we, certainly, have never yet abused her confidence.

_Henrietta._ O, you are undoubtedly a most exemplary set! But you never
had one like _me_ among you. I shall soon put a little spirit into you
all, and get you out of this strict-propriety sort of way. I do not
despair even of my friend Isabella Caldwell, the good girl of the
school.

_Isabella._ Our way is a very satisfactory one. It is impossible for
boarding-school girls to be happier than we are. Our minds are not
exhausted with long and difficult lessons, and with studies beyond our
capacity. When school-hours are over, we have full time for recreation,
and are amply provided with the means of amusing ourselves. We have a
library of entertaining books; and we have liberty to divert ourselves
with all sorts of juvenile plays and games. Then how much attention is
paid to our health and our comforts, and how kindly and judiciously are
we treated in every respect! Certainly, we ought to think ourselves
happy.

_Henrietta._ Ay! so you are made to say in the letters which you write
home to your parents. All our French letters, at Madame Disette's were
written first by her niece Mademoiselle Mensonge; and the English
letters were manufactured by poor Benson; and then we copied them in our
very best hands, with a new pen at every paragraph. They were all nearly
the same; and told of nothing but the superabundant kindness and
liberality of Madame Disette, our high respect and esteem for Madame
Trompeur, her sister, and our vast affection for her amiable niece,
Mademoiselle Mensonge: together with our perfect health, and extreme
felicity. In every letter we grew happier and happier.

_Miss Snodgrass._ And were you not so in reality?

_Henrietta._ No, indeed,--all the happiness we had was of our own
making, for we derived none from any thing our governess did for us;
though we were obliged in our letters to call her our beloved Madame
Disette, and to express the most fervent hopes that we might one day
exactly resemble her; which, I am sure, was the last thing we could have
desired; for she was one of the ugliest women that I ever saw in my
life.

_Miss Thomson._ But you might have wished to resemble her in mind and
manners.

_Henrietta._ Why, as to that, her mind was worse than her face, and her
manners we all thought absolutely ridiculous. Benson could mimic her
exactly.

_Miss Marley._ I do not wonder that your parents took you away from such
a school.

_