has long since vanished away, without experieneing an indescribable feeling of tender regret.

Among the persons most afflicted by the apprehension of losing my father and mother from Long Preston, was the worthy Mrs. Maurice, who sensibly felt that she had no other friends; for much as she was respected by the Statesmen of the village and their wives, yet they loved their money still better.-Oftener than once had they prudently hinted that her family might eventually become troublesome to the parish; and before Captain M. joined his regiment, in order to preclude the possibility of his wife and children being thus insulted in his absence, my father had advised him to purchase a land in an open field, to gain them a settlement. Seeing her distress, and at the same time highly valuing her society and friendship, my father and mother made her the offer of accompanying them to Catterick, promising that she should have an apartment to herself, and spend her time in whatever way should be most agreeable to her; and finding her hesitate, they made her the offer of her paying a trifle for her board, which at length overcame her scruples, and she yielded to their solicitations.

Her son had already been entered as a midshipman in the navy, by the interest of a relation of her late husband's, at that time secretary to the admiralty, to whom my father had introduced him, and he was then on board the ship of the gallant Lord Howe. The only remaining difficulty respected her daughter, who was about

She might have been

eighteen years of age. tolerably qualified for a governess in a respectable family, had this been a character at that time in request; but the fact being otherwise, no alternative remained, but that of her attending upon a lady. Accustomed always to consider herself as a gentlewoman, although from infancy inured to great pecuniary difficulties, this was felt by her as a sad degradation. "Consider,"

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said her mother, "that true respectability depends not on station, but on the manner in "which we conduct ourselves, wherever our lot 66 may be cast. At any rate, in the event of my "death, you would be left entirely destitute, and "it will require much less effort on your part, to "take the line at present which is allotted to you by Providence, than to wait until that period." Prevailed upon by these arguments, the plan was finally settled; a situation was found for the daughter, and the worthy mother became an inmate of our family. I was greatly indebted to the affectionate care and attention of this good old lady, during the years of infancy and childhood; she taught me to read, to sew, and to knit ; and many an excellent maxim did she rehearse, for the future guidance and conduct of my life. She had received a better education than was common for females of her day; but it appeared rather in the whole of her manner, and in the elevation of her sentiments, than by any thing she had been expressly taught. For instance, she knew little of spelling, and nothing of English grammar ; we took no trouble, there

C

fore, in dividing our words into syllables, but I learnt to know them by sight, or in any other manner as I could. I read lessons every day in the Bible, but with so little intelligence, for want of method, explanation, or arrangement, that I never considered it as a connected history, or gained much information from it. One important impression, however, was then made upon my mind, the universal presence and government of God, by the constant reference of the sacred writers to Him, as the sole author and controller of all events. And I can truly affirm, that in proportion as that impression has been more or less vivid through every subsequent period of my life, such has been my happiness or discomfort. "Why cannot I see him and converse with him, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ?" was a question often propounded by the pupil to her revered preceptress. The answer was not in point, but it was improving and consolatory; "If you are good, you will see him hereafter, and dwell with him for ever." And I much question, whether more real benefit was not derived from this transcendant hope, thus simply held out, in the difficult attainment of self-possession and self-government, than could have been derived from all the ingenuity of the most artificial and philosophical education!

As my father was himself literary, and as I was his supreme favourite, it may seem extraordinary that he did not take the business of my instruction into his own hands. But the fact was, that although in other respects extremely

liberal, he had imbibed some of the prejudices of that day, in respect to the cultivation of the female mind. And if he saw in his daughter an early desire of mental improvement, and some capacity for making progress in it, it is probable that he might think it the more necessary not to encourage, but rather to restrain the growing propensity. However this might be, I not only lost many of those superior advantages which I should otherwise have obtained, but what is more to be lamented, my affection for him was not cultivated and improved as it would have been. I remember admiring very early, his manner of reading, which indeed I have never since heard excelled, and very seldom equalled. He paid great attention to my brother, whose scanty attainments he continually lamented, but I do not recollect that he ever taught me a single lesson. My mother, excellent as she was, had neither the habit nor the power of supplying the loss, Her own education in those respects, had been wholly neglected, and she owed it entirely to her own industry, that she was able even to read a chapter in the Bible, or to write a common letter.

My father, on his removal to Catterick, found his new parishioners, like the vicarage-house, in extreme disorder. The parish was widely extended, had three chapels of ease within its circuit, to two of which a person of very immoral conduct had been appointed, as a licensed curate. The late incumbent (the honourable and reverend Mr. Wandsford,) had never resided, yet he had

contrived to quarrel with a gentleman of large fortune, his principal parishioner; and the great farmers were split into parties, some of them adhering to one side, and some to the other. My father immediately set about endeavouring to heal these breaches, and to correct the disorders they had occasioned; but being more solicitous to reform his parishioners, and thus to contribute to their happiness, than to increase his own income, he contented himself with a very moderate commutation in lieu of tithes, and never, I believe, cleared more than one hundred and eighty, or two hundred pounds per annum by the living; although it has since been raised by some of his successors, who have not resided, and consequently have cared little about the feelings or improvement of their parishioners, to upwards of fourteen hundred pounds per annum. He also nearly rebuilt the vicaragehouse, made a flower-garden in the front, rebuilt the mouldering out-houses and tottering walls, which inclosed the church-yard; and in a very few years, both the appearance of the place itself, and the character of its inhabitants, were greatly improved.

My father and mother were exceedingly beloved and respected, and their society was so much desired by the principal families in the neighbourhood, most of whom were greatly their superiors in fortune, that by entertaining them at dinnerparties occasionally in their turn, they were necessarily involved in considerable expence. This my father often regretted, yet it seemed the un