verished her with my extravagancies in "dress; for, as I could not make the neigh"bours daughters respect me from my "behaviour, I resolved they should envy me for my clothes.

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"Nothing more material happened until "I attained my eighteenth year, when one day I happened to accompany my grand"mother to the banker's where she received "her money. A gentleman of a very pre"possessing appearance was paying in a "large sum, and seemed to regard us with

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particular attention; which my vanity instantly construed into admiration. In "this case I was not greatly mistaken, for "after our departure he inquired our ad"dress, and the very next day applied with "great respect to my grandmother, for "leave to pay his addresses to me, saying, "his fortune was affluent, and he wished "no dower with a wife, but prudence,

t

meekness, and good-humour. I need "not say that he had made a very erroneous "choice for these qualities, but that he ❝ was ignorant of, and was

admitted a

"" suiter

suiter in due form. "My pride had << now reached its summit; for I saw my"self in idea the wife of a man of great "property, and trampling on all those "that despised me; but fortune seemed

only to have risen me to this height to "make my fall the greater.-One day, "that 1 had been in my usual airs with "the maid, Mr. Smith, my suiter, came "in unexpectedly, and though I smoothed 66 my ruffled brow as well as possible, I "had too long given way to my passions "to be able to subdue them easily, and "the girl coming in soon after, and mak

ing a false step, and treading on my " gown, I was totally thrown off my guard, "and turning hastily round, I gave her a "box on the ear. My poor grandmother "looked shocked and ashamed; and wil, ling to palliate my behaviour, said, gently, My dear, Jenny did not do it

16

on purpose;. but you are so petulent this "morning.". "You are an old fool this "morning,"---answered I, stamping with passion; and should doubtless have " continued:

❝ continued my insolence, but my eyes at "that moment meeting those of Mr.

Smith, I saw I had lost his affection for

ever, for he regarded me with amaze"ment and horror, and without speaking

a syllable, snatched his hat and rushed "out of the house. My rage now knew no "bounds; but what did it avail? Alas, "nothing! it recoiled upon myself, and, "exhausted with raving, I at last sunk "into a sullen stupor; from which I was, "however, awakened by the maid bringing in a letter, and delivering it to my grandmother. I had not patience to let "her read it, but snatching it from her, "found as follows; for it is too well im"printed on my memory ever to be forgotten:

"Madam,

"You may recollect that when I first "proposed to pay my addresses to Miss "Glover, I informed you that I had for

was to unite myself to a woman who was "possessed of prudence, meekness, and good-humour.-As I find myself de"ceived, I must in consequence withdraw my suit; though I cannot help acknow"ledging her person has made an impression "on my heart; but which, I have no << doubt, reason will enable me to over"come; for though I am sure I could "live happy with a good-tempered homely "woman, yet I never could with one, "however beautiful, with a bad temper. "I will candidly confess that I had heard "of this before, both by anonymous let

ters, and the busy impertinence of some "of your neighbours; but I make it a

point never to listen to incendiaries of any "kind, and therefore treated the informa"tion with contempt.-But though I was "deaf to them, I cannot shut my ears and << eyes against conviction so apparent, and

can only repent our ever having met; "and with good wishes, remain,

"Your obedient humble servant,

"W. SMITH."

"This was the first severe blow I ever "sustained: the whole neighbourhood "knew my expectations, and I was well "convinced would rejoice in my disgrace; "thus pride, grief, and vexation united "to distract me, and in a few hours I was "in a violent fever.-I must here make a

digression to inform you, that I had ne"ver had the small-pox; for when inno"culation was mentioned, I was accustom"ed to throw myself into such paroxysms of rage and crying, that it was ever given up.

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"Whether my rage had the effect by overheating my blood, or that I had

caught the infection, I cannot tell, but "the next day I sickened with the small"pox; which, from the height of the "fever occasioned by my anguish of mind, disfigured me as you see. For a whole month my life was despaired of, when I began slowly to recover; and to conceal "none of my wickedness from you, when "I saw myself in the glass, I wished I had died, and insulted my poor grandmother

"for