er daughters as the persons who were
to raise the family of the Bragwells; and to this hope she foolishly
submitted to any drudgery for their sakes and bore every kind of
impertinence from them.

The first wish of her heart was to set them above their neighbors;
for she used to say, what was the use of having substance, if her
daughters might not carry themselves above girls who had nothing? To
do her justice, she herself would be about early and late to see
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
necessary, both from early habit, and the desire of heaping up
money for her daughters. Yet her whole notion of gentility was, that
it consisted in being rich and idle; and, though she was willing to
be a drudge herself, she resolved to make her daughters gentlewomen
on this principle. To be well dressed, to eat elegantly, and to do
nothing, or nothing which is of any use, was what she fancied
distinguished people in genteel life. And this is too common a
notion of a fine education among a certain class; they do not esteem
things by their use, but by their show. They estimate the value of
their children's education by the money it costs, and not by the
knowledge and goodness it bestows. People of this stamp often take a
pride in the expense of learning, instead of taking pleasure in the
advantage of it. And the silly vanity of letting others see that
they can afford any thing, often sets parents on letting their
daughters learn not only things of no use, but things which may be
really hurtful in their situation; either by setting them above
their proper duties, or by taking up their time in a way
inconsistent with them.

Mrs. Bragwell sent her daughters to a boarding-school, where she
instructed them to hold up their heads as high as any body; to have
more spirit than _to be put upon_ by any one; never to be pitiful
about money, but rather to show that they could afford to spend with
the best; to keep company with the richest and most fashionable
girls in the school, and to make no acquaintance with the farmers'
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 possibly learn any thing, since none was taught, for at that
place Christianity was considered as a part of ed