"Oh no, you would not," replied the unfeeling girl; "if you were at school, you would soon learn a different opinion: it is very pretty to talk as you do; and we often meet with such fine sentiments in our lessons; but no one thinks of putting them in practice."

During this conversation, the other ladies had gone up stairs; and Charlotte proposed following them. Anna attended her in silence.

"Is this what is learnt at boarding-schools?" thought she: "then we have nothing to regret : -if we had been there, perhaps I should have hated my sister!"

Ellen and Anna smiled on each other, as they observed the various ornaments their visitors had brought; while they evidently enjoyed the surprise expressed by them, on seeing so many things which to them appeared useless and unnecessary.

"Look at this muslin frock," said Miss Arnold; "it is what I wore on our last public day, and quite a fashionable make; for the mantuamaker assured me, she had made but one before, and that was for Lady Charlotte A**. I wore this wreath of roses round my head ;-don't you think them pretty?"

"Very pretty," answered Ellen: "but I am sorry you brought them here, as I fear you will

not have an opportunity of wearing them; and their being so closely packed, seems to have injured them already."

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O, that is of no consequence," replied the other; "I should not take them to school the

next half year; the ladies would think it very odd to see the same things come back again: I knew this was a very retired situation, and there fore brought them, as I thought they would be new here."

"Quite new indeed!" answered Ellen, with a smile; "such a dress as this, would excite the astonishment of all the people in the village: I really wish you had not brought things half so

"My dear child," said Harriet, "would you not have us dress according to our rank in life? our situation demands it of us; and to regard our appearance, is what our governess always inculcates."

"You must excuse my ignorance," said Ellen with unconcern; "I did not know that dress was so absolutely necessary to denote our rank or situation in life; but I am sure it is not so here; for, every one respects my good aunt, though I never saw her but in the plainest dress."

"Your aunt," returned Harriet," is out of the world; but we are just entering into it; I

hope she does not mean to regulate your apparel by her own. -When you come to London, (as, when Mr. and Mrs. Stanley return from abroad, I suppose you will,) I assure you, you will find many things necessary in regard to dress, of which at present you have no idea; and your good aunt, in her plain suit, would have little' regard paid to her in the large circle of the fashionable world."

"It must be a very strange world," answered Ellen rather indignantly, while the colour rose in her cheeks at hearing her aunt so spoken of, "that would not regard and respect her also; and I should not wish to belong to it."

Mrs. Irvin now very opportunely entered the room, and put an end to their conversation.

When the business of unpacking was over, they returned to the parlour; and thinking it too warm to walk, Mrs. Irvin begged to hear Miss Arnold sing the last new song: and thus, with the help of the piano, the time passed away till dinner was announced.

In the evening, their amiable hostess proposed a walk to the village; the rural and retired situation of which seemed higly pleasing to her visitors. It was a lovely evening, and no view could be more beautiful than that which presented itself on their leaving Mrs. Irvin's garden; the trees were in full leaf, and, tinged with

the setting sun, they immediately attracted the notice of the strangers.

"We cannot see such trees as these in the Squares of London," said Harriet; "I must acknowledge, that a walk in a country like this, is far preferable to the slow and uniform pace with which we are obliged to follow our governess, one behind another, round the garden of the Square, or up and down the measured path of the Park."

In the course of their walk, they called on one or two of the poor people who were unwell; and on their return, they again had recourse to the music, which very agreeably passed away the evening.

"There are very few ladies among us," said Miss Arnold to Ellen," who play as you do; you certainly have quite a genius for music; you can sing also, I dare say? and I should like to hear you."

Ellen was going to answer, when her aunt prevented her, by saying, "You will soon have an opportunity, my dear, of hearing us all sing : for we have an old-fashioned custom in this house, of family prayer; and we generally sing a hymn before we pray."

Harriet smiled." I thought that it was only at schools that prayers were read to us; our

governess does that, every morning and evening; -I shall think myself with her again:—but we never sing hymns," continued she; "it is so methodistical."

Mrs. Irvin now smiled in her turn, and answered, "that was an appellation she was not afraid of; and," said she, " this is a method productive of so much pleasure, that I should be sorry to give it up; in former times, it was thought a great help to devotion; and I believe it is still retained in many families from that motive."

Such reasoning was quite unintelligible to Miss Arnold; but she was prevented answering, by the entrance of the servants; and while Ellen played the Evening Hymn, accompanying it with her voice, the whole family joined in the solemn strain; nor could these young ladies help a silent acknowledgement, that they had never before felt so devoutly inclined, as when, at the conclusion, each knelt down, and Mrs. Irvin read a prayer with great solemnity; that, for the time, they wished they could experience the same, when joining in the prayers at school: but there, it was performed in so indolent a manner, and so much of form appeared to be introduced in the midst of very contrary pursuits, that little else but their length was thought of during the time of reading them.