dering me to fetch her something; and on my refusal, she said I must
obey her, for I was now her servant. Far differently from what my
dreams had pictured, did Maria address me! She said, in the gentlest
tone imaginable, "My dear miss Wilmot, my mother begs you will come
down to breakfast. Will you give me leave to dress you?" My proud
heart would not suffer me to speak, and I began to attempt to put on
my clothes; but never having been used to do any thing for myself, I
was unable to perform it, and was obliged to accept of the assistance
of Maria. She dressed me, washed my face, and combed my hair; and as
she did these services for me, she said in the most respectful manner,
"Is this the way you like to wear this, miss Wilmot?" or, "Is this
the way you like this done?" and curtsied, as she gave me every fresh
article to put on. The slights I expected to receive from Maria, would
not have distressed me more, than the delicacy of her behaviour did. I
hung down my head with shame and anguish.

In a few days Mrs. Hartley ordered her daughter to instruct me in such
useful works and employments as Maria knew. Of every thing which she
called useful I was most ignorant. My accomplishments I found were
held in small estimation here, by all indeed except Maria. She taught
me nothing without the kindest apologies for being obliged to teach
me, who, she said, was so excellent in all elegant arts, and was for
ever thanking me for the pleasure she had formerly received, from
my skill in music and pretty fancy works. The distress I was in,
made these complimentary speeches not flatteries, but sweet drops
of comfort to my degraded heart, almost broken with misfortune and
remorse.

I remained at Mr. Hartley's but two months, for at the end of that
time my father inherited a considerable property by the death of a
distant relation, which has enabled him to settle his affairs. He
established himself again as a merchant; but as he wished to retrench
his expences, and begin the world again on a plan of strict economy,
he sent me to this school to finish my education.

IX

SUSAN YATES

(_By Charles Lamb_)

I was born and brought up, in a house in which my parents had all
their lives resided, which stood in the midst of that lonely tract of
land called the Lincolnshire fens. Few families besides our own lived
near the spot, both because it was reckoned an unwholesome air, and
because its distance from any town or market made