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When the young ladies arrived at a certain age, they were allowed a stated income, to meet their current expenditure; beside occasional presents. One custom prevailed in this family, which the writer hopes will never become extinct amongst us, as it belongs so appropriately to the English character. The birthdays were celebrated, with a becoming distinction, especially those of the parents, which were hailed with great delight. After the cloth was removed, and the children had drank the health and long life of their dear and honoured father, he invariably distributed his gifts among them, which bore the appellation of birthday presents. The party met as usual-the usual health was drank-and the same degree of pleasure beamed from every countenance, when Mr. Holmes said, “I shall depart this year, from my usual custom, and beg your acceptance of the note, which you will find enclosed in the envelope, bearing your respective name.

In the evening, as the young fadies were taking their walk, their conversation turned on the unexpected liberality of their father, when Miss Emma asked her sisters what they intended to purchase.

"I intend," said Miss Jane, "to purchase my freedom."

"Your freedom, my dear," said the facetious Emma, "I did not know that you were in bondage to any man; but if you are, surely you do not think of paying for your enslaved liberty."

"I am not," replied Jane," in bondage to any man.” No! to whom then?"

"To woman-kind! !"

"Woman! what, woman enslave her own sex? No! I cannot be ! !"

"It is so."

What woman?"

"The mantua-maker! Here are the fetters of my captivity, (exhibiting the undischarged bills) which I will now go and break asunder, and never more will I

consent to wear them."

"You are to be commended my dear," said Miss Holmes, and I hope Emma will follow your example, for with the liberal allowance, and the presents we receive, we ought to have something to spare to the

claims of religion, and benevolence, rather than have unpaid bills disgracing the drawers of our toilet."

Indeed," Miss Emma replied, "I think papa gives quite enough away, to purchase our redemption from the taxes of charity. When I am settled in life, it is my intention to appropriate a regular sum to charitable purposes, but now I cannot afford it. We must be just before we are generous."

"On that maxim, I shall act," said Jane, “I will discharge my debts as an act of justice; and then I shall have it in my power to be generous to the poor and needy."

"I have no doubt," Miss Holmes replied, "but you are sincere in your proposed intentions respecting your future charities; but to quote a parody which I once heard an esteemed friend make, when addressing some who were supposed to have made a similar resolve;"

"If you tarry till you're richer

You will never give at all!"

"You must know, my dear, if you reflect on the subject, that we are now forming our habits for life-growing up into that moral stature which we shall ere long attain

and giving to our principles and propensities their fixed and changeless tendency; and is it not, of great importance, that we should begin to cultivate those virtues which we wish to blossom and bear fruit on our future reputation?"

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But, to keep to your figure, if the virtue of charity do not shoot upon our character while we reside under the shade of parental influence, when we are removed to another soil, it may grow luxuriantly, especially if we employ a little artificial heat."

"But artificial heat does not give such a delicate tinge, nor does it impart such a fine flavour to a plant, as it is known to possess, when it grows spontaneously under the influence of unforced nature."

66 It may be so, but there is no rule without an exception: but your habits and mine are so dissimilar, and therefore you cannot expect, that I can follow your example."

"Then follow the example of Jane, and you will feel

more at ease."

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"Indeed, I am at ease. They charge enough, for the few articles I purchase, to allow me to take a long credit."

"That is very true. They charge in proportion to the length of credit they give; and hence you pay such an exhorbitant price for your attire. You impoverish yourself by the very method you employ in expending your money, and never have the satisfaction of being free from the pressing claims of dress-makers and milliners. You voluntarily deny yourself the noble gratification of relieving the necessities of others; for when an appeal is made to your feelings, you are obliged to resist it, if not resent it, because you have previously exhausted your resources."

"You'reason excellently well, and I admit the force and accuracy of your reasoning; but I must purchase something with this present, as a compliment to the generosity which dictated it; yet I shall not forget your observations.".

It is, in the more private occurrences of domestic life, that the peculiarity of the human character is unfolded; and events, trifling in themselves, become immensely important, in consequence of their becoming part of a continuous influence in its formation. The bestowment of a birthday present, was a fresh expression of paternal regard, but what different dispositions and tendencies did it call forth; and what a different moral effect did it produce.-Miss Holmes devoted one moiety of her present to the claims of charity and religion, and with part of the remainder, she purchased a silver snuff box, which she presented to her father with a few appropriate verses. Jane, who had been enticed into extravagance, by following the example of her sister, went and discharged her debts; while Emma, having seen a most beautiful shawl, ordered it to be sent to the Elms, but she was obliged to solicit an advance of her quarter's allowance, before she could pay for it.

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"A challenge was given and accepted-they met took their distance when the signal was given they fired-one fell to rise no more; the other is still living to deplore in useless regrets, the catastrophe, by which he deprived himself of one of his most intimate associates-a wife of one of the best of husbands-and three children of a father who tenderly loved them." Page 12.

London:

PRINTED FOR FRANCIS WESTLEY, 10, STATIONERS' COURT, AND AVE-MARIA-LANE.

ON AMUSEMENTS.

PART I.

"Young women sometimes complain, and more frequently the complaint is made for them, that they have nothing to do. Yet few complaints are urged with less foundation. To prescribe to a young person of the female sex the precise occupations to which she should devote her time, is impossible. It would be to attempt to limit, by inapplicable rules, duties which must vary according to circumstances which cannot previously be ascertained. Differences in point of health, of intellect, of taste, and a thousand nameless particularities of family occurrences and local situation, claim, in each individual case, to be taken into the account." Gisborne.

MISS ORME had accepted an invitation to spend a few weeks at the Elms, and being aware of the religious habits of the family, she made an effort to conform to them, with the most scrupulous exactness. When she played, she generally selected sacred music, as a compliment to the taste of her pious friends; and even condescended to accompany them to chapel, though she avowed her decided preference to the forms and ceremonies of the Church. She was naturally of a very pliable disposition, and had she been under a dif ferent course of moral discipline, she might have de voted her attention to the unseen realities of an 'eternal world; but being surrounded by the most splendid fascinations of gay life, and taught to regard the gratification of her taste as the chief end of her existence, she became one of the most zealous devotees that ever bowed down at the shrine of fashion. She possessed a mind that was capable of very great improvement; but the books she read, and the subjects on which she generally conversed, had a tendency to impair its strength, and to keep it from ranging in the field of useful knowledge. She was rather shrewd, and would sometimes make a reply, or give a turn to an observation with very considerable effect; but her force was soon exhausted, and she would fall back into a state of ennui unless the conversation related to the fashions or the amusements of the day, and then she would speak with great fluency and animation. She was so good-natured

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