nded, and sometimes dismissed; so that by degrees they all began
to fear and hate her. She was equally attentive to every trifle which
happened at the school, where she was daily sent to learn the art of
reading, and the use of her needle; for the moment she came home, and
before she had well entered the parlour door, and made her courtesy,
her little tongue began to rattle like a mill clack."--"Mamma, said
she, Tommy Careless was flogged for tearing his book, Jackey Fidget
because he was a naughty boy and would not sit still, Polly
Giddybrains, for losing her needle and thread paper, and, Lord bless
me! my ma'am was so cross, that she was going to put the nasty fool's
cap on _my_ head, only for miscalling the first word in my
lesson."--"In short she was such a notorious telltale, that she was
soon dignified by her school fellows with the honourable appellation of
_Dolly Cagmag_. As she advanced in years, the habit grew upon her; and
when she was old enough to be introduced into company, and go a
visiting, she carried on the same mischievous and despicable trade
abroad, in which she had met with such encouragement at home. Whatever
she saw or heard in one place, she would be sure to report it in
another; so that all the masters and misses who had the mortification
to fall into her company, considered themselves as under the malicious
inspection of a meddlesome spy; which they had the more reason to do,
because she seldom failed to embellish her informations with the
recital of several unfavourable circumstances of her own invention."
"Indeed, Mr. Wiseman, said Betsey, my youngest daughter, what you have
told us is exactly true; for I have been in company with Miss
Chatterfast several times, and I remember once in particular that when
Master _Sprightly_, who was a merry young spark, had stolen a kiss from
Miss _Patty Sweetlips_, though the poor young lady blushed as red as
scarlet, and seemed to be greatly displeased at the freedom which had
been taken with her, Miss Chatterfast was so mischievous as to
represent her to all her acquaintance as a bold little hussey, who
loved to be kissed by the young gentlemen. When poor innocent Patty was
informed of the character which had been so unjustly fixed upon her,
she was ashamed to stir out of doors, and laid it so much to heart I
thought she would have cried her eyes out." "This was very unkind
indeed, replied the good Bramin; and yet, I sincerely believe that all
the mischief