old you Mr. Speedgo was very rich and
very proud, nor would he on any account suffer anyone to visit at his
house whom he thought below him, as he called it; or at least, if he
did, he always took care to behave to them in such a manner, as plainly
to let them know he thought he showed a mighty favour in conversing with
them.

'Among the rest of the servants there was one Molly Mount, as good a
hearted girl, my father says, as ever lived: she had never received much
education, because her parents could not afford to give her any, and
she learned to read after she was at Mr. Speedgo's from one of the
housemaids, who was kind enough to teach her a little; but you may
suppose, from such sort of teaching, she was no very good scholar.
However, she read well enough to be able to make out some chapters in
the Bible; and an excellent use she made of them, carefully fulfilling
every duty she there found recommended as necessary for a Christian
to practice. She used often to say she was perfectly contented in her
station, and only wished for more money that she might have it in
her power to do more good. And sometimes, when she was dressing and
attending the young ladies of the family, she would advise them to
behave prettier than they did; telling them, "That by kindness and
civility they would be so far from losing respect, that, on the
contrary, they would much gain it. For we cannot (she would very truly
say) have any respect for those people who seem to forget their human
nature, and behave as if they thought themselves superior to the rest of
their fellow-creatures. Young ladies and gentlemen have no occasion
to make themselves very intimate or familiar with their servants; but
everybody ought to speak civilly and good-humouredly, let it be to whom
it may: and if I was a lady I should make it a point never to look cross
or speak gruffly to the poor, for fear they should think I forgot I was
of the same human nature as they were." By these kind of hints, which
every now and then she would give to the misses, they were prodigiously
offended, and complained of her insolence, as they called it, to their
mamma, who very wrongly, instead of teaching them to behave better,
joined with them in blaming Molly for her freedom, and, to show her
displeasure at her conduct, put on a still haughtier air, whenever she
spoke to her, than she did to any other of the servants. Molly, however,
continued to behave extremely well, and often ver