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the fociety of the young officer, whofe fprightly manners, and communicative difpofition, gave the promise of an everpleafing companion. But, alas! I foon discovered that fprightlinefs and loquacity are by no means united with urbanity and cheerfulness.-The fmall ftock of perfonal anecdote, with which the incidents of his life had furnished him, was no fooner exhaufted, than he became dull, infipid, and morofe. Nor was the change which feemed wrought on his temper, lefs extraordinary, than that which took place in his manners. This youth, feemingly fo gentle; who took fuch pleasure in obliging; who lived but to promote the happiness of others, gives every day fuch convincing proofs of the malignity of his difpofition, in the cruel treatment he bestows upon his younger brother, that it is impoffible to behold it without feelings of horror, and indignation.

How different from this, is the change that has taken place in my opinion, concerning the character of the Dewan. Alas! I fear, that in more inftances than thefe, my first opinion has been like an unjuft judge, who fuffers his decifions to be influenced by the eloquence of flattery. Self-love, whifpers that those who are pleased with us, are pleafing; and it

is not till experience has convinced us of our error, that we are willing to listen to the voice of truth. The referve, and filence which at firft seemed to give to the character of the Dewan an appearance of fullenness and ftupidity, gradually cleared away, by time and encreasing intimacy, and difcovered to us inconteftable proofs of a mild and placid temper, a deeply-thinking, well-informed mind, and a humane and benevolent heart.

The conduct of his Lady, has not, I confefs, undergone much change; but my opinion of it has been somewhat altered, by an infight into its motives.

Her

That haughty, and arrogant demeanour, which I had conceived to flow from the confcious fuperiority of birth, and merit, was, it seems, affumed by folly, to conceal the real meanness of both. history appeared to me fo very extraordinary, that had I not had the most convincing proofs of the veracity of my informer, I confefs, I fhould have been led to doubt its truth.

This disdainful Lady, whom I had confidered as fome highly exalted perfonage, was the daughter of a tradefman, "whofe foolish fondness, faid the Surgeon," (for I give you his very words) "bestowed upon her fuch an education, as, without inftructing her in the qualities

that are alone fuited to adorn an exalted rank, rendered her unfit for becoming. wife to a man in her own. At the death of this parent, fhe laid out the final fortune he bequeathed her, in fine cloaths, and took her paffage to Bengal, where fhe did not doubt that her beauty would procure her an advantageous marriage. The event proved equal to her expectations. On her arrival, she was seen by the Dewan, who admired, courted, and married her!" I thought" said I, interrupting my infarmer, that Europeans had made companions of their wives. Surely, this woman was not qualified for being the companion of fuch a man as the Dewan. It is not poffible to imagine, that her intellectual deficiencies, would be unobferved by a man of his fenfe and penetration." "The

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Dewan was too much charmed with her beauty, to obferve, any deficiency in her merit," replied the Surgeon; " or, if he did, fhe was fo young, that he promised himself fo much pleasure in filling the office of Pieceptor." Alas! he confidered not that pride is the ufual concomitant of ignorance; that it is not the understanding which has been perverted by vanity, prejudice, and folly, that will liften to the inftructions of a hufband.

Her hopes of happinefs were from the enjoyment of his fortune.

"Elated by her exaltation to affluence, the thought that to realize the dreams of bliss, formed by her fond fancy, the had only to indulge in every capricious whim of vanity. Her extravagance was unbounded. But foon fhe found that it was not in the power of fplendid equipage, or fantastic finery, to fill the chafm of an empty mind.

"The delight of unrivalled pre-eminence in every article of expenfive ornament, foon gave place to fullen apathy, and fretful difcontent. New follies were invented, and pursued with no better fuccefs, and it will perhaps, aftonish you, to learn, that her mighty fondness for the brute creation, inftead of proceeding from the pure fource of true benevolence, was in reality, no other than an effort of the animal fpirits, to procure an object of employment to her ever restless mind."

Here ceased my kind informer; who left me very much aftonished, at the picture he had drawn of an English woman, and a Chriftian.

After much reflection, I think I can trace the unenlightened ftate of this woman's understanding, to her want of inftruction. Had the received her educaVOL. II. B

tion at one of those wife, learned, and pious feminaries, called boarding-schools, her mind would no doubt have been vigilantly defended from the noxious breath of vanity and conceit. She would there have learned according to the precepts of her Shafter, to have adorned herfelf with "fhamefacednefs and fobriety." "Not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or coftly array, but (which be"cometh women poffeffing godliness) "with good works." Such, no doubt, is the education of Chriftian women, at Chriftian fchools! How does it exalt my opinion of the native genius of the young widow; when I contemplate the extent of her acquired knowledge, her unaffected humility, her undeviating difcretion; and at the fame time, confider, that by her own account, fhe never enjoyed the advantages of inftruction at one of thefe enlightened feminaries, but was confined during the early part of her life, to the roof of her parents! Is it not surprising, that, notwithstanding this advantage, The fhould have made fuch proficiency. in every accomplishment? My first fentiments concerning her remain unaltered. Her exalted fentiments continue to excite my admiration, while her fweet temper, and ever obliging difpofition, make daily progrefs in my efleem.

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