The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Bracelets, by Maria Edgeworth

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Title: The Bracelets

Author: Maria Edgeworth

Release Date: February 17, 2004 [EBook #11121]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: The Bracelets. Edgeworth.]

[Illustration]

THE BRACELETS;

OR,
AMIABILITY AND INDUSTRY REWARDED.

BY
MARIA EDGEWORTH,

AUTHOR OF "POPULAR TALES," "MORAL TALES," ETC. ETC.

With Illustrations from Original Designs.

1850.

THE BRACELETS.

* * * * *

In a beautiful and retired part of England lived Mrs. Villars, a
lady whose accurate understanding, benevolent heart, and steady
temper, peculiarly fitted her for the most difficult, as well as most
important of all occupations--the education of youth. This task she had
undertaken; and twenty young persons were put under her care, with the
perfect confidence of their parents. No young people could be happier;
they were good and gay, emulous, but not envious of each other; for Mrs.
Villars was impartially just. Her praise they felt to be the reward of
merit, and her blame they knew to be the necessary consequence of ill
conduct; to the one, therefore, they patiently submitted, and in the
other consciously rejoiced. They rose with fresh cheerfulness in the
morning, eager to pursue their various occupations; they returned in the
evening with renewed ardour to their amusements, and retired to rest
satisfied with themselves and pleased with each other.

Nothing so much contributed to preserve a spirit of emulation in this
little society as a small honorary distinction given annually, as the
prize of successful application. The prize this year was peculiarly dear
to each individual, as it was the picture of a friend whom they all
dearly loved--it was the picture of Mrs. Villars in a small bracelet.
It wanted neither gold, pearls, nor precious stones, to give it value.

The two foremost candidates for the prize were Cecilia and Leonora.
Cecilia w