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Rachel had had the palm of cleverness conceded to her ever since she

could recollect, when she read better at three years old than her sister

at five, and ever after, through the days of education, had enjoyed, and

excelled in, the studies that were a toil to Grace Subsequently, while

Grace had contented herself with the ordinary course of unambitious

feminine life, Rachel had thrown herself into the process of

self-education with all her natural energy, and carried on her favourite

studies by every means within her reach, until she considerably

surpassed in acquirements and reflection all the persons hohbourhood, a society well

born, but of circumscribed interests and habits, and little connected

with the great progressive world, where, however, Rachel's sympathies

all lay, necessarily fed, however, by periodical literature, instead of

by conversation or co stranded on the ignorance of those who surrounded

her, and found herself isolated as a sort of pedant; and as time went

on, the narrowness of interests chafed her, and in like irlhood, the cui bono question had come to

interfere with her ardour in study for its own sake, and she felt the

influence of an age e, but with s The quiet Lady Bountiful duties that had sufficed her