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cover; yet the hint was not taken, but, on the contrary, her narrow escape was considered as being almost miraculous.

I had one only brother, nearly two years older than myself, who had the small-pox about the same time; but so much more favourably, that his good looks were not impaired, and being like my mother in features and complexion, a comparison was often drawn between the brother and sister, by the servants and others, in which he was the object of their admiration, and his sister, of their pity and compassion. "Ah, miss, you

should have been the boy, and your pretty brother the girl," was the common exclamation. Happily, however, the change had taken place at so early a period, that it seemed to me as a thing of course, and no feelings of jealousy or envy were excited; I should have been disappointed, if I had not heard him admired, but knowing that I had not the least pretension to beauty, I felt no mortification, and my ambition was turned into quite another channel.

In the village of Long Preston, or in the neighbouring hamlets, there were not any persons with whom my mother could associate as companions, except one widow lady, whose husband had been in the army, but died at Carthagena of the dysentery, a disease at that time not less destructive than the sword, leaving her with one son and one daughter. They had come to reside at Long Preston some years before, on account of the cheapness of the country; their two children were born there, and my father had shown

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them all the kindness and attention in his power, and that their situation required. Captain Maurice was the younger son of a very respectable family in Wales, but had little or nothing, except his commission, for the support of himself and family and when he was called upon to join his regiment, which was ordered to attack the Spanish American settlements, he besought my father to take his wife and children under his protection, during his absence. The letter, which brought the fatal news of his death from a brother officer, was directed to my father, on whom devolved the painful task of communicating to his widow the mournful tidings. She received the account in perfect silence; and when the children burst out into loud lamentations, she calmly said, "Peace, children, this was the will of God, it must be ours to exert ourselves and do our duty!" She was in every respect an extraordinary woman, had great dignity of manner, had attained complete self-government,and possessed great magnanimity. Her conversation was polished, but her temper so exceedingly close and reserved, that even her own children never knew any particulars of her history, previous to her marriage with their father.

After some time, my father obtained for her the pension of a captain's widow, amounting at that time to about twenty-six pounds per annum. This was her whole means of subsistence, and out of it, three persons were to be maintained; and her son, then about six years of age, to be educated. Thus circumstanced, she deter

mined to teach a little school, and although she was obliged to employ herself in the most menial occupations, yet was there a certain dignity in her manner, the result doubtless of early habit, and a superior mind; which being combined with the power of giving friendly and judicious advice, in difficult and perplexing emergencies, always secured her attention and respect; which was the more extraordinary, if we take into account the character of the persons among whom she lived, whose estimate of the merit of others, was generally in exact proportion to their supposed riches.

In the township of Long Preston, the greater part of the inhabitants who did not earn their living by daily labour, or by some little trade, were, as we have already observed, the small proprietors of land, possessing property from generation to generation, to the amount perhaps, of from ten to one hundred pounds per annum. These are denominated Statesmen, and are divided into two classes, great and little statesmen; the former of whom consider themselves as among the first personages in the world. The usual etiquette on calling upon the lady of a great Statesman is as follows. After inviting her guests to come in "and make free," she dusts the chairs with the corner of her apron, desiring them to be seated; she next takes a brush to sweep the floor, apologizing all the time that it was not done before their arrival. She then adjusts her own apparel, and not unfrequently goes through the whole ceremony of an entire

change of upper garments, standing by her company with great unconcern, and relating the history of her family-when Thomas was bornwhere George goes to school-how fast he takes his learning, &c. &c. Her dress being finished, she offers each of her visitors a glass of brandy, assuring them that them that "they are as welcome as if they were at home;" and this being done, she fetches a chair, and seats herself by them. I do not recollect a single instance in which any part of this ceremony was omitted, even so late as the year 1787.

Many of these Statesmen sent their daughters to Mrs. Maurice, to be instructed in reading and needle-work; and although in many respects they duly appreciated their own superiority, yet was she uniformly complimented by them, in common with my mother and the squire's lady, with the title of Madam, in token of profound respect.

CHAPTER 2.

The Author's father obtains the living of Catterick....Removes thither....Ideas of beauty, neatness, and order felt....Mrs. Maurice an inmate of the family....The Author's first instructress....The parish in a wretched state ..Regulations and improvements introduced.

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My father and mother were themselves very happy and contented in this secluded situation, but so were not my mother's relations; and Sir Rowland Winn, her father's nephew, being much connected with Sir Robert Walpole, who

was at that time prime-minister, obtained for my father the living of Catterick, in the gift of the crown. The late incumbent, a brother of Lord Wandsford's, had suffered the house to go to ruin. It stood upon an eminence near the church, in the middle of the village, surrounded by broken tottering walls, overgrown with weeds, and mouldering into decay. Although I was but four years old when the family removed thither, in the summer of 1748, yet do I distinctly remember the very painful impression which this scene of desolation made upon my mind; and I am perfectly convinced that children are capable of being impressed in this way; and, on the contrary, of receiving great pleasure from neatness, order, and the beauties of nature, much earlier than is usually imagined, and long before the period of their being able to analyse their sensations, or to explain their causes. Often did I lament, without exactly knowing why, the charming fields of Long Preston, into which the vicarage garden opened; where I had been accustomed to gather in little baskets, the daisies and cowslips; had thoughtlessly pursued the painted butterfly, or heard at a distance the plaintive note of the cuckoo! even the croaking of the bittern in a neighbouring pool, was listened to with pleasure; and at this distant day, I cannot hear mentioned the names of various objects in its vicinity, of this river or that mountain, which then first struck the ear, or regaled the eye with wonder and delight, although the distinct idea of them, if it ever were obtained,

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