LETTER XXIX. Dorcas Jenkins to the Miss Vernons. My dear young Mistresses, I HAVE had it in my mind to write every day, but something or other has always happend to hinder me, and then I be a very slow writer as you do know, and tis mortul cold to sit up stairs, and I can never write when any body is by, so you may be sure, 'twas not because I did not bear you in mind that you have not heard. To be certain, I must lose my senses before I can forget my young ladies. We have had a strange rumpus here since you have been gone; nothing do never go right when miss Maria is out of the way. My master is as cross as two sticks athwart; and enough to make him for matter of that, for to be sure, nobody do like to pay money for that tho' for nothing, tho' matter master if he cou'd help it would not pay it for something. I never liked that Mr. Curtis; he always look'd so sheepishly some how. I knowd what wod come of Nanny and he being so great. I told master I thought as how she lookd pretty biggish; but he only laughd at me, and thought he knowd better. But however, the day after as sure as fivepence she went before the justice, and swared she was with child by master. 'Twas no use for master to deny it. He turned her out of doors, but he is obliged to pay for her lying in, and the maintenance of the child when born. Now as sure as I am writing, tis Mr. Curtis's child; and so master says; and he have turnd him away too, and I dont know where he is gone. Master swares he will not have a young maid in his house again; so we have got an old woman almost as old as me, and we hobble about the bouse as well as we can. He wanted me I TAKE up my pen again, dear Susan, to inform you of our proceedings at B. Hall. We have put a little life into Mr. Wilson, who is really a very good sort of a man, and grows on our liking: he behaves so well to his peevish, perverse-teinpered wife, that I cannot but admire the patience of his disposition. She owns herself much happier with him than with either of her other husbands. We have made several visits in the neighbourhood, but are obliged to be careful not to express a wish to go to any particular place, as it is sure not to be granted. I have found one good thing in this very whimsical woman; she is generous by starts, and has made us some small presents, but she certainly has not a fixed principle of generosity. A few days after I wrote my last, we set out in the coach to visit our other cousin, Mrs. Meadows. Mr. Wilson did not accompany us. The sisters, I found in the course of the ride, were not on the best terms. Mrs. Wilson said a few visits passed between them in the course of the year, but her sister was so taken up with her own concerns, that she never paid any attention to hers. She informed us that her children had each ten thousand pounds left them by an uncle of their father's, but that Mrs. Meadows saved for them as much as though they were wholly dependent. By this time we were arrived at a handsome house, and conducted by a smart servant out of livery into a parlour, where sat Mrs. Meadows and her two daughters, one at the harpsichord, the other drawing, accompanied by two masters. She received her sister in a formal cool manner, and the two misses made each a stiff boarding-school courtesy to their aunt. Mrs. Wilson informed her who we were, but she was, or pretended to be, a total stranger to the name and connexion. She asked no question about us, and began acquainting us with the great improvements the young ladies had made since they had last seen their aunt. There appears nothing engaging in the persons or manners of these girls, who seemed to be about twelve and fourteen years old, neither were their performances above mediocrity; but the mother had no eyes for any other object than them and their employments. In a few minutes the son entered the room, and presented to our view a finished fop. He appears to be about twenty, and has just left his studies at the university. After bowing to his aunt with an air he thought wonderfully genteel, he begged to be introduced to her fair companions; and, seating himself by me, sat staring in my face with an insolent impertinence, whilst his mother observed that he grew taller and taller every day, and asked Mrs. Wilson's opinion how he would look in regimentals. The particular attention paid me by my sweet beau induced Mrs. Meadows to look in my face, an honour she had not before done to either of us. I was glad to be relieved by Mrs. Wilson's rising to take leave. We were not requested to prolong or repeat our visit, therefore Maria and myself shall certainly not intrude ourselves again. So you see there is no profit or pleasure to be expected from this quarter. During our ride home, we were entertained with Mrs. Wilson's observations on the great alteration that had taken place for the worse in her sister's person, since she had last seen her. She seemed much pleased with Maria's observing that she must always have been a plain woman. She made no remark on the little notice she had taken of us.. When we arrived at B. Hall, we found Mr. Wilson reading a letter just received frem a lady. My cousin, miss Jones,' said he, has just lost her mother, and I think we must invite her to spend a few weeks here.' Indeed she shan't come here,' said the ungracious lady; I hate her more than any person on earth.'! Come, let me see her letter; I suppose she is finely rejoiced to bury her mother. She is now a twenty thousand pound fortune, I think. She then perused the letter, and Mr. Wilson said, with a smile To be sure, my dear, you did not think me in earnest to invite miss Jones, as I know how much you dislike her.' To be sure I did,' she replied; and on second thoughts, I think it will be proper.' By no means,' Wilson. replied Mr. 'But I choose it should be so,' said she; and 1 desire you will invite her directly.' Nay, if you wish it, I will,'-and winking at Maria and me, left the room for that purpose.-This is the way to manage Mrs. Wilson. We were now given the charac ter of miss Jones; but I do not in tend to take it from our cousin. She describes her as very learned, very conceited, very proud, and, what in her opinion is much worse, very plain. The poor servants here lead a wearisome life, and seldom continue longer than six months. The parlour bell is now ringing most violently for the maid up stairs, and the girl is walking down as leisurely as possible. Why don't you run, girl?' said I; 'your mistress is certainly very ill.' The girl laughed.Oh no, miss,' said she, it is only madam's way; she rings as loud ten times a day, and all for nothing at all.' We last week received a letter from Dorcas, and as I think you will be diverted by its simplicity, as well as by an accident that has befallen our brother, I will enclose it. Bless me, here is a chaise stopped at the door, and a very genteel young man alighting! A lady, too, in deep mourning! It must be miss Jones, to be sure. I must hasten down to be introduced. Eleven o'clock. I am come up to bed, but before I sleep, I must tell you about miss Jones; I am sure I shall not sleep for thinking of her. By the time I had reached the parlour the lady and gentleman were seated, together with Mrs. Wilson and Maria. On my entrance a profound silence struck me with a seeming awe, and threw my features into a serious cast. After making my compli ments by a courtesy, which was returned by a stiff bend of the body by the lady, and a genteel bow from the gentleman, who reached me a chair, I took my seat. The lady concealed her face with a white handkerchief, on which however I could not discover the trace of a tear. Maria's eyes were full; the gentleman looked grave; my cousin seemed to be racking her brains for something to say, and was shaking her foot, for the purpose, I suppose, of assisting her bead. The silence was at length broken by the gentle man observing that the roads were very heavy. They are indeed much soiled,' said miss Jones, by the great descent of frozen water, which has obscured the hemisphere for some days past.' 'We have had snow here,' said Mrs. Wilson. 'I mean,' replied miss Jones, what is vulgarly called snow, by the expression of frozen water.' You are so learned!' said Mrs. Wilson, with a sneer. Pray, was your mother sensible to the last?' She continued,' replied miss Jones, in the possession of that invaluable blessing, reason, to the last; and, to use the expression of Dr. Goldsmith, she Sank to the grave with unperceiv'd decay, Whilst resignation gently slop'd the way.' Just as this speech was finished Mr. Wilson entered. He approached the lady, took her hand, and was going to salute her: but she drew back her hand, turned away her face, and observed that there was no occasion for that familiarity. He turned on his heel, and shook hands with the gentleman, whose name I then found to be Beaumont: he told him he was heartily glad to see him; it was an unexpected pleasure, for which he supposed he was indebted to his fair cousin, looking at miss Jones. By this observation I guessed he was a lover of the lady. I had already seen enough of her to guess also that her twenty thousand was the only attraction to a man of Mr. Beaumont's description. There is something extremely engaging in the person and manner of this young man. I long to know who he is, and what could induce him to prefer miss Jones. But what is that to me? the continuance of his company, although he had not requested it by letter. Mrs. Wilson frowned.--He thanked him, but said it was his intention to return home the next day; he would however take a ride. sometimes, and pay the ladies and him a visit. Mis. Wilson said her head was so indifferent that she could not bear much talking, and proposed that we and miss Jones should retire up stairs till dinner. We did so, and endeavoured to become acquainted with the lady; but she was so extremely formal and reserved, that we found it impossible.-Conceive a tall thin figure, about twenty-five (which I find is her age, though I should have guessed her to be near forty), with a face pale as death, jet-black hair, features not in themselves disagreeable, but made so by a satirical sneer, and a habit of looking cross and fretful. She walks with such a solemn slow pace, one would think that she was in the train of a funeral. After we had been together an hour, during which time she had not uttered a single sentence, she observed, that Mrs. Wilson was a most ignorant ill-behaved woman; that nothing but necessity could have induced her to make the visit, for that she had taken a house that would not be fit to inhabit these eight or ten weeks. She might, indeed, have been at Mr. Beaumont's mother's; but as only a platonic love subsisted between her son and herself, she feared that by going there it would give the world reason to suppose she meant to marry him. I asked her if she really thought platonic love could subsist? Certainly,' she replied; she had write ten an essay on the subject, which, when her trunk was unpacked, she would show me.'' You appear to Mr. Wilson added, he hoped for me,' said she, young women, to 6 Really! that must be very entertaining,' said I, with great indifference.' In this manner we conversed, or rather talked; for little I was the hero on miss Jones's side, who, notwithstanding her learning, did not seem inclined to communicate any part of it to us, whom she seemed to regard with great contempt, calling us young women, and regretting that she could never form an acquaintance with her own sex, or find, go where she would, females who had received an education and had acquir ed sentiments congenial to her own. At dinner some Latin sentences passed between the two gentlemen and miss Jones, which highly displeased Mrs. Wilson, who observed, and I thought very justly, that if people could not talk plain English when abroad, they ought to stay at home. In the evening we played cards, and Mrs. Wilson losing, was in worse humour than ever. Mr. Beaumont, however, by a most lucky speech, set all to rights.Do not, dear madam,' said he, spoil one of the finest faces in the world, by looking out of temper.'— This compliment to her face at the expence of her temper might have offended another woman; but it put her in such perfect good humour the whole evening, that we pass ed it very agreeably; and before we parted Mr. Beaumont was re quested by Mrs. Wilson to stay, at least, the remainder of the week. And now, my dear Susan, have I not for the present given you a spe cimen of the whole party? I hope I am not, or ever shall be, ill-naturedly satirical; but indeed I think such characters as Mrs. Wilson and miss Jones deserve to be held up to ridicule: and now I shall close this pacquet, and resign myself to sleep, it being past midnight. With every good wish, I remain yours affectionally, N. B. I must not omit to inform you, that colonel Ambrose has received a letter from Charles Wentworth, who is safely arrived and well. Maria's spirits are much mended since hearing this. (To be continued.) ON THE LION. BY DOCTOR THORNTON, THE lion was early introduced into menageries. Being the king among animals, the subjugation of it evinced the superiority of man, and proved him to be in truth, The lord of the Creation. As menageries were first established by princes, who in times of peace enjoyed the sports of hunting, and extended their conquests over powerful animals, the lion, confined in dens, evinced to their dependents the greatness of their power, and added fresh laurels to those obtained by achievements in war. The male lion has a most superb |