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alarm was soon taken; the sick and dying were in danger of being deserted; and had not my father and mother resolved from the very first, steadily and firmly to do their duty, placing their whole confidence in the providence of God, it is difficult to conjecture where the calamity might have terminated. They visited the sick, procured them medicines, which my mother generally administered in person, and in some particular instances, they even sent their own servants to sit up through the night. It is a remarkable fact, that our family was almost the only one that wholly escaped infection; many persons died, and among those who survived, there were not a few who never afterwards entirely recovered their health. The medical men who were called in, mistook the disease at first, apprehending it to be inflammatory; not a single patient whom they bled under this idea, recovered; and it was not till many had fallen a sacrifice, that they discovered their error.

I would again remark how much depends, in forming the future character of children, on the sentiments and conduct of those who are about them. Seeing my father and mother attend the sick and dying, without apparent apprehension, I felt no fear, and instead of remaining at home, would gladly have accompanied them, had I been permitted; yet, that my natural temper was extremely timid, possessing little courage or fortitude, and liable to be long and distressingly affected, by too vivid impressions on the imagination, is sufficiently evident from the two un

fortunate instances of extreme terror, which I

have already related.

I have before mentioned that with my father I was a great favourite, but so indispensible a duty did he deem it in parents, to keep their children at a distance, that although he was never displeased with me, yet I recollect but one solitary instance of my ever obtaining from him When I any praise the occasion was this.

he

was eleven years old, he took me with him into Craven ; a little girl, my visitor there, the daughter of a great Statesman, complained to me that she had no time to play, being constantly obliged to spin worsted, when she had done her share of the household business, to supply herself with clothes. When we were coming away, her grandfather, who was also one of the greatest Statesmen of the parish, pressed me exceedingly to accept half-a-crown for pocket money; was above ninety years of age, very deaf and almost blind. I was doubtful, whether on account of his years, it would be respectful not to accept it. His daughter too, who kept his house, was very anxious to give me a shilling. I hesitated for a few moments, but at length determined to accept of both; disposing of the halfcrown that same day to the grand-daughter, my young companion, and the shilling to the maidservant. On telling my father some time after, assigning my reasons, and asking him if I had done right? his eyes sparkled with pleasure,

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yes, my dear," he replied, " you have done very "right; and, if in your progress through life, you

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always shew equal judgment, I dare promise "myself you will get through well." The delight which I received from his decided approbation, though the circumstance was in itself so trivial, made an indelible impression on my mind: “I will always endeavour," I silently resolved," to act in such a manner, that my papa, if he knew it, would say that I had done well and acted wisely." This salutary resolution was strikingly put to the test that very summer, and although it failed in part on the first trial, yet it gained such additional strength on further reflection, as to be my security for the future.

I went to make a visit to the two young people, in a neighbouring market-town, with whose aunt I had been boarded in York, the preceding year. Their mother died when they were very young, and their father, although well enough respected among his acquaintance, was extremely arbitrary in his family, and severe with his children, beating them not unfrequently, if he was out of humour, for little or no cause. Their favourite companion was the granddaughter of the clergyman of the place, who was the rector of an opulent parish. She was an orphan, and her grandmother also being dead, she presided at the head of her grandfather's table, at the early age of fourteen, which gave her considerable ascendancy; and being a lively girl, of uncommon talent and high spirit, she did what she pleased among her young companions, with whom her will was law. My young friends were seldom allowed to visit her, except by

stealth, which they often effected in the following manner. The rectory house stood close to the church-yard, and there was a back-door, which opened into the stable-yard, without any communication with the street. Prayers were read at the church every morning and evening, and my companions availing themselves of this circumstance, under the pretence of going to church, often visited their friend, going into the churchyard through the great gates by the street, and then, instead of entering the church itself, watched their opportunity, when they could do it unperceived, of running through the back-gate to the rectory, carefully returning by the same road, at the very moment when the service ended. If they happened to meet their father in the street, or if he enquired for them, in their absence, the answer was prompt and ready;— they had been at church." I was soon entrusted with the grand secret, and invited to make one of the party:-" But if your father should find out that you have deceived him, will he not correct you severely, and will he ever trust you again?"-"Oh, it does not signify, he will not now trust us, and it is just as likely, that when he is next in an ill-humour, he will beat us without a cause, as that he should do it, when we may have really deserved it." Wishing to visit their friend as much as they did, this logic of theirs silenced my scruples for the moment, and I one day went along with them; but when we were there, it forcibly struck my mind, that by being their associate, I was a par

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taker in their guilt; and the agonizing question occurred; "If my papa knew this, would he praise me now?" The answer which my heart returned, was most distressing; I watched eagerly for the moment when the service should be over, determining, that if I escaped this once undiscovered, I never would be of the party, under a false pretence any more, and I steadily kept my resolution. So important are the effects on the minds of children, on the one hand, of kind and judicious, or on the other of capricious and tyrannical treatment! On my return home, I did not reveal this circumstance even to my friend Mrs. Maurice, being partly restrained by my own share in the adventure, and partly from the desire of not exposing my companions with whose sorrows and ill usage, I sincerely sympathized.

CHAPTER 6.

The Author again at school....Her reception....False es-timates and maxims....Little fraudulent practices.... The importance of their correction....The Author's revered preceptress leaves Catterick....Difficulties encountered in learning French.

IN my thirteenth year, I was placed at a boarding school, in York, of which I shall relate a few anecdotes, both in the hope of their supplying some useful hints to parents, who send their children to such seminaries, and also to the persons themselves, to whose care the children are committed.

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