No More Learning

Mr. Falkland delighted in the conversa-
nt! of Rose } fromthe exuberance of her
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? SKETCHES OFYOUTH. 2 219
fancy, he endeavoured to extract those
ideas that were most consonant to true
taste, and to establish them upon her mind
as rules to direct her judgment; he taught
her to reason upon subjects, which she had
simply been content to feel; but some-
times, while he was advising, a wild and
visionary idea, impulsively imagined, and
instantaneously uttered, would baffle all
his arguments in a moment. ' *' '? . x>>*
Another week was to terminate their
visit at Matlock; and so powerful was'thc
interest excited by Mrs. Sydney and her
family in the hearts of Mr. ami Mrs. Falk-
land, that not a day was suffered to pass
without the greatest part of it being spent
together, and the time of separation,
was already anticipated with regret. Mr.
Sydney had not been entirely unknown
to Mr. Falkland, though with his fa-
mily, till now, he was personally un-
acquainted; this circumstance mutual! )
increased the interest in each other's v
society, and the name of stranger soon
became that of frierauV ? ^"? i"'- . '
L2
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? NtOS? AND EMILY fi OK,
1 j '* * 1. . * ? *!
- CHAP. XV. . .
Mrs Sy>>ney wished to shew Emily the
wonders of the Peak, and the two fami-
lies formed a party to Castleton, where
they explored the farthest extremity of
the tremendous cavern. --An account of
this place has been so often given, and
the impression it makes on strangers so
often described, that it would be repeat-
ing more than "a twice told tale," to
enter into all its minutia;. The entrance
inspired them with awe and admiration;
the groupe of men, women, and children,
thatwere there emyloyedinmanufacturing
packth read ,chaun ting,as they wen t on with
their work, an old ballad in the provincial
dialect, had a striking and singular effect}
and they stopped to observe them before
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? SKETCHES OF YOUTH. 221
they ventured beyond the narrow cavity
in the rock which leads into the interior
of the cavern ; the preparations for which
produced a great deal of mirth amongst
the whole party. Their hats and bonnet3
were consigned to the care of som. e chil-
dren, who stood ready to receive them;
and a handkerchief put over the head,
and tied under the chin, to defend them
from the damps, gave a ludicrous and
gypsey-looking effect to every counte- i
nance, upon which the flambeau held in
the hand of each, threw a pale and ghastly
glare. Every part of this mysterious
place, this phenomenon of nature, in-
spired them with new wonder,not unmix-
ed with terror, as they surveyed, in som<<
piacesits awful height, in others the over-
hanging projections of rock, which seem-
ed threatening them with destruction.
The boat, in which only one could be ad-
mitted to cross the water, gave them
some alarms, and the point of precedency
was unanimously yielded to Mr. Falkland,
who waited on the opposite side to re-
LS
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? 322 RQse BSHLY; OB,
ceivc them; but when they passed the
next water on tl>eir guide's shoulders,
their terrors were converted into merri-
ment; and Rose, in her . laughter, forget-
ting the torch she held hi her hand, nearly
extinguished. it against the poor man's
face. On an elevation of rock, which.
hears. some resemblance to an orchestra,.
a groupe of singers, who had taken a dif-
ferent route, unseen. by the company, sud-
denly started up with lights in their handsr
and chaunted the 104th psalm. A narrow
bank of sand, raised in the summer by
the side of the stream which flows through
the cavern, conveyed them to its end,
where they saw written' up the names of
many adventurers, proud of their vaiour-
ous exploit in having proceeded to the
extremity of this subterraneous passage.
"When they returned, an exclamation of
delight burst from eyery. lip, on first per-
ceiving, through. the opening by which
they entered, the beautiful effect of day-.
light, which appears like a silver star;
On leaving the cavern, they climbed
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? SKETCHES Or Y0UTH! 423
up the steep hill to the castle, of which
history records little more than that it
was a garisoned baronial residence in the
reign of King John; and tradition re-
ports that it was built by a natural son of
William the conqueror; but as neither
the curiosity nor admiration of the pat ty
was much awakened by. this ruin, they
soon descended the hill, repaired to the
inn to take some refreshments, and re-
turned to Matlock in the evening, leav*
ing unexplored, for that time, the Speed-
well mine, and other wonders of the
Peak.
The,next day, as soon as dinner was
removed, a poor woman, neatly dressed,
entered the room with a basket of fruit
for the desert, leading by the arm a
blind boy, who held in his hand an open
paper, on which were written. a copy of
verses for the perusal of the company.
Rose was leaning over the arm of Isabel,
whose soft eyes were streaming with
tears as she read them, when a sudden
conviction of the author darted across
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? her mind ;;and, directing a quick and
intelligent glance at' Mr. Falkland, shor
pointed to. the paper; he replied by a.
nod and. smilja which told her she was
right in her conjectures. The paper was
returned to . the boy, who was desired by
some of the. company to repeat the lines,
which he did in a distinct and even
touching voice; the subject was him*
self; the sorrow was his own; the peti-
tion, that of poverty.
THE ADDRESS OF THE RLIND BOY.
0 ye! who blest with powers of sight,
,. . . Enjoy the friendly ray,
Give to the poor Wind boy your mite,
And gild his dark of day. . . . . .
By hire no snn w*S ever seen, *? .
No moon with nrbjt pale; ? '. '? 1 ^ ? "<<". '. . u
Ij And cloud-capt hills, and verdure green, i-. . "? ? [
Seem but an idle talc 1? 1u\yt
1 ? ? . . ? ? <? '? . . 'r ? . '. T
He hears of all the starry host,
The firmament on high; '*'/'
To hint creation's works afeJ lost, 's'-
But not the Deity!
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? SltRTeHKS OF >QUTH. 225
For In this darkness so profound,
He feels the chast'ning rod;
And 'midst the thunder's awful sound,
lie hears the mighty God.
For" His sake listen to the prayer
Of one so dead to joy,
And give the little you can spare,
To feed the yoor blind boy.
Many a moistened eye bore testimony
to this affecting appeal to their huma-
nity -, and the benevolent promoter of it
had . reason . to bless the powers of his
muse,. that, for a time, cheered the heart
of the afflicted, and enriched. the hand
of poverty. ' .
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? 226 ROW. AVT7 It. W }K9K?
S'. . lv. w o v. ? ( . '? ' . . ? .
i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
?
CHAP, XVI.
A gentleman, who was at the hotel, had
particularly attracted the observation of
Rose by a manner, which she consider-
ed, as the. very summit of politeness--
"He bows and smiles," she said, " more
than any person I ever saw, and seems
to compliment every one. " "True, my
love," replied her mother; *' yet I
should not consider these bows, smiles,
and compliments, as the result of real po-
liteness, but rather its mockery. " "In
what then, my dear mamma, does po-
liteness consist? " "Not entirely in
these exterior marks; genuine polite-
ness, to be graceful and consistent, must
have its seat in the heart, and its man-
ner may be defined by the concise and
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? SKETCHES OF YOUTH. 227
e
beautiful expression of St. Paid, ' in ho-
nour preferring one another. ' No sel-
fishness must ever appear; for a wish to
promote the ease and comfort of others,
independent of our own, is one of the
first principles of this virtue.
"There is also an artificial politeness,
which the claims of society oblige us all
to assume, if the genuine quality be not
inherent in our natures; but its value is
that of a Bristol stone compared with a
diamond; it must not, however, be de-
spised or rejected; the ordinary com-
merce of the world demands from us a
strict attention to its customs and civi-
lities; and these can never be violated
without offence or rudeness. Without
any of the graces or polish of politeness,
a person will not be deficient*? ! ) its prin-
ciples, if he never irftentionally sports
with the feelings of a fellow-creature, by
looks, words, and actions.
'Large bounties to bestow we wish in vain,
But all may shun the guilt of giving pain,'
has been expressively said by a moderij
l6
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? 228 ROSE AND KMILY; Ott,
female writer; and the remark does equal
honour both to her head and heart. How
frequently have I seen an amiable mind
hurt by ill-timed raillery, or a^blunt re-
mark upon some peculiarity of person or
manner. You remember your uncle and
aunt, Richards, who visited us last sum-
mer. Both are fat, and, as they travelled
in their gig, a gentleman laughably ob-
served, theyJilfed it well: another, more
remarkable for his satirical than hi? , good
humour, added, that they would fill a,post-
chaise well. Your aunt, to whom thi&
ridicule was addressed, replied, ' Nay my
good friend, say a coach at oncebut
though she parried it'with sprightliness,
I saw a passing flush upon her cheek; and
a momentary look of vexation ; her? good
sense, and good humour,' soon, ? however,
banished the uneasiness these jo/res occa-
sioned^! ; Oh mamma," said . Rose,
"was it not that sleek-looking Mr. Ham-
mond who laughed at my aunt? I often
thought he jested a great deal too m. uch
upon her being fat^. and I thought. too,.
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? SKETCHES OF YOUTH.
that if he were as fat, he would not be so
very ill-natured. I am sure he looks like
the skeleton knight who carried offthe fair
Imogen, and I wish my aunt had told him
so. " "His remark upon her, my love,
would have warranted 'the retort; but
your aunt was too kind,'and had too much
tr? ue poiite? icsstomiike n reply which would
have been wounding to his vanity,or mor-
tifying. to his self. love. No one can en-
dure to have the shafts of ridicule pointed
against himself. though so many are always ?
ready to aim'them at others; and the
petty pride of saying, as it may be thought,'
a clever thing, is frequently indulged
at the expence, not only of politeness,
but even humanity. I know no talent
more easily acquired, or more offensive
to society, than that of ridicule; very
moderate abilities will suffice for its at-
tainment; but persons who are unfortu-
nate enough to possess it, in attempting
to be witty, frequently become malevo-
lent,. When its object is to humble pride,
to repress conceit and affectation, or to
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? SSO ROSE AKD EMILY } OR,
correct a moral failing, then it is justi-
fiable in its utmost extent; for its power
is often found more effective than that of
reason; but when it aims at mortifying
the unassuming, at sporting with a defect
of nature, (which perhaps maybe secretly
felt and silently deplored by the sufferer)
it is a species of rudeness and cruelty
which I never knew a truly sensible or
elegant mind capable of committing.
How grieved should I be, to find either
of my dear girls guilty of it. Whenever
you are disposed to laugh at another, re-
flect for a moment, upon your own fail-
ings, and ask yourself whether you would
like to have them exposed to derision.
Mimicry is another kind of ridicule I
equally condemn. The organization of
every frame is not in the same degree
perfect. Many defects possibly may be
corrected by art and our own endeavours;
but there are. some which no skill can
conquer. When I see the blind, the
lame, or the crooked imitated in jest, my
heart revolts at the folly and wickedness
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? SKETCHES OF YOUTH. 23T
of those who mimic them; and I cannot
but reflec t, that if they were visited by a
similar affliction, how little they would
be entitled to pity. Ridicule of etfery
description has its origin in vanity or ma-
levolence; people only laugh at defects
or singularities from which they believe
themselves exempt; and thus they flatter
their own self-love, while they wound
that of another; but I am wandering,
my children, from the subject of polite-
ness to what I consider its actual reverse.
It shall, however, end here, and we will
speak of Fanny Belmont,"--" Whose
nose, my dear mamma," interrupted
Rose, "I no longer think too short,' or
whose mouth too wide. How pretty she
looked yesterday, with the tears standing
upon her dark eye-lashes, while the poor
boy was repeating his verses. " "I am
glad, my Rose," said her mother, " that
you begin to discover there are higher
beauties than those of mere feature or
complexion; and that in the graces of
feeling, and the illuminations of intellect,
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? ROSE AND KMILYJ OR,
you now perceive ' a something than
beauty dearer. '"
The admiration of what Rose consider- ,
ed the beautiful in person, and which fre. <<
quentlyled her to form erroneous opinions
and partialities, and, when it did not meet
her eye, to take as unjust prejudices, had
not escaped the penetration of Mrs. Falk-
land, who, one morning when Fanny and
her uncle were gone out . riding, and she,
with the rest of the party, had strolled into
the woods, andhad taken possession of one
of their favourite seats, good-humouredly
proposed herself as the subject of the morn-
ing; and like a fair heroine in romance,
relate her own history. Rose seated her-
self at her feat, with her arm. ? thrown
across her knees; and htjV; bright blue
eyes lifted up to her face; "Do, dear
Mrs. Falkland, tell us every thing about
yourself} we cannot have toomuchof asub-
ject we all so dearly love. " "But do you
think, Rose , you can be silent foranhour? "
O yes, for two if you are speaking. "
"I . will; try you then ; andyou shall hear
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? skktcii'eS op it&vrtir.
** 27/e Narrative. of a Beauty" , _
"In spite of taf 'large noseV'n^libw
eyes, stinken mouth, and double chin, I
was a beauty in my youth. The menj who
crowded around me, swore that the fire
which illumined my eyes was stolen from
Heaven; that the smile which played
about my mouth was borrowed from the
Graces; that my teeth were pearls, and*
my dimple the cradle of Cupid. My
form, though now more than en bonpoint,
was then light and slender, and my move-
ments in the dance compared to the airy
gracefulness of a sylph. Observe me
now: I am not yet so old as to expect a
speedy summons to another world; yet,'
what remains of those charms which we
prize more than wisdom, which attract
the gaze of the young; and the adulation'
of the inexperienced, while we negleet the1
better qualities of the mind and heart;
qualities hot Only imperishable, but pro-
gressive in their state of excellence? Of
their value I was not convinced till late;
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? 234
ROSE ANJt> EMILY; OB,
perhaps not till the fragile forms of beau-
ty were beginning to decay.
** I had several brothers and one sister;
the latter was then in every respect a con-
trast to myself; awl the conscious superio-
rity of mypersonal advantages,sometimes
led me topractiseaspeciesaf petty triumph
? which I now blush to remember, and
which her gentle temper felt, but never
? resented. How often has her mild eye
pleaded for pity! How often have the
soft accents of her voice intrcated for-
bearance! while I, inflated with vanity,
and arrogant with pride, was insensible
to every appeal; and, mistaking raillery
for wit, directed its poisonous shafts
against an unoffending sister,onlybecause
I saw she was less handsome than myself! .
"My sister was simply called Fanny; I
was Margaret ? eraphin. a- My parents
had, from my infiincyv . (distinguished me
by the first name. ;. . but when I began to
read romances, . and; fancied myself suffi-
ciently beautiful to become tile heroine of
one* J begged them adopt . the latter
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? SKETCHES OF YOUTH. . . 23'5
appellation; for who ever heard of a lovely
an angelic Margaret? But Seraphina
sounded heavenly! My father smiled, tny
mother approved, and from that moment
I became Seraphina. I had the name
marked at full length upon my handker-
chiefs, written on my visiting cards, and
engraven on my seal; but what extacy
did I experience, on first reading in our
provincial paper, ' A Sonnet to Seraphi-
na! ' for in those days I had sonnets to
my beauty, elegies on my cruelty, and
epigrams on my wit.
"While my sister was in the morning
pursuing with my father, in his library, a
course of intellectual study,I was with my
mother debating on the most becoming
fashion of a hat or gown, and practising
the little airs and graces which 1 intended
to display in the evening*' ;? . ?
"Fanny was enthusiastically fond of
music as a science, and excelled on the
piano; I liked it as a fashion,. ahd because
it varied my powers of attraction; as these
were my sole objectsin the study, I soon
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? ? 36 ROSE AND EMILY } OB,
resigned the piano for the harp, which af-
forded me a finer opportunity of displaying
mywhitearms and graceful figure ; totally
indifferent to the performance, I only
wished to look a St. Cecilia, and I always
found spectators,though I might not boast
of listeners. The young men fluttered
around me with exclamations ofc divine!
charming! ' I attracted through the me-
dium of sight, but Fanny rivetted every
ear, and won the plaudits of science,taste,
and feeling. Webothsung; themovement
of my rosy lips charmed the eye, while
Fanny's voice touched every heart. We
danced; and in this accomplishment my
triumph was complete. I bounded, flew;
and all the soul I had rose in the mazes of
a dance; while Fanny, timidly retiring. . :
from observation, would frequently plead
lassitude to escape from,whatshethought,
an exhibition of her person; 1 You may
dance, Serqjhina,' she would say, 'you
ought to dance; but //--/ am happier
in my father's library, or when I play and
sing to him. '
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? SKETCHES OF YOUTH. 237
"Such were we, when Henry Belmont
Was introduced to our family. He had
passed through the career of the schools
with unremitting diligence, and had left
the university crowned with literary ho-
nours and unblemished reputation. He
had just been presented to a valuable
living in our neighbourhood, and his cha-
racter rendered my father desirous of his
friendship* To the superior distinctions
of a well. educated man, he united the
graceful elegance of a fashionable one.