e
preferred the reading of romances, which being filled with the particular
feelings and interests of men, represented situations similar to his own.
No book gave him so much pleasure as Telemachus, from the pictures which it
draws of pastoral life, and of those passions which are natural to the
human heart. He read aloud to his mother and Madame de la Tour those parts
which affected him most sensibly, when, sometimes, touched by the most
tender remembrances, his emotion choked his utterance, and his eyes were
bathed in tears. He fancied he had found in Virginia the wisdom of Antiope,
with the misfortunes and the tenderness of Eurcharis. With very different
sensations he perused our fashionable novels, filled with licentious maxims
and manners. And when he was informed that those romances drew a just
picture of European society, he trembled, not without reason, lest Virginia
should become corrupted, and should forget him.

"More than a year and a half had indeed passed away before Madame de la
Tour received any tidings of her daughter. During that period she had only
accidentally heard that Virginia had arrived safely in France. At length a
vessel, which stopped in its way to the Indies, conveyed to Madame de la
Tour a packet, and a letter written with her own hand. Although this
amiable young woman had written in a guarded manner, in order to avoid
wounding the feelings of a mother, it was easy to discern that she was
unhappy. Her letter paints so naturally her situation and her character,
that I have retained it almost word for word.

"'My dear and beloved mother, I have already sent you several letters,
written with my own hand but having received no answer, I fear they have
not reached you. I have better hopes for this, from the means I have now
taken of sending you tidings of myself, and of hearing from you. I have
shed many tears since our separation; I, who never used to weep, but for
the misfortunes of others! My aunt was much astonished, when, having, upon
my arrival, inquired what accomplishments I possessed, I told her that I
could neither read nor write. She asked me what then I had learnt since I
came into the world; and, when I answered that I had been taught to take
care of the household affairs, and obey your will, she told me that I had
received the education of a servant. The next day she placed me as a
boarder in a great abbey near Paris, where I have masters of all kinds, who
teach me, among other th