The Author.

*



A COLLECTION OF LETTERS

LETTER the FIRST



From a MOTHER to her FREIND.

My Children begin now to claim all my attention in different



Manner from that in which they have been used to receive it, as

they are now arrived at that age when it is necessary for them in



some measure to become conversant with the World, My Augusta is

17 and her sister scarcely a twelvemonth younger. I flatter



myself that their education has been such as will not disgrace

their appearance in the World, and that THEY will not disgrace



their Education I have every reason to beleive. Indeed they are

sweet Girls--. Sensible yet unaffected--Accomplished yet Easy--.



Lively yet Gentle--. As their progress in every thing they have

learnt has been always the same, I am willing to forget the



difference of age, and to introduce them together into Public.

This very Evening is fixed on as their first ENTREE into Life, as



we are to drink tea with Mrs Cope and her Daughter. I am glad

that we are to meet no one, for my Girls sake, as it would be



awkward for them to enter too wide a Circle on the very first

day. But we shall proceed by degrees.--Tomorrow Mr Stanly's



family will drink tea with us, and perhaps the Miss Phillips's

will meet them. On Tuesday we shall pay Morning Visits--On



Wednesday we are to dine at Westbrook. On Thursday we have

Company at home. On Friday we are to be at a Private Concert at



Sir John Wynna's--and on Saturday we expect Miss Dawson to call

in the Morning--which will complete my Daughters Introduction



into Life. How they will bear so much dissipation I cannot

imagine; of their spirits I have no fear, I only dread their



health.

This mighty affair is now happily over, and my Girls are OUT. As



the moment approached for our departure, you can have no idea how

the sweet Creatures trembled with fear and expectation. Before



the Carriage drove to the door, I called them into my dressing-

room, and as soon as they were seated thus addressed them. "My



dear Girls the moment is now arrived when I am to reap the

rewards of all my Anxieties and Labours towards you during your



Education. You are this Evening to enter a World in which you

will meet with many wonderfull Things; Yet let me warn you



against suffering yourselves to be meanly swayed by the Follies

and Vices of others, for beleive me my beloved Children that if



you do--I shall be very sorry for it." They both assured me

that they would ever remember my advice with Gratitude, and



follow it with attention; That they were prepared to find a World

full of things to amaze and to shock them: but that they trusted



their behaviour would never give me reason to repent the Watchful

Care with which I had presided over their infancy and formed



their Minds--" "With such expectations and such intentions

(cried I) I can have nothing to fear from you--and can chearfully



conduct you to Mrs Cope's without a fear of your being seduced by

her Example, or contaminated by her Follies. Come, then my



Children (added I) the Carriage is driving to the door, and I

will not a moment delay the happiness you are so impatient to



enjoy." When we arrived at Warleigh, poor Augusta could scarcely

breathe, while Margaret was all Life and Rapture. "The long-



expected Moment is now arrived (said she) and we shall soon be in

the World."--In a few Moments we were in Mrs Cope's parlour,



where with her daughter she sate ready to receive us. I observed

with delight the impression my Children made on them--. They



were indeed two sweet, elegant-looking Girls, and tho' somewhat

abashed from the peculiarity of their situation, yet there was an



ease in their Manners and address which could not fail of

pleasing--. Imagine my dear Madam how delighted I must have been



in beholding as I did, how attentively they observed every object

they saw, how disgusted with some Things, how enchanted with



others, how astonished at all! On the whole however they

• catholic [´kæθəlik] a.天主教 n.天主教徒 (初中英语单词)


• striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)


• accuse [ə´kju:z] vt.谴责；控告，告发 (初中英语单词)


• wednesday [´wenzdi] n.星期三 (初中英语单词)


• seriously [´siəriəsli] ad.严肃；严重，重大 (初中英语单词)


• innocent [´inəsənt] a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词)


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• ornament [´ɔ:nəmənt] n.装饰(物) vt.装饰 (初中英语单词)


• profession [prə´feʃən] n.职业；声明；表白 (初中英语单词)


• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)


• unlike [,ʌn´laik] a.不同的 prep.不象… (初中英语单词)


• gallant [´gælənt, gə´lænt] a.英勇的；华丽的 (初中英语单词)


• lieutenant [lef´tenənt] n.陆军中尉；代理；副手 (初中英语单词)


• survive [sə´vaiv] vt.幸存；残存 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• injury [´indʒəri] n.伤害；毁坏；侮辱 (初中英语单词)


• behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)


• parliament [´pɑ:ləmənt] n.议(国)会 (初中英语单词)


• critic [´kritik] n.批评家；吹毛求疵者 (初中英语单词)


• majesty [´mædʒisti] n.壮丽；崇高；尊严 (初中英语单词)


• disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)


• carpet [´kɑ:pit] n.地毯 vt.铺地毯 (初中英语单词)


• amusement [ə´mju:zmənt] n.娱乐；文娱设施 (初中英语单词)


• principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)


• monarch [´mɔnək] n.君主；(大)王 (初中英语单词)


• grandmother [´græn,mʌðə] n.(外)祖母 (初中英语单词)


• deserve [di´zə:v] v.应受；值得 (初中英语单词)


• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• deceive [di´si:v] vt.欺骗，欺诈 (初中英语单词)


• flatter [´flætə] vt.阿谀，奉承；胜过 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• sensible [´sensəbəl] a.感觉得到的 (初中英语单词)


• properly [´prɔpəli] ad.适当地；严格地 (初中英语单词)


• argument [´ɑ:gjumənt] n.辩论；争论；论证 (初中英语单词)


• collection [kə´lekʃən] n.收集；征收；募捐 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• criticism [´kritisizəm] n.批评；评论(文) (初中英语单词)


• measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)


• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)


• circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为….所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)


• gratitude [´grætitju:d] n.感激，感谢 (初中英语单词)


• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)


• innocence [´inəsəns] n.无罪；天真 (高中英语单词)


• amongst [ə´mʌŋst] prep.其中之一 =among (高中英语单词)


• conspicuous [kən´spikjuəs] a.显著的；出众的 (高中英语单词)


• torment [´tɔ:ment] vt.(使)痛苦，折磨 (高中英语单词)


• ireland [´aiələnd] n.爱尔兰 (高中英语单词)


• fortunately [´fɔ:tʃənətli] ad.幸运地 (高中英语单词)


• eldest [´eldist] a.最年长的 (高中英语单词)


• pleasing [´pli:ziŋ] a.使人愉快的；合意的 (高中英语单词)


• descendant [di´sendənt] n.子孙，后裔 (高中英语单词)


• oxford [´ɔksfəd] n.牛津 (高中英语单词)


• differently [´difrentli] ad.不同地，有差别地 (高中英语单词)


• imprison [im´prizən] vt.监禁，下狱 (高中英语单词)


• undertaking [,ʌndə´teikiŋ] n.任务；事业；计划 (高中英语单词)


• cruelty [´kru:əlti] n.残忍；残酷行为 (高中英语单词)


• reproach [ri´prəutʃ] vt.&n.责备；指责；耻辱 (高中英语单词)


• concerning [kən´sə:niŋ] prep.关于 (高中英语单词)


• commend [kə´mend] vt.把…交托给；称赞 (高中英语单词)


• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)


• expectation [,ekspek´teiʃən] n.期待(望)；预期 (高中英语单词)


• repent [ri´pent] v.后悔；悔改；悔悟 (高中英语单词)


• impatient [im´peiʃənt] a.不耐烦的，急躁的 (高中英语单词)


• rapture [´ræptʃə] n.着迷；全神贯注 (高中英语单词)


• peculiarity [pi,kju:li´æriti] n.特色；特性；怪癖 (高中英语单词)


• zealous [´zeləs] a.热情的；积极的 (英语四级单词)


• arisen [ə´rizn] arise的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• navigator [´nævigeitə] n.航行者；航海员 (英语四级单词)


• justly [´dʒʌstli] ad.公正地，正当地 (英语四级单词)


• ardent [´ɑ:dənt] a.热心的；热情洋溢的 (英语四级单词)


• amiable [´eimiəbəl] a.亲切的，温和的 (英语四级单词)


• befell [bi´fel] befall的过去式 (英语四级单词)


• partial [´pɑ:ʃəl] a.部分的；偏袒的 (英语四级单词)


• attachment [ə´tætʃmənt] n.附着；附件；爱慕 (英语四级单词)


• strenuous [´strenjuəs] a.费力的；奋发的 (英语四级单词)


• charitable [´tʃæritəbəl] a.仁爱的；慈善的 (英语四级单词)


• infancy [´infənsi] n.婴儿期；初期 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• sanguine [´sæŋgwin] a.血红的 n.血红色 (英语六级单词)


• liking [´laikiŋ] n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 (英语六级单词)


• politeness [pə´laitnis] n.礼貌；文雅；温和 (英语六级单词)


• adoration [,ædə´reiʃən] n.崇拜，敬爱 (英语六级单词)


• recital [ri´saitl] n.背诵；叙述；音乐会 (英语六级单词)


• effectually [i´fektjuəli] ad.有效地 (英语六级单词)


• christendom [´krisəndəm] n.基督教徒 (英语六级单词)


• comical [´kɔmikəl] a.好笑的；怪里怪气的 (英语六级单词)


• assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)