. We have exhorted parents not to exhaust
imprudently the sensibility of their children; not to lavish caresses
upon their infancy, and cruelly to withdraw their kindness when their
children have learned to expect the daily stimulus of affection. The
idea of exercising sensibility we have endeavoured to explain, and to
show, that if we require premature gratitude and generosity from young
people, we shall only teach them affectation and hypocrisy. We have
slightly touched on the dangers of excessive female sensibility, and
have suggested, that useful, active employments, and the cultivation
of the reasoning faculty, render sympathy and sensibility more
respectable, and not less graceful.

In treating of vanity, pride, and ambition, we have been more
indulgent to vanity than our _proud_ readers will approve. We hope,
however, not to be misunderstood; we hope that we shall not appear to
be admirers of that mean and ridiculous foible, which is anxiously
concealed by all who have any desire to obtain esteem. We cannot,
however, avoid thinking it is a contradiction to inspire young people
with a wish to excel, and at the same time to insist upon their
repressing all expressions of satisfaction if they succeed. The desire
to obtain the good opinion of others, is a strong motive to exertion:
this desire cannot be discriminative in children before they have any
knowledge of the comparative value of different qualities, and before
they can estimate the consequent value of the applause of different
individuals. We have endeavoured to show how, from appealing at first
to the opinions of others, children may be led to form judgments of
their own actions, and to appeal to their own minds for approbation.
The sense of duty and independent self-complacency may gradually be
substituted in the place of weak, ignorant vanity. There is not much
danger that young people, whose understandings are improved, and who
mix gradually with society, should not be able to repress those
offensive expressions of vanity or pride, which are disagreeable to
the feelings of the "impartial spectators." We should rather let the
vanity of children find its own level, than attempt any artificial
adjustments; they will learn propriety of manners from observation and
experience; we should have patience with their early uncivilized
presumption, lest we, by premature restraints, check the energy of the
mind, and induce the cold, feeble vice of hypocrisy. In their