which they may be supposed to take a particular interest; or as affording specimens of the poetical powers of female votaries of the muses. Fourthly, it has been his aim to form in his young readers, a delicate and correct taste, conformed to an elevated standard of morals and poetry; and to inspire a decided predilection for what is truly and intrinsically beautiful in art and in nature. Lastly, he has sought to render the volume, as a whole, a suitable present for a daughter, a sister, or a valued friend, in whose welfare, both here and hereafter, the donor feels a strong interest. No one, it is presumed, will deny that such a volume was a desideratum. How far the author has succeeded in carrying out these principles, he leaves it to an impartial public to decide. PHILADELPHIA, June, 1835. |