'Ay, sister Kitty,' said Geoffry, who had not yet spoken since we sat down, 'I'll tell you a piece of my mind-she looks better in that plain cap than you do in all your finery.'

"What a taste you must have, brother:' said Jane. "I don't mean to say that I like the cap,' he answered, 'for indeed I do not: but the face is certainly one that no cap can spoil.'

"The young ladies made no answer to this remark, but the old gentleman said, 'True, boy, true: the face is a good one; and fresh and fair as the face of a milkmaid.'

"My female cousins looked mortified at this; but I inwardly enjoyed their displeasure: a circumstance which, had I known how to judge myself, might have proved to me that I was by no means so far advanced in a religious course as I had vainly imagined.

"The conversation, if such unconnected exclamations as I have repeated may be called conversation, then took another course; when I heard many subjects discussed of a nature totally different from any that I had been before acquainted with, but which failed not even then to excite my curiosity. The chief topics alluded to, were the public assemblies; the characters and talents of a company of stage-players then in the town; the number of beaux mustered at the last ball; the equipages kept in the town; the beauty of the young ladies; and the airs which certain great families gave themselves when they met in public with those whom they did not consider as equally great with themselves.

"During this conversation, my uncle sat like one lost in thought; but all the other individuals of the family expressed their opinions with more or less heat and animation, as circumstances seemed to call them out.

"When the tea-things were removed, my uncle and his two sons withdrew, and my female cousins brought out their work-boxes, while my aunt set herself in a most indefatigable manner to question me upon my former modes of life and habits; at the same time drawing up her mouth, and making no other observations on my communications than by certain emphatic hums and nods, and now and then uttering the words, 'indeed,'

'surely,' 'extraordinary,' 'surprising.' My cousins were not, however, quite so cautious as their mother, for they now and then exclaimed with unfeigned amazement; till at length, looking at each other, they broke into so loud a burst of laughter, as to leave it no longer a matter of doubt in my mind whether they were actually quizzing me and every thing I said without mercy. Being offended at this, I would answer no more questions, but complaining of fatigue, asked permission to go to bed.

"When alone, I began to weep bitterly, and to think of my mother and Theophilus. I then took the little hymn-book, which the latter had given me, from my pocket, and sung a favourite hymn in a very low voice, being often interrupted by sobs. At length, the idea occurred to me that I was now brought into a situation in which my divine vocation was to be tried; and on this idea, I built a kind of romance, in which I fancied myself acting a very conspicuous part, enduring with firmness a long and bitter persecution, through which I passed with such calm and heroic dignity as astonished my persecutors, and which was continued till the return of Theophilus, from whom, and from my own applauding conscience, I was to receive my earthly reward, while from the favour of God, I was to expect a heavenly and eternal one. While my thoughts were still engaged in these romantic views, I fell asleep.

"I slept long, and when I awoke found the sun shining in at my window. I arose in haste: but before I had finished dressing myself, Bessy entered my room, and telling me that all the family were waiting for me, I hastened down, ashamed to tell her that I had not yet performed my usual devotions.

"Were I to tell you what passed at breakfast, it would be but as it were a kind of change rung upon the same notes. "My eldest female cousin had, I found, already arrived at that time of life when youth and beauty are on the wane; and although she had met with nothing but disappointments in the world, she clung to it with a pertinacity which any one would think impossible, if examples of the same species of folly were not frequently displayed before every eye. She was, however, irritated by her disappointments, and was in consequence sour VOL. II.

H

and captious. The second sister, Jane, was however still in her bloom; and being counted handsome and fashionable, she was in the habit of receiving just so much encouragement from the world as kept up her self-consequence. Bessy was still almost a child; in mind she was especially so; and being the youngest of the family, she was treated as such; her character however had nothing in it of artless simplicity, but was that of a spoiled favourite, and a romp. The brothers were what, in modern times, we should call Dandies, or Corinthians: but how such persons were denominated twenty years or more ago, I cannot recollect. This, however, I must observe, that whereas my cousin Frank was a lively, dashing young man, saying every thing that came uppermost, and absolutely without modesty, Geoffry was grave, solemn, and proud, and seemed to think that he conferred a favour on every lady to whom he spoke. I presently discovered that there was a perpetual war of words, and probably of interests, between the two elder sisters and the brothers, while Bessy seemed to be too thoughtless to take either side. But to delineate these characters no further

"As soon as breakfast was finished, and the gentlemen withdrawn, a regular attack was made upon my style of dress by my aunt and cousins, who declared that it was absolutely necessary that I should be new modelled. My cousins ridiculed my present mode with so little mercy that I began to cry: whereupon my aunt took up the matter seriously, and delivered her opinion much to the following purport.―

"Come, come, Jenetta, my dear,' said the old lady, 'you must allow me to speak my mind to you; you know that I cannot possibly have any motive for meddling in these matters but for your good. Now, as I have told my daughters a thousand times, I am very fond of religion and those kind of things, and never miss church on the Sunday, when the weather will permit; yet I cannot think it right that any young person should appear different to the rest of the world; for you know, Jenetta, if we are not like other people, we must be particular, and on that very account become objects of ridicule among all genteel people.'

"I answered, that I had been taught to look upon conformity to the world as a sinful thing; and I brought forward several texts in corroboration of my principle.

“On this, the young ladies laughed. But they were suddenly checked by their mother, who said, 'We are now talking seriously, girls; and I desire that you will refrain from your idle jests; for I am sure your cousin will be much more likely to be convinced by my arguments than by your foolish titterings.' Then turning again to me, she granted all I said to be true, and that it certainly was wrong to conform to the world in forbidden things; but that it was right to do so in things which are innocent, such as the cut of a gown or cap, and in all such trivial matters. She concluded by observing that, as she believed I was a girl of sense, she was persuaded that I should soon submit my will to hers in this particular.

"I replied, with some pertness, as I since recollect, that we must first agree on what were and what were not innocent compliances. And hereupon I proceeded to a further explanation of my sentiments and opinions with respect to these matters; bringing forward many doctrines of religion and many texts of Scripture, which were as entirely beyond the comprehension of my auditors as so many passages quoted from the Hebrew Bible.

"On my ceasing to speak, after pausing a moment, my aunt thus replied, 'And so I suppose, that you conceive no one can be saved who does not think precisely as you do.'

"I do not pretend to judge others,' I very properly answered; 'but I am persuaded that if I do not myself endeavour to act according to my belief, I shall be lost.' "Good heavens!' said my aunt, lifting up her hands and eyes; 'what notions are these for a girl of eighteen!' "I was offended at her manner, and replied, "Though I am here considered as a child in these matters, it was not so at Leeds. I was there at the head of a class; I was employed as a teacher; and was supposed to understand the principles and doctrines of our blessed religion as well as many older persons.'

"Well! well!' said my aunt, exclaiming again, 'who would have thought that things would ever have come

to this pass? a child like you to be considered as a spiritual teacher! Niece, niece, take my advice, and get these whims out of your head as fast as you can; and for heaven's sake don't talk of such matters here.'

"I burst into tears, and replied, 'What! get my religion out of my head as soon as I can, aunt? And do you seriously offer me this advice?"

"Not your religion, child,' she answered; 'It is not your religion I want you to get rid of; but your stiff methodistical manner, and your formal way of talking about the great progress you have made in these grave concerns.' Here the old lady stopped to take breath, and then proceeded. Excuse the harsh terms I use, for they came out unawares to myself. I don't know so much of religion as I should do, it is true; but I think I know enough of it to say that yours is not of the right sort.'

"My aunt was certainly so far right: my religion was not indeed of the right sort. I do not mean with regard to doctrines, for those which I had been taught were undoubtedly agreeable to Scripture: but the seat of my religion was not the right one; it lay all in my head, and had not yet touched my heart. I was however much offended by this rebuke; my pride was roused, and I remained silent.

"My cousins continued to laugh heartily, and my aunt walked out of the room with an air of pique. The door was scarcely closed upon the old lady, when the young ones renewed the attack. Bessy began this fresh assault, by saying, 'And so, cousin, you were the leader of a class? and yet you are actually two months my junior. I'll tell you what, Kitty and Jane, I will have a class; and I will teach, and preach, and pray. Why should I not?"

66 6 'Why should you not?' replied Jane; 'I dare say if it served your turn you could draw up your mouth, and look as sanctified as any of them.'

"Much more was said to the same purpose, but I remained silent for a considerable time, till at length, becoming excessively angry, I uttered some expressions of a nature so bitter and contemptuous, that my two elder cousins were surprised into silence, and the giddy Bessy