d so long out of the great world.

I rose the next morning very early, desirous to make the day, which I
purposed for the last of my abode in this mansion, as long as I could. I
went directly into the garden, which, by what I saw from the house, was
extremely pretty. As I passed by the windows of the saloon, I perceived
the ladies and their little pupils were earlier risers than myself, for
they were all at their various employments. I first went into the gayest
flower garden I ever beheld. The rainbow exhibits not half the variety
of tints, and they are so artfully mingled, and ranged to make such a
harmony of colours, as taught me how much the most beautiful objects may
be improved by a judicious disposition of them. Beyond these beds of
flowers rises a shrubbery, where every thing sweet and pleasing is
collected. As these ladies have no taste but what is directed by good
sense, nothing found a place here from being only uncommon, for they
think few things are very rare but because they are little desirable;
and indeed it is plain they are free from that littleness of mind, which
makes people value a thing the more for its being possessed by no one
but themselves. Behind the shrubbery is a little wood, which affords a
gloom, rendered more agreeable by its contrast with the dazzling beauty
of that part of the garden that leads to it. In the high pale which
encloses this wood I observed a little door, curiosity induced me to
pass through it; I found it opened on a row of the neatest cottages I
ever saw, which the wood had concealed from my view. They were new and
uniform, and therefore I imagined all dedicated to the same purpose.
Seeing a very old woman spinning at one of the doors, I accosted her, by
admiring the neatness of her habitation.

'Ay, indeed,' said she, 'it is a most comfortable place, God bless the
good ladies! I and my neighbours are as happy as princesses, we have
every thing we want and wish, and who can say more?' 'Very few so much,'
answered I, 'but pray what share have the ladies in procuring the
happiness you seem so sensible of?' 'Why Sir,' continued the old woman,
'it is all owing to them. I was almost starved when they put me into
this house, and no shame of mine, for so were my neighbours too; perhaps
we were not so painstaking as we might have been; but that was not our
fault, you know, as we had not things to work with, nor any body to set
us to work, poor folks cannot know every thing as the