dward,
with confidence.

"Always useful, my dear brother; but young people are more observant than
we are apt to imagine, and are wonderfully ingenious in devising excuses
to themselves for their conduct. I have often heard it offered as an
apology, that father or mother knew it, or perhaps did it, and therefore
it could not be wrong: association is all-important to a child."

"I believe no family of consequence admits of improper associates within
my knowledge," said the baronet.

Mrs. Wilson smiled as she answered, "I am sure I hope not, Edward; but are
the qualifications we require in companions for our daughters, always such
as are most reconcileable with our good sense or our consciences; a single
communication with an objectionable character is a precedent, if known and
unobserved, which will be offered to excuse acquaintances with worse
persons: with the other sex, especially, their acquaintance should be very
guarded and select."

"You would make many old maids, sister."

"I doubt it greatly, brother; it would rather bring female society in
demand. I often regret that selfishness, cupidity, and the kind of strife
which prevails in our sex, on the road to matrimony, have brought celibacy
into disrepute. For my part, I never see an old maid, but I am willing to
think she is so from choice or principle, and although not in her proper
place, serviceable, by keeping alive feelings necessary to exist, that
marriages may not become curses instead of blessings."

"A kind of Eddystone, to prevent matrimonial shipwrecks," said the
brother, gayly.

"Their lot may be solitary, baronet, and in some measure cheerless, but
infinitely preferable to a marriage that may lead them astray from their
duties, or give birth to a family which are to be turned on the
world--without any religion but form--without any morals but truisms--or
without even a conscience which has not been seared by indulgence. I hope
that Anne, in the performance of her system, will have no cause to regret
its failure."

"Clara chose for herself, and has done well, Charlotte; and so, I doubt
not, will Jane and Emily: and I confess I think their mother is right."

"It is true," said Mrs. Wilson, "Clara has done well, though under
circumstances of but little risk; she might have jumped into your
fish-pond, and escaped with life, but the chances are she would drown: nor
do I dispute the right of the girls to choose for themselves; but I say
the rights