I

NUMB. 55. TUESDAY, Sept. 25, 1755.

HAVE been but a little time converfant in the world, yet I have already had frequent opportu nities of obferving the little efficacy of remonftrance and complaint, which, however extorted by oppreffion, or supported by reafon, are detefted by one part of the world as rebellion, cenfured by another as peevishness, by fome heard with an appearance of compaffion, only to betray any of thofe fallies of vehemence and refentment, which are apt to break out upon encouragement, and by others paffed over with indifference and neglect, as matters in which they have no concern, and which if they should endeavour to examine or regulate, they might draw mifchief upon themselves.

Yet fince it is no lefs natural for those who think themselves injured to complain, than for others to neglect their complaints, I fhall venture to lay my cafe before you, in hopes that you will enforce my opinion, if you think it juft, or endeavour to rectify my sentiments, if I am mistaken. I expect at least, that you will diveft yourself of partiality, and that whatever your age or folemnity may be, you will not, with the dotard's infolence, pronounce me ignorant and foolish, perverse and refractory, only because you perceive that I am young.

My father dying when I was but ten years old, left me, and a brother two years younger than myfelf, to the care of my mother, a woman of birth and education, whofe prudence or virtue he had no reason to distrust. She felt, for fome time, all the forrow which nature calls forth, upon the final feparation of perfons dear to one another; and as her grief was exhausted by its own violence, it fubfided into tenderness for me and my brother, and the year of mourning was spent in careffes, confolations, and inftruction, in celebration of my father's virtues, in profeffions of perpetual regard to his memory, and hourly inftances of fuch fondness as gratitude will not easily suffer me to forget.

But when the term of this mournful felicity was expired, and my mother appeared again without the enfigns of forrow, the ladies of her acquaintance began to tell her, upon whatever motives, that it was time to live like the reft of the world; a powerful argument, which is feldom ufed to a woman without effect. Lady Giddy was inceffantly relating the occurrences of the town, and Mrs. Gravely

told

told her privately, with great tenderness, that it began to be publickly obferved how much fhe overacted her part, and that most of her acquaintance fufpected her hope of procuring another husband to be the true ground of all that appearance of tendernefs and piety.

All the officiousness of kindnefs and folly was bufied to change her conduct. She was at one time alarmed with cenfure, and at another fired with praife. She was told of balls, where others fhone only because she was abfent; of new comedies to which all the town was crouding; and of many ingenious ironies, by which domeftick diligence was made contemptible.

It is difficult for virtue to ftand alone against fear on one fide, and pleasure on the other; efpecially when no actual crime is propofed, and prudence itfelf can fuggeft many reafons for relaxation and indulgence. My mamma was at laft perfuaded to accompany Mifs Giddy to a play. She was received with a boundless profufion of compliments, and attended home by a very fine gentleman. Next day she was with lefs difficulty prevailed on to play at Mrs. Gravely's, and came home gay and lively; for the diftinctions that had been paid her awakened her vanity, and good luck had kept her principles of frugality from giving her difturbance. She now made her fecond entrance into the world, and her friends were fufficiently induftrious to prevent any return to her former life; every morning brought meffages of invitation, and every evening was paffed in places of diverfion, from which fhe for fome time complained that she had rather be abfent. In a VOL. V. A a

fhort

fhort time fhe began to feel the happiness of acting without controul, of being unaccountable for her hours, her expences, and her company; and learned, by degrees, to drop an expreffion of contempt, or pity, at the mention of ladies whose husbands were fufpected of restraining their pleasures, or their play, and confeffed that he loved to go and come as she pleased.

I was still favoured with fome incidental precepts and tranfient endearments, and was now and then fondly kiffed for fmiling like my papa: but most part of her morning was spent in comparing the opinion of her maid and milliner, contriving fome variation in her drefs, vifiting fhops, and fending compliments; and the rest of the day was too fhort for visits, cards, plays, and concerts.

Parents

She now began to difcover that it was impoffible to educate children properly at home. could not have them always in their fight; the fociety of fervants was contagious; company produced boldness and fpirit; emulation excited industry; and a large school was naturally the first step into the open world. world. A thoufand other reasons fhe alleged, fome of little force in themfelves, but fo well feconded by pleafure, vanity, and idlenefs, that they foon overcame all the remaining principles of kindness and piety, and both I and my brother were difpatched to boarding fchools.

How my mamma fpent her time when the was thus difburthened I am not able to inform you, but I have reafon to believe that trifles and amufements took ftill fafter hold of her heart. At first, she vifited me at fchool, and afterwards wrote to me; but

in a fhort time, both her vifits and her letters were at an end, and no other notice was taken of me than to remit money for my fupport.

When I came home, at the vacation, I found my felf coldly received, with an obfervation, "that this girl will presently be a woman." I was, after the ufual ftay, fent to fchool again, and overheard my mother fay, as I was a going, "Well, now I fhall recover."

In fix months more I came again, and with the ufual childish alacrity, was running to my mother's embrace, when fhe ftopt me with exclamations at the fuddennefs and enormity of my growth, having, she said, never feen any body fhoot up fo much at my age. She was fure no other girls fpread at that rate, and she hated to have children look like women before their time. I was difconcerted, and retired without hearing any thing more than, "Nay, "if you are angry, madam Steeple, you may walk " off."

When once the forms of civility are violated, there remains little hope of return to kindness or decency. My mamma made this appearance of refentment a reason for continuing her malignity, and poor Mifs Maypole, for that was my appellation, was never mentioned or spoken to but with fome expreffion of anger or diflike.

She had yet the pleasure of dreffing me like a child, and I know not when I fhould have been thought fit to change my habit, had I not been rescued by a maiden fifter of my father, who could not bear to fee women in hanging-fleeves, and therefore prefented me with brocade for a gown, for which I