some than friendly; wherefore I avoid it when much company is expected, or when I am certain that family affairs will not admit of sufficient leisure to receive them; the former on my own account, the latter on my friends'; for much company assembled together, serves more to confuse our ideas, than enliven them. Wherefore, when I am so unfortunate as to ill-time a visit, I withdraw as soon as civility and ceremony will permit me; for in my weak opinion, Madam, long conversations grow dull, as few of our sex are furnished with a sufficient fund of materials för long discourses, unless it be to comment upon the frailties of the absent, and turn their misfortunes into a subject of our most cruel diversion.

This, Madam, is a vice you have often cautioned me against, and I shall be particularly careful to avoid it; being both an unchristian and disingenuous principle, to feast our selves at another's expense.

This is all I have to offer at present; and am, with great humility, most honoured Madam,

Your most dutiful daughter.

LETTER XXVIII.

From a Young Lady to her Mother, requesting a favour. Dear Madam,

THE many instances you have given me of your affection, leave me no room to believe that the favour I presume to ask will be displeasing. Was I in the least doubtful of it, I hope my dear mamma has too good an opinion of my conduct, to imagine I would ever advance any thing that might give her the least dissatisfaction.

The holidays are now at hand, when all of us young ladies are to pay our several personal respects and duties to our parents, except one; whose friends (her parents being dead) reside at too great a distance for her to expect their indulgence in sending for her; besides, were they to do so, the expense attending her journey would be placed to her account, and deducted out of a small fortune left her by her parents.

This young lady's affability, sense, and good nature, have gained her the friendship and esteem of the whole school; each of us contending to render her retirement (as I may justly call it) from her native home and friends, as comforta ble and agreeable as we possibly can.

How happy should I think myself above the rest of our young ladies, if you will give me leave to engage her to spend the holidays with me at home! And I doubt not but her address and behaviour will attract your esteem, among the rest of those she has already acquired.

Your compliance with this request, will greatly add to the happiness I already enjoy from the repeated indulgencies and favours conferred on her, who will always persevere to merit the continuance of them. I am, with my duty to

рара,

Dear Mamma,

Your most dutiful daughter.

LETTER XXIX.

A Letter from a Lady to a Maid-Servant, who had left her. In which is contained a useful lesson for all persons in that state of life.

Dear Sally,

that

I HAD your letter very safe, and though I have failed to answer it before, yet my daily prayers and best wishes have constantly attended you. I trust you have the good fortune to please where you are, as I hear nothing to the contrary: I go by the old saying, No news is good news. If you are so happy as to be in favour with the family that you have the honour to serve, I make no question of your continuing in it, by a constant endeavour to deserve it. I told you above, and I told you truth, that I daily remember you in my prayers; and at the same time I will not suppose you forget to remember yourself. I fancy you lie with the other maid, and know not that you have a closet or retiring. place to yourself; but whether you have or not, I entreat you to let no pretence whatever prevail on you to omit the indispensable duty of prayer to God. I hope your fellow. servant thinks as she ought on this occasion; but if she be so unhappy as not to do it, endeavour to gain her over by. your example, but beware of being perverted by hers: To wake in a morning, and, without addressing the throne of grace, to commit ourselves to the hazards of the day, is such a degree of impiety and fool-hardiness, as shocks one but to think on; and surely it is equally the blackest ingratitude to close our eyes at night, without returning our unfeigned thanks for the dangers we have escaped; those eyes for aught

we know, may never be again unclosed in this world--I was going to offer some advice of another kind, but I recollect, that, perform but your duty to your Creator, and all the rest is included. Be sure in whatever you are about to do, think always on what is due to the dignity of your nature. Consider, that although you are placed by Providence in the degree of a servant, yet your immortal soul is of an equal rank with that of an empress. This counsel at the first glance may appear to encourage pride; but if duly attended to, it will be far otherwise, and prove the most effectual means to extinguish it; for a proper consideration on the several degrees of men, in the order the wisdom of God has placed them with relation to this life, will teach you to condescend to your superiours without meanness, and learn you to distinguish yourself from those below you without arrogance; it will hinder adversity from approaching you; and if prosperity be your lot, (as I heartily wish it may) it will find you worthy of it; in a word, it will make you equal to good fortune, and superiour to ill. Mr. H- -joins me in the best respects to your master and lady, and Mr.

I'desire you, whenever you are inclined to write to me, that you would choose out half an hour when you can best be spared, and ask leave; this will save you the confusion of equivocating, if you are demanded what has been your employment, and prevent your turning an indifferent action into a guilty one; For be sure never to forget, your time is not your own; but is entirely due to those you serve, and that you can never justly employ any of it on your own occasions without leave. Pray, good Sally, think of that. I was concerned to find you had laid out so much money in play things for the children; however I acknowledge myself obiiged to your good nature. Observe my method, and be not above being taught by any one, any thing that is worth the trouble of learning; no matter who it is that teaches, provided the instructions are good. Adieu, dear Sally; do me the justice to believe this letter dictated from a heart full of the warmest wishes for your welfare, from one who will always regard every piece of happiness that befalls you, as an additional one to herself; for

Madam,

LETTER XXX.

Domestick Rule-The province of the Wife.

I MUST assert, that the right of directing domestick affairs is, by the law of nature, in the woman; and that we are perfectly qualified for the exercise of dominion, notwithstanding what has often been said by male-cots to the contrary. Those who pretend to direct our bringing up, seem to have destined us to that power which they would afterwards dispute. We are employed in our samplers, or diverting ourselves with our babies; we pass from our mother's nursery to our own, and from imaginary visits to real ones, without fatiguing ourselves with a variety of unnecessary acquirements, on which the men most value themselves. Indeed, which I would condemn too eager a pursuit of, we are taught singing and dancing; but what are these to the drudgeries of schools and universities! The business of a family, when thoroughly performed, takes in the whole circle of our time, and affords no room for any thing except innocent relaxations. We certainly then are more likely to understand domestick policy than the men, who have twenty other things to mind: A mere housewife, like a mere scholar, is fit for nothing else, I admit, and will make a man a very unsociable companion. But as some men of great ap plication to their respective professions, have, notwithstanding, a very polite behaviour, so a woman may make the government of her house the principal care, without suffering it to become the principal theme of her discourse; nor do think it at all necessary that to establish a character as a manager, her husband should twice or thrice a week hear her scolding the servants. This is one of the great objections to female government, and our adversaries would fain present it as a thing as necessary to us, as a standing army to the government. But both may be calumnies, and the mere effects of desire to get into other folks' places. Experience is wholly on our side; for wherever the master exceeds his proper sphere, and pretends to give law to the cook-maid as well as the coachman, we observe a great deal of discord and confusion; when a man, who is always a better judge when things are wrong, than of the method of putting them to rights, entrenches on the woman's province, it is the ready way to make the rest of the family despise them both. But when a woman of tolerable good sense is allowed to direct

ner house without control, all things go well; she prevents even her husband's wishes, the servants know their business, and the whole family live easy and happy. It is with great concern that I perceive our sex, of late, incline to mind any thing rather than their families, which inclination must have fatal consequences. Can there be any thing more honourable for a woman, than the right management of her family? And it may be observed to thein, that they must take their choice, either to manage their children and servants, or to be managed by them. If liberty is the thing they aim at, they certainly mistake the road; a woman's freedom consists in power, and not in a license to gad about, which is scandalous even in a girl, and bespeaks a giddiness of soul below compassion. The conduct of the estate or business, ought surely to be in the husband; and if he part with it, it is an act of weakness The conduct of the house belongs as justly to the wife; and no man ought to marry a woman whom he could not trust with the management of such concerns. Adieu, dear friend! encroach not on the province of your husband, but continue to be mistress in your own.

I am your affectionate friend.

LETTER XXXI.

To a Lady, who had lost her beauty in the small-pox. My dear Ophelia,

I RECEIVED yours, and rejoice too much in your recovery, to be able to condole with you on any alteration your late illness has made in you; and, indeed, how great soever it may be, am far from thinking it deserves to be mentioned with that concern you express. You have encountered death and foiled him at one of his sharpest weapons; and if you have received some scars, ought to look upon them rather as trophies of victory, than blemishes. What if your complexion has lost some part of its fair enamel, and your features are not altogether so delicate; the less charms your glass presents you with, the more you will find in your closet; and, deprived of vain pleasure in contemplating the graces of your outward form, you will have the greater leisure to improve, and embellish those which are not easily impaired.

Let us pretend what we will, it is the ambition of attracting admirers, that renders beauty of so much value to all the