the country, where she could not get masters for them.

The prepossessing appearance and distinguished manners that adorned Amelrosa, united with her superior attainments, that surpassed in every respect, the other females who had applied, entirely gained the lady's approbation; and having received a favorable character of her from Mr. and Mrs. Melville, she did not hesitate a moment, but instantly engaged her.

This lady, whose name was Skinner, was a Creole, and the wife of a rich West-India merchant, who had lately sailed for Jamaica on some important business. She was a little thin dark woman, with so much the air of a vixen, that could Amelrosa have procured any thing better, and not been apprehensive of pecuniary distress, she would not have engaged herself with her, from her forbidding countenance. Her two daughters resembled their mother

in

in person, being very swarthy; but their youth made them look more lively and pleasing. Martha, the eldest, was twelve years of age; and Anne, the youngest,

eleven.

A week after this new engagement, Amelrosa accompanied Mrs. Skinner and her children to their country seat, situated in the north of England, in a remote part of Northumberland. The house was a handsome modern edifice, standing on an elevated piece of ground, and surrounded with an extensive lawn and barren heath beyond it. Not a tree was to be seen, except a few firs, most of them blighted with the wind or stunted in their growth. A good kitchen garden with a high wall to defend it from the northern blast, was at some distance, in a situation less exposed; and about a mile from the house was a small village, consisting of a few straggling cottages, but it was ten miles distant from any town.

Neither the habitation, or the mistress of it, were agreeable to Amelrosa on a further knowledge; for the former was cold and gloomy, and the prospect round it dreary in the extreme; and the latter, not in any degree, such as she could feel happy at being dependant on. Her temper was violent, and she was haughty, capricious, and deceitful what pleased her one hour, she detested the next. To her children she was so ridiculously indulgent, that it was painful for any person to live with them, and much more to have the task of instructing them.

Yet while she yielded and encouraged their whims, ill-humour, and idleness, she was so unreasonable as to expect, that whoever instructed Martha and Anne, were to render them exceedingly well informed and accomplished. They had indeed good abilities; but if they were not suffered to apply themselves to their studies, except when

when their own inclination dictated, how was it possible they could attain any useful and lasting knowledge; and if not allowed to be reprimanded, or midly corrected, af ter being guilty of a fault, it was impossible they could be amended of their errors or become amiable.

They had likewise, one propensity, which a good mother, that properly loved her children, and considered their future welfare, should have corrected, and represented in the improper light it merited, till they were ashamed of it. This was a constant habit of telling untruths; and if any of the people about them offended Martha or Anne, in the most trifling degree, they were sure to invent some shocking falshood, and inform their weak mother of it; who firmly believed them in preference to every other person.

Amelrosa often trembled at the violent

K 4

passions

passions these little tyrants would throw themselves into, on the most insignificant occasions; and injured their health likewise, by continually crying, as they were as peevish as passionate a very extraor dinary combination in their dispositions; for violent tempers are seldom fretful.

success.

Amelrosa endeavored by gentle reproofs and rewards that pleased them, to mollify their passions and make them attentive to their employments; but generally without The slightest punishment she dared not inflict, convinced they would in revenge, invent some falsity of her, which they had already done in consequence of her reproving them. To have untruths told of her, was a circumstance of all others, she dreaded; and having been educated by Lady Archdale to love not any thing equal to truth, and to abhor falsehood; she considered a liar as the most dangerous of all characters, and worse even than a dishonest

person,