be as inefficacious as instruction without prayer. That it was
like a husbandman who should expect that praying for sunshine should
produce a crop of corn in a field where not one grain had been sown.
God, indeed, _could_ effect this, but he does not do it; and the means
being of his own appointment, his omnipotence is not less exerted, by
his directing certain effects to follow certain causes, than it would be
by any arbitrary act." As it was evident that she did not choose to
quarrel with me, she contented herself with saying coldly, that she
perceived I was a _legalist_, and had but a low view of divine things.

At tea I found the young ladies took no more interest in the
conversation, than they had done at dinner, but sat whispering and
laughing, and netting white silk gloves till they were summoned to the
harpsichord. Despairing of getting on with them in company, I proposed a
walk in the garden. I now found them as willing to talk, as destitute of
any thing to say. Their conversation was vapid and frivolous. They laid
great stress on small things. They seemed to have no shades in their
understanding, but used the strongest terms for the commonest occasions,
and admiration was excited by things hardly worthy to command attention.
They were extremely glad, and extremely sorry, on subjects not
calculated to excite affections of any kind. They were animated about
trifles, and indifferent on things of importance. They were, I must
confess, frank and good-natured, but it was evident, that as they were
too open to have any thing to conceal, so they were too uninformed to
have any thing to produce: and I was resolved not to risk my happiness
with a woman who could not contribute her full share toward spending a
wet winter cheerfully in the country.

The next day, all the hours from breakfast to dinner were devoted to the
harp. I had the vanity to think that this sacrifice of time was made in
compliment to me, as I had professed to like music; till I found that
all their mornings were spent in the same manner, and the only fruit of
their education, which seemed to be used to any purpose was, that after
their family devotions in the evening, they sung and played a hymn. This
was almost the only sign they gave of intellectual or spiritual life.
They attended morning prayers if they were dressed before the bell rang.
One morning when they did not appear till late, they were reproved by
their father; Mrs. Ranby said, "she shou