a child, as I daresay Mrs. Williams
has educated her children, probably with as much pleasure to herself
as profit to them, will indeed be impossible to the teacher who lacks
this qualification. But, I conceive, should circumstances--as in the
case of your daughters--compel a young girl notwithstanding to adopt
a governess's profession, she may contrive to _instruct_ and even to
instruct well. That is, though she cannot form the child's mind,
mould its character, influence its disposition, and guide its conduct
as she would wish, she may give lessons--even good, clear, clever
lessons in the various branches of knowledge. She may earn and
doubly earn her scanty salary as a daily governess. As a
school-teacher she may succeed; but as a resident governess she will
never (except under peculiar and exceptional circumstances) be happy.
Her deficiency will harass her not so much in school-time as in
play-hours; the moments that would be rest and recreation to the
governess who understood and could adapt herself to children, will be
almost torture to her who has not that power. Many a time, when her
charge turns unruly on her hands, when the responsibility which she
would wish to discharge faithfully and perfectly, becomes
unmanageable to her, she will wish herself a housemaid or kitchen
girl, rather than a baited, trampled, desolate, distracted governess.

'The Governesses' Institution may be an excellent thing in some
points of view, but it is both absurd and cruel to attempt to raise
still higher the standard of acquirements. Already governesses are
not half nor a quarter paid for what they teach, nor in most
instances is half or a quarter of their attainments required by their
pupils. The young teacher's chief anxiety, when she sets out in
life, always is to know a great deal; her chief fear that she should
not know enough. Brief experience will, in most instances, show her
that this anxiety has been misdirected. She will rarely be found too
ignorant for her pupils; the demand on her knowledge will not often
be larger than she can answer. But on her patience--on her
self-control, the requirement will be enormous; on her animal spirits
(and woe be to her if these fail!) the pressure will be immense.

'I have seen an ignorant nursery-maid who could scarcely read or
write, by di