CHAP .
I.
Mary 0
,
the heroine of this fiction 57
, was
the daughter of
Edward , who married
Eliza 2
1
61
,
a gentle , fashionable girl 58
, with a kind of indolence in
her 2
temper , which might be termed negative good-nature :
her 2
virtues , indeed , were all of that stamp .
She 2
carefully attended to the _ shews _ of things , and
her 2
opinions ,
I 3
should have said prejudices , were such as the generality approved of .
She 2
was educated with the expectation of a large fortune , of course became a mere machine : the homage of
her 2
attendants 4
made a great part of
her 2
puerile amusements , and
she 2
never imagined there were any relative duties for
her 2
to fulfil : notions of
her 2
own consequence , by these means , were interwoven in
her 2
mind , and the years of youth spent in acquiring a few superficial accomplishments , without having any taste for them .
When
she 2
was first introduced into the polite circle ,
she 2
danced with
an officer , whom
she 2
faintly wished to be united to 5
; but
her 2
father 6
soon after recommending
another in a more distinguished rank of life 1
,
she 2
readily submitted to
his 6
will , and promised to love , honour , and obey , (
a vicious fool 1
, ) as in duty bound .
While
they 7
resided in
London 8
,
they 7
lived in the usual fashionable style , and seldom saw each other ; nor were
they 7
much more sociable when
they 7
wooed rural felicity for more than half the year , in
a delightful country 9
, where Nature , with lavish hand , had scattered beauties around ; for
the master 1
, with brute , unconscious gaze , passed them by unobserved , and sought amusement in country sports .
He 1
hunted in the morning , and after eating an immoderate dinner , generally fell asleep : this seasonable rest enabled
him 1
to digest the cumbrous load ;
he 1
would then visit
some of
his 1
pretty tenants 10
11
; and when
he 1
compared
their 11
ruddy glow of health with
his 1
wife 2
's countenance , which even rouge could not enliven , it is not necessary to say which
a _ gourmand _ 12
would give the preference to .
Their 11
vulgar dance of spirits were infinitely more agreeable to
his 1
fancy than
her 2
sickly , die-away languor .
Her 2
voice was but the shadow of a sound , and
she 2
had , to complete
her 2
delicacy , so relaxed
her 2
nerves , that
she 2
became a mere nothing .
Many such noughts are there in the female world !
yet
she 2
had a good opinion of
her 2
own merit , -- truly ,
she 2
said long prayers , -- and sometimes read
her 2
Week 's Preparation :
she 2
dreaded
that horrid place vulgarly called _
hell 13
_ 13
,
the regions below 62
; but whether
her 2
's was a mounting spirit ,
I 3
can not pretend to determine ; or what sort of a planet would have been proper for
her 2
, when
she 2
left
her 2
_ material _ part in
this world 14
, let
metaphysicians 15
settle ;
I 3
have nothing to say to
her 2
unclothed spirit .
As
she 2
was sometimes obliged to be alone , or only with
her 2
French waiting-maid 16
,
she 2
sent to
the metropolis 17
for all the new publications , and while
she 2
was dressing
her 2
hair , and
she 2
could turn
her 2
eyes from the glass ,
she 2
ran over those most delightful substitutes for bodily dissipation , novels .
I 3
say bodily , or the animal soul , for a rational one can find no employment in polite circles .
The glare of lights , the studied inelegancies of dress , and the compliments offered up at the shrine of false beauty , are all equally addressed to the senses .
When
she 2
could not any longer indulge the caprices of fancy one way ,
she 2
tried another .
The Platonic Marriage , Eliza Warwick , and some other interesting tales were perused with eagerness .
Nothing could be more natural than the developement of the passions , nor more striking than the views of the human heart .
What delicate struggles !
and uncommonly pretty turns of thought !
The picture that was found on a bramble-bush , the new sensitive-plant , or tree , which caught
the swain 18
by the upper-garment , and presented to
his 18
ravished eyes a portrait .
-- Fatal image !
-- It planted a thorn in a till then insensible heart , and sent a new kind of
a knight-errant 19
into
the world 20
.
But even this was nothing to the catastrophe , and the circumstance on which it hung , the hornet settling on
the sleeping lover 21
's face .
What a _ heart-rending _ accident !
She 2
planted , in imitation of
those susceptible souls 22
, a rose bush ; but there was not
a lover 23
to weep in concert with
her 2
, when
she 2
watered it with
her 2
tears .
-- Alas !
Alas !
If
my 3
readers 24
would excuse the sportiveness of fancy , and give
me 3
credit for genius ,
I 3
would go on and tell
them 24
such tales as would force the sweet tears of sensibility to flow in copious showers down beautiful cheeks , to the discomposure of rouge , & c. & c. Nay ,
I 3
would make it so interesting , that
the fair peruser 25
should beg
the hair-dresser 26
to settle the curls
himself 26
, and not interrupt
her 25
.
She 2
had besides another resource , two most beautiful dogs , who shared
her 2
bed , and reclined on cushions near
her 2
all the day .
These
she 2
watched with the most assiduous care , and bestowed on them the warmest caresses .
This fondness for animals was not that kind of _ attendrissement _ which makes
a person 27
take pleasure in providing for the subsistence and comfort of a living creature ; but it proceeded from vanity , it gave
her 2
an opportunity of lisping out the prettiest French expressions of ecstatic fondness , in accents that had never been attuned by tenderness .
She 2
was chaste , according to the vulgar acceptation of the word , that is ,
she 2
did not make any actual _ faux pas _ ;
she 2
feared
the world 28
, and was indolent ; but then , to make amends for this seeming self-denial ,
she 2
read all the sentimental novels , dwelt on the love-scenes , and , had
she 2
thought while
she 2
read ,
her 2
mind would have been contaminated ; as
she 2
accompanied
the lovers 29
to
the lonely arbors 30
, and would walk with
them 29
by the clear light of the moon .
She 2
wondered
her 2
husband 1
did not stay at
home 31
.
She 2
was jealous -- why did
he 1
not love
her 2
, sit by
her 2
side , squeeze
her 2
hand , and look unutterable things ?
Gentle reader 32
,
I 3
will tell
thee 56
;
they 7
neither of
them 7
felt what
they 7
could not utter .
I 3
will not pretend to say that
they 7
always annexed an idea to a word ; but
they 7
had none of those feelings which are not easily analyzed .
CHAP .
II .
In due time
she 2
brought forth
a son 33
,
a feeble babe 59
; and the following year
a daughter 0
.
After
the mother 34
's throes
she 2
felt very few sentiments of maternal tenderness :
the children 35
were given to
nurses 36
, and
she 2
played with
her 2
dogs .
Want of exercise prevented the least chance of
her 2
recovering strength ; and two or three milk-fevers brought on a consumption , to which
her 2
constitution tended .
Her 2
children 35
all died in
their 35
infancy , except the two first , and
she 2
began to grow fond of
the son 33
, as
he 33
was remarkably handsome .
For years
she 2
divided
her 2
time between the sofa , and the card-table .
She 2
thought not of death , though on the borders of the grave ; nor did any of the duties of
her 2
station 37
occur to
her 2
as necessary .
Her 2
children 35
were left in the nursery ; and when
Mary 0
,
the little blushing girl 60
, appeared ,
she 2
would send
the awkward thing 0
away .
To own the truth ,
she 0
was awkward enough , in
a house 38
without any play-mates ; for
her 0
brother 33
had been sent to
school 39
, and
she 0
scarcely knew how to employ
herself 0
;
she 0
would ramble about
the garden 40
, admire the flowers , and play with the dogs .
An old house-keeper 41
told
her 0
stories , read to
her 0
, and , at last , taught
her 0
to read .
Her 0
mother 2
talked of enquiring for
a governess 42
when
her 2
health would permit ; and , in the interim desired
her 2
own maid 16
to teach
her 0
French .
As
she 0
had learned to read ,
she 0
perused with avidity every book that came in
her 0
way .
Neglected in every respect , and left to the operations of
her 0
own mind ,
she 0
considered every thing that came under
her 0
inspection , and learned to think .
She 0
had heard of a separate state , and that
angels 43
sometimes visited
this earth 44
.
She 0
would sit in
a thick wood 45
in
the park 46
, and talk to
them 43
; make little songs addressed to
them 43
, and sing
them 43
to tunes of
her 0
own composing ; and
her 0
native wood notes wild were sweet and touching .
Her 0
father 1
always exclaimed against female acquirements , and was glad that
his 1
wife 2
's indolence and ill health made
her 2
not trouble
herself 2
about them .
She 2
had besides another reason ,
she 2
did not wish to have
a fine tall girl 47
brought forward into notice as
her 2
daughter 0
;
she 2
still expected to recover , and figure away in the gay world .
Her 2
husband 1
was very tyrannical and passionate ; indeed so very easily irritated when inebriated , that
Mary 0
was continually in dread lest
he 1
should frighten
her 0
mother 2
to death ;
her 2
sickness called forth all
Mary 0
's tenderness , and exercised
her 0
compassion so continually , that it became more than a match for self-love , and was the governing propensity of
her 0
heart through life .
She 0
was violent in
her 0
temper ; but
she 0
saw
her 0
father 1
's faults , and would weep when obliged to compare
his 1
temper with
her 0
own .
--
She 0
did more ; artless prayers rose to
Heaven 48
for pardon , when
she 0
was conscious of having erred ; and
her 0
contrition was so exceedingly painful , that
she 0
watched diligently the first movements of anger and impatience , to save
herself 0
this cruel remorse .
Sublime ideas filled
her 0
young mind -- always connected with devotional sentiments ; extemporary effusions of gratitude , and rhapsodies of praise would burst often from
her 0
, when
she 0
listened to the birds , or pursued the deer .
She 0
would gaze on the moon , and ramble through
the gloomy path 49
, observing the various shapes the clouds assumed , and listen to
the sea that was not far distant 50
.
The wandering spirits , which
she 0
imagined inhabited every part of nature , were
her 0
constant friends 51
and
confidants 52
.
She 0
began to consider
the Great First Cause 53
, formed just notions of
his 53
attributes , and , in particular , dwelt on
his 53
wisdom and goodness .
Could
she 0
have loved
her 0
father 1
or
mother 2
, had
they 7
returned
her 0
affection ,
she 0
would not so soon , perhaps , have sought out
a new world 54
.
Her 0
sensibility prompted
her 0
to search for an object to love ; on
earth 55
it was not to be found :
her 0
mother 2
had often disappointed
her 0
, and the apparent partiality
she 2
shewed to
her 0
brother 33
gave
her 0
exquisite pain -- produced a kind of habitual melancholy , led
her 0
into a fondness for reading tales of woe , and made
her 0
almost realize the fictitious distress .