, I shall now proceed to that period of my history when the eldest daughter of Lady Harriet had attained her thirteenth year, and Fanny, the youngest child of the family, her ninth.

At this period these young people, when dressed for company and in their best modes, presented so pretty a family group, that Lady Harriet insisted upon having them all exhibited in a large painting, to be placed over the chimney-piece of the great dining-room: and as the artist executed his work with some taste, Lady Harriet was not a little pleased with the performance; especially as she herself appeared in a conspicuous part of the picture, to much advantage in her favourite character of La bonne mere. These children were all extremely fair, had beautiful light hair, together with that air of ease and superior breeding which is rarely discoverable among persons in low life; because young people being extremely imitative, however carefully educated, in inferior society, are apt to copy the ordinary manners of those with whom they converse, But inasmuch as coarse manners are not a necessary accompa niment of humble life, we may hope that, as religious feeling makes its way in society, a better style of manners may also prevail among the lower orders; in which case we shall see elegance united with indigence, and the shepherd

ess of Arcadian fancy actually inhabiting the rustic cottage in our own neighbourhood.

But notwithstanding the apparent elegance and delicacy of these young people, the two elder, especially, were ordinary characters, and the youngest a little spoiled favourite: while Dorothea, who had more mental energy than her sisters, displayed that energy in a thousand caprices; in which she continually risked the anger of her governess, the censures of her mother, and the displeasure of her sisters. But as neither the one nor the other of these gave occasion to the adoption of such measures as might effectually correct her evil habits, she regarded them with utter contempt, pursuing her own devices in that way which most pleased or best suited her at the moment. Margarita, who differed, as I before said, from her cousins so slightly in appearance as always to pass with strangers as one of the family, though on a closer inspection there was much greater animation in her eyes, and much more spirit in her general physiognomy, made her way with the rest as well as could be expected; being sometimes the companion of Dorothea's whims, and sometimes an imitator of her more demure sisters.

Nevertheless, as Miss Hartley could not be persuaded that Lady Harriet could possibly love her niece as well as her own children, and as this young lady's attentions to each individual were always duly weighed and measured by what she conceived to be Lady Harriet's feelings towards that individual, she made a point of laying every misdemeanour of her pupils to the door of Margarita; so that, whenever Lady Harriet had occasion to find fault, Miss Hartley never failed to fix the blame on Miss Margarita, though in a manner so artful and wily, that Lady Harriet seldom observed it. If a book was torn, Miss Hartley would say, "I think that was the book Miss Margarita was reading last." If any trinket was lost or broken, Miss Hartley would say, very quietly, "Did I not see you with it, Miss Margarita, the other day?"

Lady Harriet on these occasions would not seldom say, "Margarita is a very careless girl; I shall be much displeased if she does not henceforward take more care."

The difficulties which little Margarita had to endure, were, in fact, not very severe, but they had, nevertheless,

from their continual pressure, a considerable effect on her character, which was decidedly more serious than that of her cousins; and as she advanced in years this thoughtfulness increased.

About this time an elderly lady, an aunt of Lady Harriet's, and one who, from her residence at Windsor, was much acquainted with what was going forward at court, came to pay a long visit at Mowbray-hall, for such was the name of Lady Harriet's residence. This lady had many intimate acquaintances among the pious people of that day. Sunday-schools, and works of the same tendency, were at this time just coming as it were into fashion; or rather, I should say, that at this period there appeared the dawn of that light which we trust will still increase until it shall have attained unto the glory of perfect day. A little before this old lady (by name Lady Susan King) left Windsor, Her Majesty, Queen Charlotte had expressed a wish for a practical book on the proper method of distributing and regulating charity, and had desired that excellent woman, Mrs. Trimmer, to write and publish a work on this subject. This work which was entitled The Economy of Charity, was accordingly written and published pursuant to the desire of her Majesty; and having just made its appearance in the great world, afforded much subject of discourse, not only to those ladies of the first circles who really had it at heart to do the most extensive good, but also to those who particularly wished to be thought charitable and humane. Among the first of these two descriptions was Lady Susan; it therefore cannot be wondered at if the economy of charity and other subjects suggested by this little work supplied many topics of conversation to Lady Susan during her visit. And Lady Harriet, though neither possessing the piety nor the benevolence of her aunt, was at once too polite and too anxious to be in the fashion, not to endeavour to appear deeply interested in the subject. To do her justice, however, we may also add, that she had some pressing desire to do good among her poor neighbours; and there was something wonderfully agreeable in the idea of doing a vast deal of good at a very little expense. But this lady never took into consideration, that the very ground-work of a system for doing good with little money, must be formed on the idea, that time, thought,

and ingenuity are to be exercised, in order to make this plan of economy to answer in any degree: otherwise she would no doubt have shrunk at once from a system which demanded still greater sacrifices than that of money. However, as I before said, this newly-published work, this book which was written at the express request of Her Majesty, afforded much subject of discourse at Mowbray-hall, during Lady Susan's visit. And as one good thing frequently leads to another, Lady Susan took this occasion to speak to her niece on several other subjects having reference to charity, self-denial, and other duties of a like nature. Lady Susan on one occasion began her discourse by speaking of the true source of charity, which she maintained was self-denial. Whence she proceeded to remark, that, with respect to her own sex, the love of dress, the ardent desire of ornamenting their own persons, was the passion which dried up the fountain of charity in the larger number of female hearts.

"Fy! Lady Susan," said Lady Harriet, "thus to disparage our sex; are there not many fine gentlemen about town, and even in the country, who are quite as fond of dress as the ladies?"

"There is no general rule without many exceptions," remarked Lady Susan; "but the love of dress is considered as contemptible in men, you must allow, Lady Harriet, and they are in general ashamed of it. On the contrary, when a young woman is found to have no taste for adorning her person, she is universally condemned."

"And very properly so," said Lady Harriet, "for of all things on earth nothing is so detestable as a slovenly female."

"I fully agree with you in that remark," said Lady Susan, "and on that very account I dislike a woman who is fond of dress; for the private habits of such persons are almost invariably slatternly."

"I am very glad, my good aunt,” replied Lady Harriet, "that it was not a gentleman who made that remark: whatever man had dared to utter it, would assuredly have incurred the utmost extent of my displeasure."

The old lady smiled, and replied, "No gentleman of course would be so impolite as to make such a remark in your presence