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Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman-Part11_Mary Wollstonecraft(1759-1797)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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with filial piety, a father's eyes, they are chased from the paternal

roof, to make room for the first-born, the son, who is to carry



the empty family-name down to posterity; though, occupied with

his own pleasures, he scarcely thought of discharging, in the



decline of his parent's life, the debt contracted in his childhood.

My mother's conduct led me to make these reflections. Great as



was the fatigue I endured, and the affection my unceasing solicitude

evinced, of which my mother seemed perfectlysensible, still, when



my brother, whom I could hardly persuade to remain a quarter of an

hour in her chamber, was with her alone, a short time before



her death, she gave him a little hoard, which she had been

some years accumulating.



"During my mother's illness, I was obliged to manage my father's

temper, who, from the lingering nature of her malady, began to



imagine that it was merely fancy. At this period, an artful kind

of upper servant attracted my father's attention, and the neighbours



made many remarks on the finery, not honestly got, exhibited at

evening service. But I was too much occupied with my mother to



observe any change in her dress or behaviour, or to listen to

the whisper of scandal.



"I shall not dwell on the death-bed scene, lively as is the

remembrance, or on the emotion produced by the last grasp of my



mother's cold hand; when blessing me, she added, 'A little patience,

and all will be over!' Ah! my child, how often have those words



rung mournfully in my ears--and I have exclaimed--'A little more

patience, and I too shall be at rest!'



"My father was violently affected by her death, recollected

instances of his unkindness, and wept like a child.



"My mother had solemnly recommended my sisters to my care,

and bid me be a mother to them. They, indeed, became more dear to



me as they became more forlorn; for, during my mother's illness,

I discovered the ruined state of my father's circumstances, and



that he had only been able to keep up appearances, by the sums

which he borrowed of my uncle.



"My father's grief, and consequenttenderness to his children,

quickly abated, the house grew still more gloomy or riotous; and



my refuge from care was again at Mr. Venables'; the young 'squire

having taken his father's place, and allowing, for the present,



his sister to preside at his table. George, though dissatisfied

with his portion of the fortune, which had till lately been all in



trade, visited the family as usual. He was now full of speculations

in trade, and his brow became clouded by care. He seemed to relax



in his attention to me, when the presence of my uncle gave a new

turn to his behaviour. I was too unsuspecting, too disinterested,



to trace these changes to their source.

My home every day became more and more disagreeable to me; my



liberty was unnecessarily abridged, and my books, on the pretext

that they made me idle, taken from me. My father's mistress was



with child, and he, doating on her, allowed or overlooked her vulgar

manner of tyrannizing over us. I was indignant, especially when I



saw her endeavouring to attract, shall I say seduce? my younger

brother. By allowing women but one way of rising in the world,



the fostering the libertinism of men, society makes monsters of

them, and then their ignoble vices are brought forward as a proof



of inferiority of intellect.

The wearisomeness of my situation can scarcely be described.



Though my life had not passed in the most even tenour with my

mother, it was paradise to that I was destined to endure with my



father's mistress, jealous of her illegitimate authority. My

father's former occasionaltenderness, in spite of his violence of



temper, had been soothing to me; but now he only met me with reproofs

or portentous frowns. The house-keeper, as she was now termed,



was the vulgardespot of the family; and assuming the new character

of a fine lady, she could never forgive the contempt which was






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