Flora Lyndsay

, when Miss Carr walked into the room, where Flora was employed

arted off the moment he saw me coming up to the do

in town, Miss Carr. You have favo

ortable in your morning costume, that you have no reason to be ashamed. I like to come upon people unawares,-to see them as they really are. You are welcome to come and see me in my ni

from her odd companion, and hiding it away in the table-drawe

o judge of sewing,-never set a stitch in my life. It must be a

hook he

kes in all such gimcracks. Send what you've g

aid Flora, gre

angry

angry; but you

h a loud, jovial peal of merriment, which rang so clearly from her healthy

ut on what does not suit them, and to make monstrous frights of themselves to dress in the mode. You must have a morning-gown, a dinner-dress, and an evening costume; all to be shifted and changed in the same day, consuming a deal of time, which might be enjoyed in wholesome exercise. I have no patience with such folly. The animals, let me tell you, are a great deal better off than their

instruct our first parents to make

wn fault that they ever required such trumpery, entailing upon their posterity a curse as bad as the thorns and thistles. For I always consider it as such, when sweltering und

ather mischievously, and glancing down at Miss Wilhe

your windows every day, with petticoats cut three or four inches shorter than mine. You perceive no harm in that. 'It is the fashion of her country,' you cry. Custom banishes from our minds the idea of impropriety; and the naked savage of the woods is as modest as the closely covered civilian. Now, why am I compelled to wear long petticoats drabbl

in disdain-simply remarking-'what fools men are!' So, you don't like my short petticoats? and I hate your long ones. First, because they are slatternly and inconvenient; seco

will not quarrel about it. I think it wiser, however, in or

than two minutes, that you transgress dail

is now considered by all ladies a

grace and just proportions of the female form. A monstrous pi

nty years Flor

ou with your own weapons. There is no slipping past the horns of that dilemma. You refuse to wear a hump

my own admission," said Flora; "b

Acknowledge the defeat with a good grace. Let us shake ha

ra, rather embarrassed, at the request, pa

do you contrive to keep up your spirits

o artificial stimulants, to

the violent exercise I take. I do not object to a glass of

iss Carr, I will se

So, you cannot afford a little luxury like wine? My child, I p

e received so many blessings, on that account," said Flo

e without it. What should I be, without money? An antiquated, despised old maid-and with all my expensive habits, and queer notions, the very b

very popular with the y

andful of small silver coin into the middle of the first group of boys I find in my path. The next time they see me coming they cry out lu

" said Flora; "no wonder the bo

d communicate my experience. People like to talk of themselves-to tell portions of their history; it relieves their minds. T

never knew-she died when I was an infant. My father hired a good-natured, easy kind of woman, to be nurse. She was a widow, without children, whom he afterwards promoted to the head of his table. She was his third wife. He had one son by his first marriage, who had been born in Scotland, and adopted by a rich uncle. He afterwards got a

lady, in my own conceit. I knew, that the moment I became of age, I was my own mist

heir ignorance. She always treated me as a superior. My father was very fond of her. These passive women are always great favourites with men. They have no decided character of their own, and become the mere echoes of superior minds. A vain man loves to see his own reflection in one of these domestic magnifying gl

have made!' When I grew a tall girl, I became more independent still, and virtually was mistress of the house. My father sent me to school. I learnt quickly enough; but I was expelled from hal

urgeon, and, when his term expired, had enabled him, from the same source, to walk the hospitals and attend the necessary lectures. Henr

abounding in frolic and fun, full of quaint, witty sayings, and the very incarnation of mischief. We took amazing

loved me. I considered myself handsome and fascinating. All young people think so, if they are ever so ordinary. It be

I did not believe them. They laughed at my snub nose and carrotty l

love to ramble from one subject to another. Do just tell me, why

er, put point blank. Flora could not avoid

y is always open to objections. But there are a great many modifications of these rules. Elegance of form, grace of ma

snub nose would have been considered a beauty in Africa. My red hair would have been admired in Italy; but there is no struggling against national prejudices; and these bull-headed English are the most prejudiced animals under the sun-

done for him, which kept him silent. This was a foolishly romantic notion of mine. But there was a touch of romance a

observed in such matters, which ties a woman's tongue, and obliges her to wait with all humility, until she is asked by some man, whom perhaps she does not care a fi

shamed at my time of life, of a thing which happened such a long time ago-I wa

ast woman on earth he should wish to make his wife; that as to money, it was certainly a great inducement, but not enough t

me all this. How I have hated all h

of all such ridiculous weakness then and for ever. I s

up in his scientific studies. I only saw him occasionally, and then my nonsense amused him. He pined after my step-mother; and very shortly

he world, and determined to travel over as much of its surface as I possib

many extraordinary scenes; and I have come to the conclusion, that the world after all is not such a terr

chair, exclaiming, "Holloa! that's my dinner-hour. It will take me ten minutes to get home, and the fish will be quite spoilt.

er the interview until her husband came ho

to co