by no means fully convinced of the dreadful consequences which might ensue to his daughter from such indiscretion.

If parents only consulted the happiness of their children in this world, without any view whatever to the next, they would accustom them early to a prudent restraint; because there is no imaginable state of life in which it is not necessary for an individual to submit his will to that of others. And even were it possible, that all the world should unite in humouring the caprices of one person, yet how many uncontrollable circumstances must there necessarily arise by which the desires of such a one may be frustrated, and his expectations utterly destroyed!

On finishing her sixth year, her parents, who were at that time in good circumstances, began to consider how they might procure for their little Anna what they called a good education; when her mother proposed that she should be sent to a boarding-school. After much discussion, a school was chosen for their daughter in the town of L- which was about forty miles from the place of her birth. This school, which was kept by two ladies of the name of Barber, was selected by the mother, from having heard a certain squire's lady say, that it was a very genteel school; and it was approved by the father, because he kept two fairs in L, and, in consequence, should have the opportunity of seeing his little daughter at school once between each vacation.

Influenced by these weighty reasons, the parents consigned their little girl to the care of the Misses Barber; and Mr. Williams conveyed her to and from school twice a year in his market-cart, which he kept neatly painted for these occasions.

Anna was kept at this school from her seventh year till she was turned fifteen, a year longer than her parents had at first intended, as the Misses Barber, when she was about to be removed, at the age of fourteen, had requested that she might be permitted to stay one year more, under the character of a parlour-boarder, in order that this last twelvemonth might be devoted to giving her the final polish, and introducing her into company. Miss Barber also, in order to persuade the kind father to submit to a year's longer separation from his child, assured him, that she should not charge a single farthing more for all the privi

leges Miss Anna would enjoy as parlour-boarder; confidently asserting, that this last year, if properly employed, would be more advantageous to the dear young lady than all the foregoing instructions she had received, since she might acquire such manners, during this interval, as would fit her to associate with the best company.

Mr. Williams accordingly, although a man of sense and discernment in many things, allowed himself to be persuaded by Miss Barber to leave his daughter with her another year, in order that she might be introduced into company, and acquire polished manners; never considering that a taste for company was almost the worst taste she could possibly acquire, as her future residence was to be in a solitary farm house on the Welsh hills, and that highly polished manners, if they could have been acquired at L, would render her unfit either for his own society or that of her mother.

But we will not stop to wonder at the farmer's imprudence on this point; because our experience in life must be small indeed, if we have not seen repeated instances of the same kind of conduct in parents much better instructed than Farmer Williams.

While Anna remained at the Misses Barber's, she saw her mother regularly twice a year; and as she was allowed every indulgence at home, and always received with open arms and heart by her tender, though falsely kind, parent, she had formed a very pleasant idea of home, accustoming herself to talk of the time when she was constantly to live at home, as a time of continual holiday and never-ending festivity. It was no wonder indeed that the youthful Anna did not foresee that a gay boarding-school education was by no means a fit preparation for the duties of a solitary farm house, when her parents, with all their experience of life, had not once made this reflection.

Anna had a good temper, and was quick in learning. Her person was pretty, and her parents paid well for her tuition, frequently sending to her governesses sundry presents of cheese, fruit, cakes, and fowls ready plucked and prepared for table. It was, therefore, no wonder that she was a favourite with her governesses, although her character, if minutely looked into, would have presented very few, if any, marks of real excellence. Like other school

girls of ordinary character. Anna had attached herself to one of her companions in particular, of whom she always spoke in terms of the most exaggerated affection. This young lady, whom we shall call Miss Charlotte Parker, was the daughter of a widow lady in L, a person of considerable figure and fortune in the town; and Miss Parker was, in consequence, made very much of by her governesses, who were, as my reader may have already discovered, persons by no means above worldly considerations. Miss Parker had one sister only, who, as well as herself, was a school-fellow of Anna's. But Miss Jane was considerably younger than her sister; and being a lively child, and much spoiled, was at one time the plaything, and at another the torment of her youthful companions. It is necessary to add, in this place, that these young ladies had each of them a large fortune, independent of their mother, into possession of which they were to enter on coming of age.

The former years of Anna's school career passed, like those of most other school girls in common boarding schools. She idled a great deal of time, and learned very few things that were likely to be useful. The last year, however, which she spent as a parlour-boarder, unfitted her more for her duties as a farmer's daughter than all the preceding years which she had wasted under the Misses Barber's roof. Her friend, Miss Parker, had now left school; and Anna's whole time during this twelvemonth was spent in dressing, preparing for dress, and visiting, either with her friend, or in company with her governesses.

These twelve months of folly began immediately after the Christmas vacation; and as they were the last twelve months to be spent at school, it was settled that Anna should not go home during the summer holidays, in order, as Miss Barber said, that she might enjoy every advantage which the summer months might afford from the best so ciety of the town of L

It is not my present concern to enumerate the assemblies, plays and tea-parties, to which Anna was introduced during this year. It is sufficient that they were all duly recorded, with certain other important particulars, in a lady's memorandum-book for the year, which Anna purchased for the occasion, and to which she often referred, in

after life, with the same painful kind of feelings, as those with which a deposed monarch might be supposed to contemplate the insignia of his former exaltation.

At length the year began to wear fast away, and as the months flew by, Anna began to make some reflections upon the solitude of her father's house, and the very great change she must experience on leaving her present situation as parlour boarder in the Misses Barber's family, to become an inhabitant of the mountain of Wales.

As the time approached for her quitting school, her unpleasant feelings became stronger; so that she not unfrequently awoke in tears, after having dreamed of the great hall and long galleries of her father's house. She had by this time totally lost the pleasing impressions of the days of early childhood, when she was accustomed to dance with delight along those wide galleries, and to address the grim pictures in the hall as ladies and gentlemen come to visit her. She had forgotten the peaceful hours in which she used to sit humming by her mother's side in the little parlour to which she now looked forward with so much dread, and the many happy times when she had accompanied the dairy-maid to milk the cows, and returned laden with buttercups and cowslips.

Poor Anna had lost all her taste for simple pleasures, and had acquired, on the contrary, that love of worldly amusements, dress, company, and admiration, which has tens the destruction of thousands and tens of thousands of our fellow creatures.

Anna's unpleasant feelings about home were at length become so strong, that when, at the beginning of the Christmas vacation, she saw her father's little neat taxed-cart drive up to the door, instead of running to meet her parent with joy, it was some time before she could venture to appear at all in his presence, so excessive was her grief. It was natural indeed that she should feel at parting with her governesses and school-fellows, and it would be harsh indeed to blame her for the indulgence of such feelings; but it was much to be lamented, that she should have received such an education as rendered her domestic duties, the retired life to which she looked forward, and the society of her parents, objects of apprehension to her. And here I cannot but observe, how necessary it is for

parents to pause, and consider whether they are giving to their daughters that kind of education which is calculated to fit them either for the situations they are probably to fill in their parents' houses, or to become the wives of men of the same rank as their own brothers.

We have, as yet, during the course of our narrative, said nothing of religion, or of those higher motives by which a Christian parent should be influenced to train up his son or daughter in an humble course in order to their future exaltation, in submission to the will of our blessed Saviour, who hath said, Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. (Matt. xx. 26, 27.) But we have hitherto addressed ourselves to mere worldly persons, endeavouring only to point out the dissatisfaction to parents themselves which must follow from the ambitious views of fathers and mothers respecting their children, by which they not only render them unfit for the duties of home, but deprive themselves of that comfort which they might more reasonably expect to receive from humbler children.

We will pass over the very strong expressions of Anna's grief when she took leave of her school-fellows and governesses, and found herself seated, by her kind old father, in the taxed-cart. The travellers had already gone sorne miles before she was able to assume any degree of cheerfulness; and when they stopped for the night, (the farmer's horse not being able to take them through in one day,) at a little inn on the side of a common, which Mr. Williams called his half-way house, Anna was glad, while the farmer looked after his horse, to be alone for a few minutes, in order to give way to her grief.

Farmer Williams was not at any time very clear sighted, and was withal so much delighted with the prospect of having his dear child at home, that he had no suspicion of the real cause of Anna's grief, namely, her reluctance to exchange the gaieties of L- for the retirement of a lone farm-house: he therefore, being quite at ease, ordered a hot supper, and sat down, full of glee, to enjoy it. Anna wept herself to sleep that night, and awoke in very low spirits the next morning to continue her journey; during which, however, she succeeded in keeping her grief from