same exact neatness as
herself.

When we had performed this little progress we found tea ready, and spent
the afternoon with greater pleasure, for observing the high
gratification which this visit seemed to afford the mistress of the
house. In the room where we sat was a bookcase well stocked; my
curiosity was great to see what it contained, and one of the ladies to
whom I mentioned it indulged me by opening it herself and looking at
some of the books. I found they consisted of some excellent treatises of
divinity, several little things published for the use of children and
calculated to instil piety and knowledge into their infant minds, with a
collection of our best periodical papers for the amusement of lighter
hours. Most of these books, I found, were Miss Mancel's presents.

The fineness of the evening made our return very delightful, and we had
time for a little concert before supper.

The next morning I called up Lamont very early and reminded the
housekeeper of her promise of shewing us the schools; which she readily
performing, conducted us first to a very large cottage or rather five or
six cottages laid together. Here we found about fifty girls, clad in a
very neat uniform and perfectly clean, already seated at their
respective businesses. Some writing, others casting accounts, some
learning lessons by heart, several employed in various sorts of
needlework, a few spinning and others knitting, with two
schoolmistresses to inspect them. The schoolroom was very large and
perfectly clean, the forms and chairs they sat on were of wood as white
as possible; on shelves were wooden bowls and trenchers equally white,
and shining pewter and brass seemed the ornaments of one side of the
room; while pieces of the children's work of various kinds decorated the
other; little samples of their performances being thus exhibited as
encouragement to their ingenuity.

I asked many questions as to their education and learnt that they are
bred up in the strictest piety; the ladies by various schemes and many
little compositions of their own endeavour to inculcate the purest
principles in their tender minds. They all by turns exercise themselves
in the several employments which we saw going forward, that they may
have various means of gaining their subsistence in case any accident
should deprive them of the power of pursuing any particular part of
their business. The ladies watch their geniuses with great care; and
breed them