The Parent's Assistant

ers Sophia and Marianne. They had taken much care of the education of their children; nor were they ever tempted,

umstances in forming the characters and the manners, they were now anxious that the variety of new idea

f the whole; and from the superficial view which they can have in short visits and desultory conversation, they can form only

in the choice of their acquaintances, as they were well aware that whate

y came late in the season, almost all the lodging houses were full, and for a few weeks t

ter Bertha, were their silent neighbours. The blooming complexion of the lady had indeed attracted the attention of the children, as they caught a glimpse o

d her dress from the wheel of the carriage, as he handed her in. From this circumstance, and from the benevolent countenance of the old gentleman, they

us. The very first day she met Mrs. Montague's children on the stairs, she stopped to tell Marianne that she was a charming dear, and a charming little dear; to kiss her, to inquire her name, and to inform her that her own name was "Mrs. Theresa Tattle," a circumstance of which there

ulted the subscriptions to the circulating libraries, and the lists at the Ball and the Pump-rooms: so that, with a memory unencumbered with literature, and free from all domestic cares, she contrived to retain a most astonishing and cor

ents, she knew was a good name, and justified in courting the acquaintance. She courted it first by nods, and becks and smiles at Marianne whenever she met her; and Marianne, who was a very little girl, began presently to nod and smile in return, persuaded that a lady who smiled so much, could not be ill-natured. Besides, Mrs. Theresa's parlour door was sometimes

ave been induced to take, if she had not been unaccountably bewitched by Miss Marianne's striking though highly flattering resemblance to a young gentleman (an officer) with whom she had danced, now nearly twelve years ago, of the name of Montague, a most respectable young man, and of a most respectable family, with which, in a remote degree, she might presume to say, she herself was someway connected, having the honour to be nearl

Montague that "some people thought his system of education rather odd; that she should be obliged to him if he would, some time or other, when he had nothing else to do, just sit down a

bout the attacks with which he was threatened, Mrs. Tattle next addressed herself to Mrs. Montague, prophesying, in a most serious whisper, "that the charming Mis

's understanding, because three days afterwards Mrs. Theresa, upon the most anxious

were affected; and that she certainly ought to drink the waters morning and evening; and above all things, must keep one of the patirosa lozenges constantly in her mouth, and directly consult Dr. Cardamum, the best physic

k; only she might venture to repeat what she had heard said by good authority, that a competency of the dead tongues could be had nowhere but at a public school, or else from a private tutor who had been abroad (after the advantage of a classical education, finished in one of the universities) with a good family; without which introduction it was idle to

kes of flattery. Sophy, though very desirous of the approbation of her friends, was not very desirous of winning the favour of strangers. She was about thirteen-that dangerous age at which ill educated girls, in their anxiety to display their accomplishments, are apt

e those whom she wished to please, without affecting to be anything but what she really was; and her friends listened to what she said, though she never repea

remarks concerning grace and manners much attended to. Her mother had taught Sophy that it was best to let herself alone, and not to distort either her person or her mi

so unformed, before my eyes from morning to night, it would certainly break my

ill she had done, would say, after praising Marianne's hair or her eyes, "Oh, but little ladies should never think about their beauty, you know. Nobody loves anybody for being handsome, but for being good." People must think children are very silly, or else they can never have reflected upon the nature of belief in their own minds, if they imagine that children will believe the words that are said to them, by way of moral, when t

ch vivacity, and had considerable abilities; but his appetite for vulgar praise had not yet been surfeited. Even Mrs. Theresa Tattle's flattery pleased him, and he exerted himself for her entertainment so much that he became quite a buffoon. Instead

ar of offending a silly acquaintance, would hazard the happiness of their family. They had heard of a house in the country which was likely to suit them, and they determined to go directly to look at it. As they were to be absent all day, they foresaw that their offici

n a note was brought, directed to "Frederick Montague, Junio

a shocking headache, and is sensible her nerves are affected; and Dr. Cardamum says that (especially in Mrs. T. T.'s case) it is downright death to nervous patients to be alone an instant. She therefore trusts Mr. Frederick will not refuse to come and make her laugh

should think it possible they could like such gross flattery; but upon a second perusal, Marianne observed that it certainly was very good-natured of Mrs. Theresa to remembe

r an instant," said Frederick, "an

send what ans

but we ought not to do anything rude, should we? So I think we m

'couldn't' and 'wouldn't' and 'shouldn't,' that I can'

might, and ought, are all the same thing in the Latin gr

looked up soberly from her drawing, and answered "that very likely those words might be signs of the sa

o call my hat my cadwallader, you would understand me just as well, after I had once explained it to you, that by cadwa

?" said Sophy; "and what has this to do wit

ot worth while to dispute for two hours about two words.

sputing, I wa

e no business to do either; for, how sho

sarcasm upon her sex,

sion; I'd give sixpence, half-price, for a harlequin entertainment, to see Soph

be laughed at, with some little in

er cheeks almost to her temples-"rising! rising! rising! look at the th

th of you. Leave the thermometer to itself a little while. Give it time

don't draw heads upon her paper, and don't stretch her india-rubber, and don't let us

all colours mixed together make white. But she is temperate now, and I won'

t way. I'm sure Sophy found out how to tie that difficult knot, which

ick. "Besides, that was

, she understood the 'Rule of Three,' which was no conjuring trick, better

provoking wit. "All I have to say is, tha

" inquired Sophy, lookin

nd Latin as well as I do, is a fool after all; and that she had better have learned somethi

ot talking Greek

drawing, and that

Frederick!" said litt

ways drawing and reasoning, never know how to make puddings. Mrs. Theres

y; "but I do not perceive the reason, brother, why drawi

never learn how to m

olours together to make the colour that I want; and why should I not be able to learn

know the quantities, like a cook; and yo

arn them? Cannot I l

ctly, and mind the spoonfuls ri

always weighed the bark in nicely, and dropped my drops so carefully: better than the cook. When mamma took me down to see the cook make a cake once, I saw her spoonfuls, and her oun

ng in the whole world, what does that signify? I s

ow can you tell

k she would ever jump up, with all her nicety, too, and put by all these things, to go down

ling: "nor is it necessary that I should be a cook: but, if i

, or do anything that was ever so disagreeable to her, even about the suet, with all her nicety, brother, I assure you, as she used to do anything, everything for me,