disposition of mind, and great discretion, in a child, when grown up, to
let it be seen, that she mingles reverence with her love, to a parent,
who has talents visibly inferior to her own.

Miss Howe is open, generous, noble. The mother has not any of her fine
qualities. Parents, in order to preserve their children's veneration for
them, should take great care not to let them see any thing in their
conduct, or behaviour, or principles, which they themselves would not
approve of in others.

Mr. Hickman has, however, this consideration to comfort himself with,
that the same vivacity by which he suffers, makes Miss Howe's own mother,
at times, equally sensible. And as he sees enough of this beforehand, he
will have more reason to blame himself than the lady, should she prove as
lively a wife as she was a mistress, for having continued his addresses,
and married her, against such threatening appearances.

There is also another circumstance which good-natured men, who engage
with even lively women, may look forward to with pleasure; a circumstance
which generally lowers the spirits of the ladies, and domesticates them,
as I may call it; and which, as it will bring those of Mr. Hickman and
Miss Howe nearer to a par, that worthy gentleman will have double reason,
when it happens, to congratulate himself upon it.

But after all, I see that there is something so charmingly brilliant and
frank in Miss Howe's disposition, although at present visibly overclouded
by grief, that it is impossible not to love her, even for her failings.
She may, and I hope she will, make Mr. Hickman an obliging wife. And if
she does, she will have additional merit with me; since she cannot be
apprehensive of check or controul; and may therefore, by her generosity
and prudence, lay an obligation upon her husband, by the performance of
what is no more than her duty.

Her mother both loves and fears her. Yet is Mrs. Howe also a woman of
vivacity, and ready enough, I dare say, to cry out when she is pained.
But, alas! she has, as I hinted above, weakened her authority by the
narrowness of her mind.

Yet once she praised her daughter to me with so much warmth for the
generosity of her spirit, that had I not known the old lady's character,
I should have thought her generous herself. And yet I have always
observed, that people of narrow tempers are ready to praise generous
ones:--and thus have I accounted for it--that such persons generally find