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how honourable it is for a man to raise himself in the world by fair means, and then to help forward his poor relations and friends; engaging their fervices by his kindness, and endeavouring to turn his own advancement in life to the best account, that of making it the inftrument of affifting those who had a natural claim to his protection.

Mrs. Bragwell was an excellent mistress, according to her own notions of excellence; for no one could say that she ever loft an opportunity of fcolding a fervant, or was ever guilty of the weakness of overlooking a fault. Towards her two daughters her behaviour was far otherwise. In them she could fee nothing but perfections; but her extravagant fondness for these girls was full as much owing to pride as to affection. She was bent on making a family, and having found out that she was too ignorant, and too much trained to the habits of getting money, ever to hope to make a figure herself, fhe looked

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to her daughters as the persons who were to raise the family of the Bragwells; and in this hope fhe foolishly fubmitted to any drudgery for their fakes, and bore every kind of impertinence from them.

The first wifh of her heart was to fet them above their neighbours; for she used to fay, what was the use of having fubftance, if her daughters might not carry themselves above girls who had nothing? To do her juftice, fhe herself would be about early and late to fee that the business of the house was not neglected. She had been bred to great industry, and continued to work when it was no longer neceffary, both from early habit, and the defire of heaping up money for her daughters. Yet her whole notion of gentility was, that it confifted in being rich and idle; and though fhe was willing to be a drudge herself, she refolved to make her daughters gentlewomen on this principle. To be well dreffed, to eat elegantly, and to do nothing, or nothing which is of any ufe,

was

was what the fancied distinguished people in genteel life. And this is too common a notion of a fine education among a certain class; they do not efteem things by their ufe, but by their fhow. They estimate the value of their children's education by the money it cofts, and not by the know ledge and goodness it beftows. People of this stamp often take a pride in the expence of learning, instead of taking pleafure in the advantages of it. And the filly vanity of letting others fee that they can afford any thing, often fets parents on letting their daughters learn not only things of no use, but things which may be really hurtful in their fituation; either by setting them above their proper duties, or by taking up their time in a way inconfiftent

with them.

Mrs. Bragwell fent her daughters to a boarding school, where fhe inftructed them to hold up their heads as high as any body; to have more fpirit than to be put upon by any one; never to be pitiful about money,

money, but rather to fhew that they could afford to spend with the beft; to keep company with the richest and most fashionable girls in the school, and to make no acquaintance with Farmer's Daughters.

They came home at the usual age of leaving school, with a large portion of vanity grafted on their native ignorance. The vanity was added, but the ignorance was not taken away. Of Religion they could not poffibly learn any thing, fince none was taught, for at that place Christianity was confidered as a part of education which belonged only to charity fchools. They went to church indeed once a Sunday, yet effectually to counteract any benefit fuch an attendance might produce, it was the rule of the school that they should ufe only French prayer-books; of course, fuch fuperficial scholars as Mifs Bragwells would always be literally praying in an unknown tongue: while girls of better capacity and more induftry would infallibly be picking out the nominative cafe,

the

the verb, and participle of a foreign language, in the folemn act of kneeling before the Father of Spirits, "who fearch"eth the heart and tryeth the reins." During the remainder of the Sunday they learnt their worldly tafks, all except actual needle-work, which omiffion alone marked -the diftinction of Sunday from other days; and the governess being a French Roman Catholic, it became a doubtful point with fome people, whether her zeal or her negligence in the article of religion would be moft to the advantage of her pupils. Of knowledge the Mifs Bragwells had got juft enough to laugh at their fond parents' ruftic manners and vulgar language, and just enough tafte to defpife and ridicule every girl who was not as vainly dreffed as themselves.

The mother had been comforting herself for the heavy expence of their bringing up, by looking forward to the pleasure of seeing them become fine ladies, and the pride of marrying them above their station;

and

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