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Of six children, my sister Mary and myself were the only two that survived the perils of infancy and early childhood I, being the younger by five or six years, was always regarded as THE child, and the pet of the family: father, mother, and sister, all coence, to render overnable, but by ceaseless kindness, towith the cares and turht up in the strictest seclusion My hly accomplished, well infore of our education on herself, with the exception of Latin--which my father undertook to teach us--so that we never even went to school; and, as there was no society in the neighbourhood, our only intercourse with the world consisted in a stately tea-party, now and then, with the principal far stighbours), and an annual visit to our paternal grandfather's; where hirandentlemen, were the only persons we ever saw Sometimes our er days, which, while they entertained us aly, frequently awoke--in ME, at least--a secret wish to see a little ht she ret past times My father, however, whose temper was neither tranquil nor cheerful by nature, often unduly vexed hi of the sacrifices his dear wife hadendless schementation of his little fortune, for her sake and ours In vain my mother assured him she was quite satisfied; and if he would but lay by a little for the children, we should all have plenty, both for ti was not my father's forte He would not run in debt (at least, ood care he should not), but while he had money he must spend it: he liked to see his house cohters well clothed, and well attended; and besides, he was charitably disposed, and liked to give to the poor, according to his th, however, a kind friend suggested to hi his private property at one stroke; and further increasing it, hereafter, to an untold a spirit and undoubted talent, as somewhat straitened in his enerously proposed to give my father a fair share of his profits, if he would only entrust hiht safely promise that whatever su him in cent per cent The small patrimony was speedily sold, and the whole of its price was deposited in the hands of the friendly o, and prepare for his voyage