crying out--"Why, sir, Lucilla reads Latin
with papa every morning." I cast a timid eye on Miss Stanley, who, after
putting the sugar into the cream pot, and the tea into the sugar bason,
slid out of the room, beckoning Ph[oe]be to follow her.

"Poor Lucilla," said Mr. Stanley, "I feel for her. Well, sir," continued
he, "you have discovered by external, what I trust you would not have
soon found by internal evidence. Parents who are in high circumstances,
yet from principle abridge their daughters of the pleasures of the
dissipated part of the world, may be allowed to substitute other
pleasures; and if the girl has a strong inquisitive mind, they may
direct it to such pursuits as call for vigorous application, and the
exercise of the mental powers."

"How does that sweet girl manage," said Lady Belfield, "to be so
utterly void of pretension? So much softness and so much usefulness
strip her of all the terrors of learning."

"At first," replied Mr. Stanley, "I only meant to give Lucilla as much
Latin as would teach her to grammaticize her English, but her quickness
in acquiring led me on, and I think I did right; for it is superficial
knowledge that excites vanity. A learned language, which a discreet
woman will never produce in company, is less likely to make her vain
than those acquirements which, are always in exhibition. And after all,
it is a hackneyed remark, that the best instructed girl will have less
learning than a school-boy; and why should vanity operate in her case
more than in his?"

"For this single reason, sir," said I, "that every body knows that which
very few girls are taught. Suspect me not, however, of censuring a
measure which I admire. I hope the example of your daughters will help
to raise the tone of female education."

"Softly, softly," interrupted Mr. Stanley, "retrench your plural number.
It is only one girl out of six that has deviated from the beaten track.
I do not expect many converts to what I must rather call my practice in
one instance, than my general opinion. I am so convinced of the
prevailing prejudice, that the thing has never been named out of the
family. If my gay neighbor Miss Rattle knew that Lucilla had learned
Latin, she would instantly find out a few moments to add that language
to her innumerable acquirements, because her mother can afford to pay
for it, and because Lady Di. Dash has never learned it. I assure you,
however" (laughing as he spoke), "I never intend to s