ess of speech. "If you do not
like the manner in which I reviewed Dr. J----'s S---- on his wife," she
wrote in a note to Mr. Johnson, "be it known unto you, I _will_ not do it
any other way. I felt some pleasure in paying a just tribute of respect
to the memory of a man, who, spite of all his faults, I have an affection
for." From this it appears, that to tell the truth in these matters was
not always an uncongenial duty.

She was principally occupied in translating. Following Mr. Johnson's
advice, she had while in Ireland perfected her French. She was tolerably
familiar with Italian; and she now devoted all her spare minutes, and
these could not have been many, to mastering German. Her energy was
unflagging, and her determination to succeed in the calling she had
chosen, indomitable. By studying she was laying up the only capital she
knew how to accumulate, and she feared her future loss should she not
make use of present opportunities. She wrote to Mr. Johnson, who was
materially interested in her progress,--

I really want a German grammar, as I intend to attempt to learn
that language, and I will tell you the reason why. While I live, I
am persuaded, I must exert my understanding to procure an
independence and render myself useful. To make the task easier, I
ought to store my mind with knowledge. The seed-time is passing
away. I see the necessity of laboring now, and of that necessity I
do not complain; on the contrary, I am thankful that I have more
than common incentives to pursue knowledge, and draw my pleasures
from the employments that are within my reach. You perceive this is
not a gloomy day. I feel at this moment particularly grateful to
you. Without your humane and _delicate_ assistance, how many
obstacles should I not have had to encounter! Too often should I
have been out of patience with my fellow-creatures, whom I wish to
love. Allow me to love you, my dear sir, and call friend a being I
respect. Adieu.

MARY W.

She had indeed reason to be grateful to Mr. Johnson, and she expressed
her gratitude in a more practical way than by protestations. The German
grammar was not wasted. Before long Mary undertook for practice to
translate Salzmann's "Elements of Morality," and her exercise proved so
masterly that she, with a few corrections and additions, published it.
This gave rise to a correspondence between the author and he