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The Governess.

when he paid me the little I had earned in his family, bidding me go my ways-" A more quiet and good-natured girl," added he, "never came into a houfe."--The little Charlotte hung round my neck, and told me that she should never have such a governets again.

When I arrived at Mrs. Mafters's, and related what had passed, she commended me for what I had done, adding, that luckily another fituation offered itself, which might poffibly make me amends for that I had left. In the family which I have in view for you," continued fhe, "there are no men, fervants excepted. An elderly lady wants a young perfon to inftruct her two nieces in all forts of work, French, &c. But as there are always fome difficulties upon thefe occafions, Mrs. Monfon will not take any body to be governess to her nieces, who cannot be well recommended from the family with whom he lived laft. Now, after what you have faid, Lizzy," added fhe, "I am afraid we shall not eafily get Mrs. Grantham to give you a good word."

I told her I was indeed apprehenfive that he would not fay much in my praife-" Therefore," continued I," if Mrs. Monfon will not accept of my fervices, I will go to my aunt; perhaps I may hear of fome other place."

"Let us try Mrs. Monson first, however: fhe is a woman of character, and is only from age, and a love of retirement, rendered incapable of making any thing of a couple of tall, aukward country girls, whofe father died lately, and left them to her care. Come, come," added fhe, "let us fee what he will fay to us."

We went immediately. The lady in question received us with much politenefa, faying, that if my behaviour anfwered my appearance, I was the very perfon the wanted; adding, that as her nieces had been left too much to their own managements, she was afraid they would want a good deal of looking after, grown girls being generally more obftinate, refractory, and ?

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are managed with more difficulty than

children.

She then ordered the Mifs Morleys to be called. In confequence of this meffage, two large, clumfy, bashful girls entered the room, looking as if they had been more used to handle the hay-fork than the needle. Mr. Monfon then told me, by way of confolation, that she should not require more from me than fhe thought was practicable, as he did not expect her nieces made fine ladies, but good girls. They ftared and coloured as if they did not understand what she said.

She then asked me my terms, which Mrs. Mafters had fettled at my first fetting out: they were rather moderate than high; as he thought fuch a fettlement of them would be most likely to fecure me conftant employment: and I was quite of her opinion. Mrs. Monfon made no objection to them, faying, that the girls had fortunes fufficient for a decent education; adding, however, that as he was willing to make me a reasonable allowance for my trouble, fhe could not but expect fome proofs of my capacity, and fhould therefore be glad to have the fentiments of the family whom I ferved laft in the character of a governess.

In anfwer to this, Mrs. Mafters faid that the miftrefs of that family had acted a very unfriendly part with regard to me, and that there could be, of course, no dependence on what she might fay.-"But if you will take my word, Madam," continued fhe, "who have known her from her infancy, I can give you, I believe, intire fatisfaction with refpect to her conduct and qualifications."

"That will not do," faid Mrs. Monfon; "I muft talk with the lady herfelf."

Upon this I took my leave, giving up the affair; but Mrs. Mafters, being of a much more fanguine difpofition, infifted upon my defiring Mrs. Gran tham to give me a character. I complied, to oblige her, and waited upon that lady, to requeft the favour of her recommendation to Mrs. Monfon,

"Why,

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retrenchment.

To Mrs. GREY. "MADAM,

"May I prefume to folicit your advice on the following cafe?

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thofe imperfections, by which he is fo
notoriously diftinguifhed. It is im-
poffible, I affure you, dear Madam, to
exprefs the poignant grief, the painful
emotions which pierce my heart, when
I reflect on the connection, the unhap-
py union between my brother and-
fuch a creature. According to out-
ward circumftances, and what he has
been pleased to discover to us of this
affair, it feems too apparent that a
marriage is at hand, and we fear that
all our folicitations and importunities
to prevent it will be infufficient and
ineffectual. How happy fhould we be
if we could prevail on him to difen-
gage his affections !-How joyful, if
we could find a way to hinder this ca-
taftrophe, in which he will foon be in-
volved!--a catastrophe, which will
not only overwhelm his friends with
the deepcit forrow, and cost them a
flood of tears, but in all probability he
himself will, by fo imprudent an ac-
tion, be foon reduced from an affluent
ftate, to a very mean and subject condi-

tion, as his fortune will, in all likeli-
hood, from his too great reliance, or
doating fondness, be partly, if not
wholly, in the power, and at the dif-
pofal of his new companion, who, I
affure you, Madam, bids fair to be a
very bad economist. Had she been of
a fober and virtuous difpofition, the
meannefs of her circumftances would
not have prevented us from complying
with his choice; we would readily
have given our approbation, as there
would have been then fome profpect
of future happiness and conjugal af-
fection, which fhould always accom-
pany the facred and important folem-

My brother, who has an income of 500l. a year, has unfortunately degraded himself, by placing the whole of his affections on one of the fair sex, who is not only in very mean circumftances, but also of a moft infamous and abandoned character. His friends have oft-times interrogated him on the occafion, and with tears endeavourednization of matrimony. The marriageto convince of his folly; but he is e- ftate muft needs be miferable, if there ver deaf to their counfel and admoni- is not an union of fouls, a mutual and tions, and obftinately perfifts in his reciprocal regard: and fuch a regard prepofterous conduct. Though he is cannot, I think, be expected, when himself no ftranger to her diffolute the minds and tempers of the two fexcharacter, and base difpofition, (whiches are adverse to each other.--I am indeed it would be difficult to paint in colours fo glaring as it deferves) yet, notwithstanding, he is fo exceffively enamoured of her exterior part, that his ardent paffion entirely eclipfes her folly, and renders him blind to all

fure this is the cafe with respect to the couple now under confideration. O that my brother could fee the deluding, the treacherous heart of the bafe woman with whom he is fo infatuated! That he could once discover the hy

The Matron. No. LXIX.

199

has entirely captivated his heart, and is foothing him only to bring him to ruin-ruin irretrievable.--Oh! that he were fenfible of his danger! that he could withftand thofe fallacious allurements! Such a change, fuch a reformation would not only fecure his own welfare and reputation, but, at the fame time, give unfpeakable joy and felicity to his friends, who have his well doing fincerely at heart.

"Now, Madam, I have, without
referve, opened the affair to you, and
hope you (whofe experience in thefe
matters has been fo extenfive) will
condefcend to inform us which is the
best and most eligible way of proceed-
ing in this dilemma. By fo doing, you
will probably oblige many of your
readers in the fame fituation; you will
certainly lay the friends of this unfor-
tunate youth under unfpeakable obliga-.-
tions.
I am, Madam,

Your obedient servant,
AMELIA."

pocrify which lurks under the fair cloak of fanctity!-Baleful thought! To give his hand to a proftitute, who. is of the most abandoned turn, and with the most vitiated principles, is a thing fo fhocking in itself, fo fcandalous to one of his rank, that we cannot think of giving our confent to it, ror can his friends by any means comply with his request. Unhappy youth! how I pity his fituation !-I know his paffion is violently strong for this infa mous creature; but I hope that tho' it is inordinate, it is not unfurmountable. When we reprove or reprehend him, he feemas fenâble of his folly, and is fo affected, that tears exprefs his grief, and fhew the ftruggles of his foul. It is incumbent upon every individual to reprove his friends when they are confcious of their misconduct, and to endeavour to fet them right, and we ought to have the welfare of our friends, as well as our own, at heart. A word of advice is fometimes neceffary, and when it is administered with candour and judgment, it fome\times opens the eyes of a perfon, and brings on a reformation. However, if it proves ineffectual, and if those whom we advife will not hearken to our admonitions; if they will not receive good counsel, but reject it, and defpife our good intentions, they only are culpable, and we may reft satisfied that we have difcharged our duty towards them. Nothing, I am fure, which we can fuggeft any way likely to reform my brother's conduct has been neg-degree friendly to endeavour to make lected. Every expedient that art can devife, that we thought in any shape neceffary to diffolve the unfortunate connection abovementioned has been inceffantly tried; but inftead of abating his imprudent paffion, we find, to our great mortification, that we only add fuel to the fire; only increase it and we fear, Madam, that his affections are unalterably fixed. What pity that fuch ardent love fhould be placed upon an object fo undeferving of it? My bro-melia's brother, I know but one way ther is blind to his own intereft, to his ⚫wn good, and will, I fear, launch into a scene of life that will utterly undo him. The fyren's enchanting voice

The above-mentioned cafe is one of the most delicate, perhaps, in the whole line of domeftic, conduct. I agree entirely with Amelia, that it must make a family very unhappy to fee a near and dear relation upon the brink of ruining himself by marrying a woman unworthy of him in every respect; a woman with whom he muft, neceffarily, render his own life miferable in a very fhort time. It is in the higheft

fuch a man fenfible of the rifque he runs by entering into fo dangerous an alliance, but when once an artful fe-. male has gained a confiderable afcendancy over a man, it is hardly possible to make him behold her in her true colours; and, perhaps, if he could be exhibited to him, in the right point of view, he would not have fufficient ftrength of mind to break off his connection with her. With regard to A

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to fave him from the apprehended deftruction, as he feems not totally in-. fenfible of the errors of his fair fe- 4 ducer. By throwing another..wohn

in his way, his friends may, by chance, from me for fo many months diftractid turn the tide of his affections, and ed him. I laughed at this speech, give them another course. Men who and told him that when he had been are fubfceptible of tender impreffions, in London a few weeks, he would fee are foon caught by female allurements; fo many objects fo much more worthy and the paffion for variety is fo predo- his attention than I was, that in a minant, that even this brother of A-fhort time he would think of me with melia, though apparently devoted to as much indifference as he did of many ruin, may be drawn from the gulph in- other ladies.- "Never," said he, to which he is going to precipitate himself, if the counter-attractions be fufficiently powerful.

The following letter came to my hands with the preceding one, and many of my female readers will, no doubt, feel themselves interested in the perufal of it.

To Mrs. GREY. "My dear Mrs. Grey, "I had the misfortune, when I was very young, to lose my father and mother, and was placed under the care of an aunt. I am very fenfible of the great obligations I am under to her for the care fhe took of my education: I have now lived with her two years, during which space of time, till lat night, we never differed in opinion: the occation of our now doing fo is as follows.

66

can I love any but yourself: give me but hope, and I fwear never to marry any other.”—“ Hold, (faid 1) make no rafh vowa: you very well know that your parents would never confent to our union. What a return would it be for the numberlefs favours I have received from them, if I was, without fortune, to marry their fon! Believe me, a few months will alter your fentiments.". -The dance was juft beginning, and I flew to my place to prevent his anfwering me. The coach foon afterwards came, and conveyed us home.--" I proteft, (cried my aunt, whilst we were at fupper) I believe you have made a conquest of our young neighbour: I think if you can catch him you will do well: but the old man muit not know of it.""And do you think, Madam, (faid I) that if Mr. Thornton did love me, that I would be fo ungrateful as to marry him without the confent of his father?

"About a mile and a half from us there lives a family of the name of Thornton, who have, from my child-Would that be a proper return to hood, always treated me with great kindness this family confits of a gentleman and his two children, a fon and a daughter: being much of the fame age, we have fpent most part of our time together. I have been particularly noticed by Mr. Henry Thornton, and till last night I always thought that notice proceeded from friendthip only. I will confefs that of all the men 1 ever faw, I admired him moft. Yefterday this family dined with us, and went with us to a monthly ball, which we have, during fpring, at a town a few miles diftant from the village where we live. Mr. Thornton was my part-wifhed for, and fhall be followed by ner. In the course of the evening he told me that his father had determined to fend him to the Temple; that he had no objection to studying the law, but that the idea of being parted

make them for the friendship they have
Always treated me with ?"-"Yes,
furely, Mifs, (replied my aunt) and I.
infit, if ever he does offer to marry
you, that you will encourage him."
"Never, while I live, will I, without
the approbation of his friends," an-
fwered I. My aunt looked difpleafed.
I then lighted my candle, and went to
bed, where I confulted my pillow, to
know what method 1 fhould pursue."
In this fituation, I am acquainted with
nobody fo proper to apply to as your-
felf.- Your advice, my dear Mrs.
Grey, is, therefore, most fincerely

Your great admirer,

ELIZA."

On

Matilda; or, the Female Reclufe,

On this letter Eliza may expect the MATRON'S obfervations in her next number.

(To be continued.)

MATILD

O R,

M. G.

A;

The FEMALE RECLUS E.
An ANECDOTE.

R

201

time here, he was removed to fuperintend her father's house.

Though Matilda was not what may ftrictly be called, handfome, yet the was poffeffed of that which rendered her generally admired. She was fenfible and agreeable; totally devoid of affectation and conceit. Her easy good-breeding made her fit for any company; her many good qualities enfured her the applaufe of all. She vifited, in moderation, the different amufements in vogue; but he did not vifit them often enough to make herfelf cheap to the public eye. As merit often fteals from the notice of the world, fo Matilda, when he found herself more and more admired, retired from the general éclat ; not that the was indifferent to praife, but the knew the fatal mistake which many a young, innocent girl has made, in lif

EMOTE from the bufy world, in the windings of a pleafant wood, adorned with rocks of a ftupendous height, and watered by a pure tream, which, iffuing from the top of a romantic cliff, runs bubbling down its fide, and forms a beautiful natural cafcade, is placed a pretty cottage, which wears the appearance of fimpli-tening to flatte y under its appearance. city, though, at the fame time, a certain elegance difcovers itself, which plainly befpeaks the owner to poffefs a refinement in tafte above the common level.

In this delightful retreat, far from the follies of a gay world, dwells the youthful Matilda. She was born in the great metropolis, the only darling child of a fond father, who, having the miffortune of lofing an affectionate wife, refted all his hopes of prefent happinefs on the infant daughter fhe had left him.

She, therefore, prudently preferred the affectionate fmile that brightened the countenance of a parent, and a few partial friends, to the empty applaufe of the multitude. She obtained this fatisfaction, and thought herfelf happy. But it was not long before fhe was deprived of this heart-felt felicity by the unrelenting hand of death. The father of Matilda was fummoned to pay his fhare in the univerfal debt. With an unaffected forrow the dutiful daughter mourned over the laft remains of an affectionate parent: but after the firft effufions of grief were over, reafon refumed her empire. She confidered, indeed, with regret, that the was left a wanderer, young and inexperienced, on the witle world, deprived of that friend, who fhould have guided her unguarded steps.

With unwearied care he endeavoured to form her mind, even in the tendereft infancy, to virtue. He taught her to believe in, and depend on an infinitely wife and kind providence. He inftructed her, by his precepts, to practice love and charity to all mankind: he did more, he fet her the ex- The orphan wept, but the Chriftian ample. He implanted in her breaft triumphed. Her principles would not the rudiments of ufeful knowledge; permit her to be caft down her fornor were the fashionable accomplish-titude did not forfake her in the hour ments forgotten at a proper age fhe of trial, for "the forrowed not as was fent to a boarding-fchool, not thofe who have no hope." As fhe many miles diftant from the town, poffeffed a great fenfibility of heart, where religion and morality are as the certainly felt much: but her feelArongly recommended to the atten- ings were to herfelf. In the company tion of the fcholars, as politenefs and of her friends the appeared calm, colelegance. After the had fpent fome lected, and compofed. VOL. X.

D d

She

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