erior to those of several young
ladies who had been for some time members of the school. Among the
pupils who at the time attended the institution was a Miss Carlton, from
the distant city of H. She was the petted and only child of wealthy
parents; and, as is often the case, her disposition, which, under proper
training, might have been amiable, had been spoiled by unwise indulgence
on the part of her parents. Her capacity for learning was not good; she
was also sadly wanting in application, and, at the time Emma entered the
school, although Miss Carlton had attended for more than a year, her
progress in study was far from being satisfactory to her teachers. She
was at much pains to inform her classmates of her wealth and position,
seeming to entertain the idea that this would cover every defect. Owing
to Emma's superior attainments, compared with her own, she soon learned
to regard her with a feeling of absolute dislike, which she took little
pains to conceal; and many were the petty annoyances she endured from
the vain and haughty Julia Carlton. She soon learned that Emma was poor,
and that her mother toiled early and late to defray the expenses of her
education; and more than once she threw out hints regarding this fact,
among the other pupils, even in hearing of Emma; and, as often as
opportunity offered, she slighted the unoffending girl, and treated her
with all the rudeness of which she was capable. "Let those who wish
associate with Miss Ashton," she would often say to her companions; "but
I am thankful that I have been better taught at home than to make a
companion of a girl whose mother is obliged to take in sewing to pay her
school bills." These and other remarks equally malicious were daily made
by Miss Carlton; and I am sorry that she soon found others in the school
who were weak enough to be influenced by her also to treat Emma with
coldness and contempt. Emma could not long fail to notice the many
slights, both direct and indirect, which she endured from many members
of the school, and she taxed her memory to recall any act by which she
might have given offence; but, finding herself unable to recollect any
thing on her part which could have offended any member of the school,
she was not a little puzzled to account for the rudeness with which she
was treated. It happened one day that during recess she remained at her
desk in the school-room to complete an unfinished French exercise.
Several of her companions