fhares, though he knows, by certain calculation, that they are to be drawn prizes? To fuch men, may not the above-quoted motto of the illuftrious Dr Dominiceti be most defervedly applied? "Non fibi, fed toto genitum fe credere mundo," which, however, as malice is always ready to detract from merit, I heard a wicked wag of my acquaintance tranflate t'other day to a company of ladies, "That the Doctor's fumi gations were to make himself live, and to "kill all the world befide." N° 81. TUESDAY, February 15. 17801. To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.. SIR, OME time ago you iaferted in your paper SOME a letter from a lady who fubfcribed herfelf S. M. giving an account of the hardships fhe has fuffered as the daughter of a man of fortune, educated in the midst of affluence, and then left to the fupport of a very flender provifion. I own the fituation to be a hard one; but it may, perhaps, afford her fome, confolation to be told, that there are others,. feemingly enviable, which are yet as diftreffful, that derive their diftreffes from circumftances exactly the reverfe of thofe in which Mifs S. M. is placed. I loft my father, a gentleman of confiderable fortune, at an age fo early, that his death has fcarce left any traces on my mind. I can only recollect, that there was fomething of buftle, as well as of forrow, all over the houfe; that my coloured fab was changed: for for a black one; and that I was not allowed to drink Pappa's health after dinner, which, before, I had been taught regularly to do.. Soon after, I can remember my Mamma being fick, and that there was a little brother born, who was much more attended to than I. As we grew up, I can remember his getting finer.. play-things, and being oftener the fubject of difcourfe among our visitors: and that sometimes, when there were little quarrels in the: narfery, Billy's maid would. tell mine, that Mifs muft wait till her betters were ferved. A fuperiority to which I was fo early ac cuftomed, it gave me little uneafinefs to bear. The vivacity natural to children, which in me. was fupported by uninterrupted good health, left me no leisure to complain of a preference, by which though my brother was diftinguifh-. ed, he was feldom or never made happier.. The notice, indeed, to which his birth-right. intitled him, was often more a hardship than a privilege. He was frequently kept in the drawing-room with Mamma, when he would have much rather been with me in the gar den; he was made to repeat his leffon to the company, that they might admire his parts: and his progrefs, while I was fuffered to be playing playing blind-man's-buff below ftairs; he was fet at dinner with the old folks, helped to: light things that would not hurt him, obliged to drink toast and water, and to behave himfelf like a gentleman, while I was allowed to devour apple dumplin, gulp down fmall beer, and play monkey-tricks at the fide-table. That care, however, which watched his health, was not repaid with fuccefs; he was always more delicate, and more fubject to little diforders than I; and at laft, after completing his feventh year, was feized with a fever, which, in a few days, put an end to his life, and transferred to me the inheritance of my ancestors. After the first tranfports of my mother's grief were fubfided, fhe began to apply herfelf to the care of her furviving child. I was now become inheritrefs of her anxiety as well as of my father's fortune; a remarkable change was made in every department of my education, my company, and my amufements. Instead of going along with a fet of other girls of my, own age to a class for learning French, and a, public writing-fchool, teachers were brought into the house to inftruct me privately; and, though I still went to a dancing-[chool three days days in the week, to practife the leffons which I received from an eminent mafter at home, yet I was always attended by my mother, my governess, or fomebody, by whose fide I was ftuck up before and after the dance, to the great vexation of myself, and the ridicule. of my former companions. Of companions," indeed, I was now altogether deprived. I was too confiderable a person to affociate with thofe in whofe fports and amufements I had formerly been so happy to fhare; if at any. time I ventured to mention a with for their fociety, I was immediately checked by an obfervation of my Mamma, that the believed they were very good girls, but not fit company for me. To prevent the folitude in which my fupe. riority would have thus placed me, a little girl, an orphan niece of my mother's maid, was taken into the house, whofe office it was to attend me during all my hours of study or amufement, to hold the pin-cushion while my maid was dreffing me, to get leffons along with me, and be chid if I neglected them, to play games at Draughts, which fhe was never to win, and to lift the Shuttlecock, which I commonly let fall; in fhort, fhe was to ferve me |