her cares, all her sensations point to you. Of the tenderness of a much loved and much lamented husband you are the sole remaining pledge. On you she often fixes her earnest melting eye; with watchful attention she marks the progress of your rising virtues; in every softened feature she fondly traces your father's sense, your father's probity. Something within her whispers; you shall five to be the prop and comfort of her age, as you are now her companion and her friend.Blessed Lord, what big emotions swell her labouring soul! but lest, by venting them in your company she should affect you too much, she silently withdraws to pour them forth in tears of rapture; a rapture only augmented by the sweetly sad remembrance that mingles with it, while at the same time it is exalted and consecrated doubly by ardent vows to Heaven for your preservation and prosperity. Is there a young woman that can think of this with indifference? is there a young woman that can reverse the description, suppose herself the impious creature that could break a widowed mother's heart, and support the thought? When a daughter, it may be a favourite daughter, turns out unruly, foolish, wanton; when she disobeys her parents, disgraces her education, dishonours her sex, disappoints the hopes she had raised; when she throws herself away on a man unworthy of her, or unqualified to make her happy; what her parents in any of these cases must necessarily suffer, we may conjecture, they alone can feel. A FATHER'S LEGACY TO HIS DAUGHTERS. BY DR. GREGORY. ONE of the chief beauties in a female character is that modest reserve, that retiring delicacy which avoids the public eye, and is disconcerted even at the gaze of admiration. I do not wish you to be insensible to applause; if you were, you must become, if not worse, at least, less amiable women. But you may be dazzled by that admiration which yet rejoices your hearts. When a girl ceases to blush, she has lost the most powerful charm of beauty. That extreme sensibility which it indicates, may be a weakness and incumbrance to our sex, as I have too often felt; but in yours it is peculiarly engaging. Pedants, who think themselves philosophers, ask why a woman should blush when she is conscious of no crime? it is a sufficient answer, that nature has made you to blush when you are guilty of no fault, and has forced us to love you because you do so. Blushing is so far from being a necessary attendant on guilt, that it is the usual companion of innocence. This modesty which I think so essential in your sex, will dispose you to be rather silent in company, especially in a large one. People of sense and discernment will never mistake such silence for dullness. One may take a share in conversation without uttering a syllable. The expression in the countenance shows it, and this never escapes an observing eye. 1 should be glad that you had an easy dignity in your behaviour at public places, but not that confident ease, that unabashed countenance, which seems to set the company at defiance. If, while a gentleman is speaking to you, one of superior rank addresses you, do not let your eager attention and visible preference, betray the flutter of your heart. Let pride on this occasion preserve you from that meanness into which your vanity would sink you. Consider that you expose yourself to the ridicule of the company, and affront one gentleman only to swell the triumph of another, who perhaps thinks he does you honour in speaking to you. Converse with men even of the first rank, with that dignified modesty, which may prevent the approach of the most distant familiarity, and consequently prevent them from feeling themselves your superiors. Wit is the most dangerous talent you can possess. It must be guarded with discretion and good nature, otherwise it will create you many enemies. Wit is perfectly consistent with softness and delicacy, yet they are seldom found united. Wit is so flattering to vanity, that they who possess it become intoxicated and lose all self command. Humour is a different quality. It will make your company much solicited; but be cautious how you indulge it. It is often a great enemy to delicacy, and a still greater one to dignity of character. Sometimes it may gain you applause but will never procure you respect. Be ever cautious in displaying your good sense. It will be thought you assume a superiority over the rest of the company. But if you happen to have any learning, keep it a profound secret, especially from the men, who generally look with a jealous and a malignant eye on a woman of great parts and cultivated understanding. A man of real genius and candour is far superior to this meanness; but such a one will seldom fall in your way; and if by accident he should, do not be anxious to show the full extent of your knowledge. If he has any opportunity of seeing you, he will soon discover it himself; and if you have any advantages of person or manner, and keep your own secret, he will probably give you credit for more than you possess. The great art in conversation, consists in making the company pleased with themselves. You will more readily hear than talk yourselves into their good graces. Beware of detraction, especially where your own sex is concerned. You are generally accused of being particularly addicted to this vice.I think unjustly. Men are full as guilty of it, when their interests interfere. As your interests more frequently clash, and as your feelings are quicker than ours, your temptations to it are more frequent. For this reason be particularly tender of the reputation of your own sex, especially when they happen to rival you in our regards.— We look on this as the strongest proof of dignity and true greatness of mind. Show a compassionate sympathy to unfortunate women, especially to those who are rendered so by the villany of men. Indulge a secret pleasure, I may say pride, in being the friends and refuge of the unhappy, but without the vanity of showing it. Consider every species of indelicacy in conversation as shameful in itself, and as highly disgust ing to us. As double entendre is of this sort.The dissoluteness of men's education allows them to be diverted with a kind of wit, which yet they have delicacy enough to be shocked at when it comes from your mouths; or even when you hear it without pain and contempt. Virgin purity is of that delicate nature that it cannot hear certain things without contamination. It is always in your power to avoid these. No man, but a brute or a fool, will insult a woman with conversation which he sees gives her pain; nor will he dare to do it, if she resent the injury with a becoming spirit. There is a dignity in conscious virtue, which is able to awe the most shameless and abandoned of men. You will be reproached perhaps with prudery. By prudery is usually meant an affectation of delicacy. Now I do not wish you to affect delicacacy: I wish you to possess it. At any rate, it is better to run the risk of being thought ridiculous than disgusting. * * * Every man who remembers a few years back, is sensible of a very striking change in the attention and respect formerly paid by the gentlemen to the ladies. Their drawing-rooms are now deserted, and after dinner and supper, the gentlemen are impatient till they retire. How they came to lose this respect, which nature and politeness so well entitled them to, I shall not here particularly inquire. The revolutions of nature in any country, depend on causes very various and complicated. I shall only observe, that the behaviour of the ladies in the last age was very reserved and |