had resided for a time in Scotland, and likewise in
England--previous to her visit across the channel to complete her
education in the capital of _la grande nation_. When she left the
emerald isle, "her speech," to use a phrase of Lord Bacon, "was in the
full dialect of her nation." She had afterward conversed enough with
English and Scotch, to complete the union of the three kingdoms--to all
which was added such a smattering of French as was to be acquired by a
residence--as a _femme de chambre_, as it was afterward scandalously
reported--in Paris of a year or perhaps more. She had readily picked up
a good many French words, in the course of her sojourn; but her Gallic
pronunciation was blended with all the other dialects, among which the
brogue of her own mother tongue ludicrously enough predominated.

The reader has probably heard the story of the Yankee candidate for the
mastership of one of our common schools, who, on being asked by the
inspectors whether he knew any thing of mathematics, answered that he
didn't know Matthew, although he had seen a good deal of one Tom
Mattocks, in Rhode Island; but he'd never hearn of his having any
brother. So with Mrs. Wheelwright--Mr. Syntax was equally a stranger to
her. But she had seen some coarse pieces of embroidery from the rustic
pupils of country boarding schools, and knew that they were needlework,
of some sort. She therefore set herself to teaching that elegant branch
of the fine arts. The first group attempted, was a family picture--a
mother and her six children at the tomb of their deceased husband and
father, under what was meant for a willow tree drooping over an
obelisk. But such a group! such a widow! and such weeping children!
Indeed they looked _sorry_ enough. Surely no eye e'er saw such
scare-crows; and no one could look upon them without emotion--but of
what kind, the reader, who has doubtless seen many kindred specimens in
this department of a modern education, may decide for himself. The next
piece was the Prodigal Son, taking leave of his benevolent father, in a
red dress-coat and white-top boots! The drawings were copies, and the
needlework resembling the darnings in the hose to be seen on the heels
of the ladies sitting in the country markets. Thus much for her fancy
work; and the French she taught was on a par. Such French had never
before been spoken--out of Ireland!

Such were the condition and prospects of this hopeful seminary, when
another unexpe