to enjoy the fruit of their labours. Accordingly, we live in an elegant house, have a handsome carriage, keep a good number of servants, and see a great deal of company. You will easily conceive, however, that the show attending my father's present system of living, and the manners suited to his present condition, do not just agree with his former habits...... But this does not signify much. He is a goodnatured worthy man; and they must be very captious indeed, who will not suffer his merits to conceal his defects.

With regard to myself, my parents having no other daughter, and intending to give me a genteel portion, were determined I should have a good education. "For," said my father," a young woman "of fortune, and of an agreeable appearance, must

go into company. You and I, Bridget," addressing himself to my mother "set out in life in a dif"ferent manner. But Mary must have education."

So they sent me to a famous boarding-school; and in so far as my improvement was concerned, they spared no expence. Sir, I speak to you without reserve; and I hope you will not think me too vain, if I tell you, that my education was no difficult matter. I understand music, and had little difficulty in acquiring the French and Italian languages. Indeed, the worthy person who had the charge of my educa tion, was well calculated to promote my improvement. She was a woman of family, of fine education, exquisite taste, great goodness of heart, and had shewn spirit enough, on the decline of her father's fortune, rather than live a dependant on her relations, to procure an independent, and now she has rendered it a respectable, livelihood for herself. In a word, Sir, I am what they call tolerably accomplished; and you will think it strange, and I think it strange myself, that this should be the source of my uneasiness.

It is now some time since I returned to my father's house. When I came home, I was received with rapture. My father and mother adored me. They would refuse me nothing. They strove to prevent my wishes.....Good people! may heaven grant them peace of mind, and long life to enjoy the fortunę they so justly deserve!....But why, Sir, did they make me, as they term it, so very accomplished? They have made me a different creature from themselves. I am apt to fancy myself of a higher order.....Forgive my presumption; and I am sure you will forgive me, when I tell you, I really wish myself lower. Indeed, Sir, and it grieves me to the soul, and I am sometimes impatient of my parents; but I will not dwell upon this.

I told you, we see a great deal of company; and all the people we see are disposed to admire me. "Mighty well," you will say: "Give a young wo"man admiration, and what more can she wish "for?"....Sir, I wish they loved me more, and admired me less, I am made to sing, and to play on the harpsichord; and to oblige my father, am sometimes constrained to repeat verses; and all this to people who understand no music, and know no other poetry than the Psalms of David in metre. Indeed, until I became better acquainted with them, I found that, even in our conversation, there was a mutual misapprehension; and that they were sometimes as unintelligible to me as I was to them. I was not at all surprised to hear them call some of our acquaintance good men; but when I heard them call our neighbour John Staytape a great man, I could not help asking what discovery he had made in arts or science, or what eminent service he had rendered his country? I was told in return, that within these few years he had realised a plum. This phrase was also new to me; and I wished to have known something about the nature of such realization. Chusing,

however, to ask but one question at a time, I said nothing; and soon learned, that, whatever services Mr. Staytape might do his country, he had hitherto made no great discovery in arts or sciences.

I confess, indeed, that at one time I fancied they might have some little notion of books; and when I heard them speak about underwriters, I thought it might perhaps be some ludicrous term for the minor poets.

So when they spoke about policies, I fancied they were using the Scotch word for improvements in gardening; and ventured to say something in favour of clumps; "Clumps," said a gentleman, who is a frequent visitor at our house, " she is to be laden "with Norway fir." I found they were speaking about the good ship Rebecca.

A grave-looking man who sat near me one day at dinner, said a good deal about the fall, and of events that should have happened before and after the fall. As he also spoke about Providence, and Salem and Ebenezer; and as great deference was shewn to every thing that he said, and being, as I told you, a grave looking man in a black coat, I was not sure but he might be some learned theologian; and imagined he was speaking about oriental antiquities, and the fall of Adam. But I was soon undeceived. The gentleman had lived for some time in Virginia; by Providence he meant the town of that name in Rhode-Island; and by the fall he meant not the fall of our first parents, for concerning them he had not the least idea; but, as I suppose, the fall of the leaf; for the word is used, it seems in the American dialect, for autumn.

In this situation, Sir, what shall I do? By my boasted education, I have only unlearned the language, and lost the manners, of that society in which I am to live. If you can put me on any method of

bringing my friends up to me, or of letting myself down to them, you will much oblige,

Yours, &c.

MARY MUSLIN.

SIR,

TO THE AUTHOR OF THE MIRROR.

AS you are very successful in delineating the manners of modern times, it might add, perhaps, to the effect of your pictures, if you sometimes gave a view of former manners. The contrast would be agreeable; and, if I may use the expression, would give a certain relief to your other delineations. I offer you a small sketch of an incident, supposed to have happened in the times of our forefathers. I flatter myself you have no objection to it on account of its being in verse. It is merely an outline; yet, I hope, it is so marked, as that concomitant circumstances, though not expressed, may readily be conceived.

Lo! she flies with headlong speed;
"Bloody, bloody was the deed !''
Wild with piteous wail, she cries,
Tresses torn and streaming eyes;
"Lift, O! gently lift his head;
Lay him on the bridal bed;
My kinsmen! cruel kinsmen ye!
These your kindliest deeds to me!....
Yes, the clay cold bed prepare,
The willing bride and bridegroom there
Will tarry; will for ever dwell........
Now, inhuman men, depart :

Go, triumph in my broken heart!"....
She said, she sigh'd, a breathless corse she fell.

SIR,

TO THE AUTHOR OF THE MIRROR.

I AM one of a family of young ladies who read your paper, with which we have been hitherto tolerably well pleased, though we could wish it were not quite so grave, and had a little more love in it. But we have found out, of late, that it is none of your own, but mostly borrowed from other people. A cousin of ours, who is himself a fine scholar, and has a great acquaintance among the