ces; I had companions
of my own age; no books were allowed me but what were rational or
sprightly; that gave me mirth, or gave me instruction. I soon learned
to laugh at witch stories; and when I returned after three or four
months absence to our own house, my good aunt appeared to me in the
same light in which I had viewed her from my infancy, before that
foolish fancy possessed me, or rather, I should say, more kind, more
fond, more loving than before. It is impossible to say how much good
that lady, the kind relation of my mother's that I spoke of, did to me
by changing the scene. Quite a new turn of ideas was given to me. I
became sociable and companionable: my parents soon discovered a change
in me, and I have found a similar alteration in them. They have been
plainly more fond of me since that change, as from that time I learned
to conform myself more to their way of living. I have never since had
that aversion to company, and going out with them, which used to make
them regard me with less fondness than they would have wished to shew.
I impute almost all that I had to complain of in their neglect, to my
having been a little unsociable, uncompanionable mortal. I lived in
this manner for a year or two, passing my time between our house, and
the lady's who so kindly took me in hand, till by her advice, I was
sent to this school; where I have told to you, ladies, what, for fear
of ridicule, I never ventured to tell any person besides, the story of
my foolish and naughty fancy.

VIII

CHARLOTTE WILMOT

(_By Mary Lamb_)

Until I was eleven years of age, my life was one continued series of
indulgence and delight. My father was a merchant, and supposed to be
in very opulent circumstances, at least I thought so, for at a very
early age I perceived that we lived in a more expensive way than any
of my father's friends did. It was not the pride of birth, of which,
miss Withers, you once imagined you might justly boast, but the mere
display of wealth that I was early taught to set an undue value on.
My parents spared no cost for masters to instruct me; I had a French
governess, and also a woman servant whose sole business it was to
attend on me. My play-room was crowded with toys, and my dress was
the admiration of all my youthful visitors, to whom I gave balls and
entertainments as often as I pleased. I looked down on all my young
companions as my inferiors; but I chiefly assumed airs of superiority
over Maria