g from their co-religionists in that they abjured the strict
garb and the "thee" and "thou" of those who followed George Fox to
unfashionable lengths, whilst their children studied music and dancing.
More zealous brethren called the Gurneys "worldly," and shook their
heads over their degenerate conduct; but, all unseen, Mrs. Gurney was
training up her family in ways of usefulness and true wisdom; while
"the fear of the Lord," as the great principle of life and action, was
constantly set before them. With such a mother to mould their infant
minds and direct their childish understandings, there was not much fear
of the younger Gurneys turning out otherwise than well. Those who shook
their heads at the "worldliness" of the Gurneys, little dreamt of the
remarkable lives which were being moulded under the Gurney roof.

One or two extracts from Mrs. Gurney's diary will afford a fair insight
into her character:--

If our piety does not appear adequate to supporting us in the
exigencies of life, and I may add, death, surely our hearts cannot
be sufficiently devoted to it. Books of controversy on religion are
seldom read with profit, not even those in favor of our own
particular tenets. The mind stands less in need of conviction than
conversion. These reflections have led me to decide on what I most
covet for my daughters, as the result of our daily pursuits. As
piety is undoubtedly the shortest and securest way to all moral
rectitude, young women should be virtuous and good on the broad,
firm basis of Christianity; therefore it is not the tenets of any
man or sect whatever that are to be inculcated in preference to
those rigid but divine truths contained in the New Testament. As it
appears to be our reasonable duty to improve our faculties, and by
that means to render ourselves useful, it is necessary and very
agreeable to be well-informed of our own language, and the Latin as
being most permanent, and the French as being the most in general
request. The simple beauties of mathematics appear to be so
excellent an exercise to the understanding, that they ought on no
account to be omitted, and are, perhaps, scarcely less essential
than a competent knowledge of ancient and modern history, geography
and chronology. To which may be added a knowledge of the most
approved branches of natural history, and a capacity of drawing