No More Learning

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.
His conversation marked both the scholar
and the gentleman. With my parents he
was serious and respectful, yet always
easy ; with us he was more lively and ani-
mated; yet, accustomed as I had been
to conquest, for the first time in my life
I felt doubtful of pleasing: and while I
listened to his conversation, I was even
awed into silence, even forgot I was a
beauty. My glass, however, soon recall-
ed me to a sense of my charms, and I
dressed myself with more than my usual
solicitude.
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? 238 pose arft> emily; or,
"At dinner he was placed opposite me,
and by the side of Fanny. I directed my
? whole artillery of attractions against him,
and hoped for my usual success: but he
appeared equally regardless of my lan-
guishings or mysmiles,myplaintivetones,
or my sallies of sportiveness; and as he
conversed with my sister, I observed he
/ even bent over her with an attentive
gaze. I felt stung with dnvy$and mentally
enquired, 'in what personal attraction can
Fanny compare with me? The colour of
her eyes was undecided; it is true they
were shaded by long. dark eye-lashes which
gave them a mild and pleasing expression;
her mouth was not small, but her teeth
were white and even; her nose was a. little
retrousse; her complexion brown, though
clear; and her form possessed neither
the lightness nor the symmetry of mine.
As he led her to the instrument, I saw
that he pressed her hand; and when she
arose to give place to another lady, im-
printed a kiss upon it. Fanny's modest
eye sunk to the ground and her 4 eloquent
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? SKETCHES (C)F; YOUTH. '' 239
blood spokeinher:cheeks,'at this instance
of tender gallantry! I had often received
the same compliment, but never with the
same respect; and my heart again invo-
luntarily enquired, 'In what ts my younger
sister my superior, that she thus engages
the attention^ and wins the admiration of
the only man from whomlsliould be proud
to receive them? ' My vanity had hitherto
been flattered, my self-love gratified; I
had been pleased with those who did
homage to my beauty. ; but 'had never
entertained a sentiment of respect for
any one; Belmont alone had inspired me
with it, and he Was insensible to my
charms, and attracted by my sister!
"On retiring to rest, Fanny, as usual,
stopped at the door of my apartment to
? wish me good-night, and give the parting
kiss of peace and rove ; she had stretched
out her arms to embrace me; I shrunk
from them, and coldlysaid, 'Good-night. '
'Only good-night,' she exclaimed;'my Se-
raphina, my dear Seraphina! What have I
done, how have I offended, that thus you
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? 240 HOSE AND EMILY j OR,
would part from me? I implore you to tell
me;' and she held out the hand which Bel-
mont had kissed ; I flung it from me, and
rushing into my chamber,bolted the door.
In vain she intreated for admittance, and
I heard her sigh deeply as she passed
along the gallery into her own room.
"Alone, apd all silent around me, I
began to reflect upon my conduct. It was
the first time I had ever seriously com-
muned with my own heart, "and it rose in
reproaches against me. Though I had
. sometimes indulged myself in ridiculing
Fanny,it proceeded more from a desire of
appearing lively and witty, than from ab-
solutely considering her an object of such
unfeeling sport; and the gentle manner
in which she always received my jests, had,
in spite of my self-love, endeared her the
more closely to my affcctioiis. In the ad-
justment of my dress, how solicitous she
had always proved herself; and would
hasten to complete her own to assist in
mine; howunretorting at my petulance;
how consoling when any disappointment
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? SKETCHES OF YOUTHS* 241
corroded my spirits; how kind,liow placid'
at all times; she seemed to live but for
the happiness and blessing of others.
How submissive had she always been
under that neglect which would have
morthied, have maddened me; how
readily yielded to me the dominijn of
captivating without a murmur or a sigh;
end now, the only man whose attentions
had ever been pointedly directed to her,
I was ambitions of attaching to myself!
"Though my temper was naturally vio-
lent,from having been always uncontroul-
ed, and though I was impatient under any
disappointment,my heart wasneither cold
nor unfeeling; and as these reflections
pressed upon my mind, I burst into tears,
and wished to seek and ask forgiveness of
my;gentleFanny,for the caprice and injus-
ticeof my conduct. I stole out of myroom
and tapped at her door; she opened it
immediately, and I threw myself into her
arms. 'I have been unjust, my Fanny, un-
kind, capricious,ridiculous! Will you par-
don me r' 'Can Seraphina doubt it? 1 will
not even enquire the cause, lest it should
M
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? 242 ROSE AM) EMILY; OR,
t>e more lastingly remembered; it is
enoughthatyou regretit. 1 wasconvmced,
my sister, that you could not be happy^
whatever was the circumstance in which
your error originated; I therefore expect-
ed this visit, and have continued to read
in the hope of seeing you. ' I telt humbled
that she shouldimpute error to mc, though
1 was but too conscious of it myself, and
was leaving the room without a reply. She
threw her arms round me ; and the tender
pressure of her lips to mine, the sweet tone
in which she pronounced 'God bless you! '
as she raised her soft eyes to Heaven, re-
stored me wholly to her--' God bless my
sister! ' we each repeated, and separated.
"I felt consoled as I returned to my
chamber, that we were reconciled without
my having experienced the humiliation of
any direct avowal of my folly ; but I was
astonished and mortified when I reflected
upon the composure of her manner; and
that she could quietly read, whilst I had
been tortured by conflicting emotions;
but such are ever the advantages which
well-regulated minds have over those that
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? SKETCHES Of "YOUTH. *4<<
yield to every instant impulse.