one that could not be repeated too often to young people, who are ever apt
to take up either partialities or prejudices too strongly, and whose
judgment has ever occasion for the attempering lessons of experience.

CHAPTER II.

At length the long-wished-for day arrived, and the young foreigner made her
appearance in the family of Mr. Harewood. She was a fine, handsome-looking
girl, and though younger in fact, was taller and older-looking than Ellen,
but was not nearly so well shaped, as indolence, and the habit of being
carried about instead of walking, had occasioned her to stoop, and to move
as if her limbs were too weak to support her.

The kindness and politeness with which she was received in the family of
Mr. Harewood, did not appear to affect the Barbadoes girl in any other
way than to increase that self-importance which was evidently her
characteristic; and even the mild, affectionate Ellen, who had predisposed
her heart to love her very dearly, shrunk from the proud and haughty
expression which frequently animated her features, and was surprised to
hear her name her mamma with as much indifference as if she were a common
acquaintance; for Ellen did not know that the indulgence of bad passions
hardens the heart, and renders it insensible to those sweet and tender ties
which are felt by the good and amiable, and which constitute their highest
happiness.

In a very short time, it became apparent that passion and peevishness were
also the traits of this unfortunate child, who had been indulged in the
free exercise of a railing tongue, and even of a clawing hand, towards
the numerous negro dependants that swarmed in her father's mansion, over
whom she had exercised all the despotic sovereignty of a queen, with the
capriciousness of a petted child, and thereby obtained a habit of tyranny
over all whom she deemed her inferiors, as appeared from the style in which
she now conducted herself constantly towards the menials of Mr. Harewood's
family, and not unfrequently towards the superiors.

For a few days Mr. Harewood bore with this conduct, and only opposed
it with gentleness and persuasion; but as it became evident that this
gentleness emboldened the mistaken child to proceed to greater rudeness, he
commenced a new style of treatment, and the English education of Matilda,
so far as concerned that most important part of all education, the
management of the temper, in the following manner:

On the family be