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particular business which requires our presence at her house, and therefore we cannot return to dinner with your party: but you will give my very best compliments to Mrs. Coliton, and tell her how distressed I am; and if we don't come before it is time to set out, you will call for us in the coach, won't you, dear.'

́ Me!' I said, all in amazement, 'you cannot be going to leave me in this wood.'

'La?' exclaimed Miss Richards, do you take this place to be a desert, that you should lose yourself in it or be buried in it. Now you have nothing to do, but to turn round on your steps, by the way you came, till you see the temple; and you had better go up to it, and then you may either run through the grove, by the way you came, or what will be much better, run down the valley, which will bring you strait to the pool, where your party is: but mind you don't run down the valley to the left, but the valley to the right, that is, the valley which was on your right as you came, and which of course will be on your left as you go back. So be off, dear child, and mind not the right but the left;' and with these last words, the two Miss Richards's, and the three Miss Sockets ran off, like so many lapwings, whilst I stood still, crying after them, Miss Richards, did you say the right or the left, or the left or the right: but they seemed not even to hear me, much less did she stop to answer me.'

Here the venerable mother stopped to take breath; having uttered the last two passages of her story with a vivacity which had made her forget her age and weakness. On which her careful daughter, looking at the time-piece on the marble-shelf, admo

nished us that the hour of our departure was at hand.

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'What!' said Mrs. Latifear, surely, my dear, you would not insist upon my leaving myself in the wood, till it is your pleasure to extricate me.'

'What I least like, my beloved mother,' replied Mrs. Selby, 'is, that any portion of your reminiscences, should be cut short; especially in a case where the last part is the best: for in this history of the Miss Sockets and yourself, you have as yet told us only how you were led on to act inconsiderately, through the evil influence of example; whereas that which remains to be told, is the beautiful arrangement by which a wise providence counteracted the effects of this evil influence, for your benefit, and that of the little friend, who was really worthy of your affection.'

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Well,' replied the venerable mother, I know you to be right, my daughters, and I thank you for your tender care of me;' and with that she arose to receive our adieus, and as her custom was, to walk with us to the door of her apartment.

[To be continued.]

MADAM,

HINTS TO GOVERNESSES.

66

SOME months since, there appeared in your magazine, some very valuable "Hints to Mothers," on the mode of treating governesses, as a subject deeply practical, affecting Christian ladies, in one of their domestic relationships. Perhaps you will permit an occasional contributor to offer a few remarks on the other side of the question.

With the remarks of your correspondent M. on the subject of governesses, I do most entirely and heartily concur, and I read her paper with a feeling of hope that it may, under the blessing of God, be the means of bettering the condition, if not of the class, at least of individuals of the class. But it is an old and trite observation, that where there is cause for complaint, “there are commonly faults on both sides," and this I believe to be the case in the present instance.

“The arrogance of rank, and the pride of wealth," have already been noticed in the treatment of governesses; and most painful is it for a woman of principle and talent-a gentlewoman by profession, and frequently by birth, to bear slights and insults of the kind, referred to. Far be it from me to justify such conduct on the part of parents. If a young woman is a fit person to be entrusted with the care of their

children, she is also a fit person to sit at their table, or enjoy occasionally the society of their visitors.

But some cause for that cold and unfriendly distance which wounds the feelings of many a young person, who little expected the reverses which have placed her in the situation she now fills, may be found in the line of conduct, which of late years, has been too common among the lower orders of tradespeople. I refer to the custom of petty shopkeepers of bringing up their daughters as governesses. All the evil consequences of this mistaken practice would open a field too wide for the limits of my present communication. The subject is, however, of importance, and if you will permit me, I may return to it in a future letter. The only bad effect to which I will at present allow myself to refer, is that of having increased the number of superficial pretenders, and diminished the respectability of the profession.

I name this as an evil, but I would repeat, and I do maintain, that, let the origin of a young woman be what it may,-let the situation of her parents and relatives be what it may, if she is admitted into a gentleman's house as superintendent of the education of his daughters, she ought to be treated with the friendly confidence, the kind forbearance and indulgence which that situation requires.

At the same time let not any lady in the capacity of governess expect too much. Every situation in life-every station-every condition, has its peculiar trials, disadvantages, and difficulties. There is some thorn in the softest earth-built nest. This is more peculiarly the object of my letter. The end of our existence ought not to be to please ourselves; and in

M

proportion as we are conformed to the image of Him, who came down from heaven, "not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him,"-it will not be. When a young woman enters upon a new situation, let her not "seek her own, but the things which are Jesus Christ's." Instead of thinking of her own interests and comforts, let her first desire be to promote the glory of God by studying the welfare of those committed to her care. No Christian lives to himself, or dies to himself; and the more we go out of ourselves-the less we think of our own comfort and happiness, the greater measure of real, solid happiness, do we attain. This may seem paradoxical, but it has been proved to be true, and that too, not merely by reasoning, but by the experience of thousands.

The part of governesses has been ably pleaded; the situation of those who engage governesses ought also to be taken into consideration. A governess ought not, I think, ever to stipulate for unlimited access to the evening circle; and she ought, as well for her own comfort, as for the comfort of those with whom she resides, to use the privilege of joining the society of the parents with discretion. There are many cases in which we do not wish for the presence of our dearest friends. In the great majority of instances in the case of almost all professional men, the evening is, commonly speaking, the only time that the parents can employ in free intercourse with each other, and it is very hard that they should then be fettered by the presence of a third person. Voltaire has said the great secret of writing well consists in knowing when to leave off; and among the varied accomplishments required in a governess, few are of

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