it will effectually prepare your heart for its reception of lady G.' With my friend's permiffion I copied the following letter, which I now tranfcribe for your use, and in order to connect the whole of Mrs. Warren's narrative. "MY DEAR MISS WENTWORTH, "You will perhaps find some difficulty in conceiving that a fimilarity of condition has ever fubfifted between yourself and me, oppofed, as it is at prefent, by my fituation in life; for it is only from our own experience that we are effectually taught to admit the full conviction of the inftability of human profperity. Yet I, like yourself, was the only daughter of a rich West-India planter: I, like yourself, was the fond hope of my parents: I was yet more favoured by Providence than yourfelf; for I had a mother's love, a mother's foftering care. Like yourself, I was fent to this country for the purpose of instruction; my mother's mo deft deft worth yielding to the wishes of my father, who judged his child entitled to the most elaborate education. Like you, under the protection of friends, did I reach London; and, like you, was I configned into the hands of those who my fond parents believed would fupply to me their watchful tendernefs. Here all fimilarity between us ends. I found no Mr. and Mrs. Delmy's cordial looks and kind greetings; I was conveyed from the fhip to a large and comfortless house, by the friends who had taken charge of me on the voyage, and who very exactly calculated that this care finished the moment we fet our feet on fhore. "A plain sturdy-looking man received me in what I found was his accompting-room. Several men were at their desks, and he inftantly dispatched one of them to fee after 'mifs's luggage.' His words to me were few, but civil: he faid he would conduct me to his wife, who would be very glad to see me, and would take care of me. This wife I found found dreffing in an apartment which appeared to me fuffocating and gloomy, although very fine. My introduction was brief; for he faid Here is mifs Courtney fafe and found,' and immediately difappeared. The lady of the manfion asked me a few questions relative to my voyage, but I could only anfwer by monofyllables. My fpirits were depreffed, and my fituation did not encourage me: it was apparent I was in her way; and after a pause of fome moments fhe faid, Perhaps, mifs Courtney, you will be amufed with my young folks. I will conduct you to them.' She led the way, and I followed to the attic ftory. In a large nursery were two boys and two girls: the oldeft of them appeared to be eight or nine years of age; I was twelve, and had long ceased to confider myself as a fuitable companion for infants. Mrs. Brown thought otherwife, and I became from that hour the daily inhabitant of the nursery, till I was placed in a school. My rude and noisy affociates were little calculated to reconcile me to my prifon, or to banish banish thofe regrets that preffed on my heart at the recollection of my parents, and of the paradife I had quitted. Mrs. Brown's confolations on feeing, as fhe might have done very frequently, my eyes red with weeping, were not of the most foothing kind; for they commonly finished by asking me, 'what I was to do at school, if I could not make myself eafy with her.' "The time for this experiment was now fixed; and notwithstanding the implied difcouragement contained in Mrs. Brown's interrogation, I rejoiced at the profpect of a change in my fituation. I faw with curiofity and furprise the preparations which were made for my appearance at fchool; and my introduction into one of the firft feminaries in town appeared to me no lefs extraor dinary; for Mrs. Brown announced me as ' a young lady of immenfe fortune, to whom every confideration was due....the child of Mr. Brown's moft intimate friend....and one whom they both efteemed very highly.' The lady to whom fhe addreffed her dif courfe courfe of my riches and importance, appeared however very much at her eafe, and contented herself with faying the hoped we fhould be fatisfied with each other.' Indeed her house and family were well calculated to make me forget the attic story on Dowgate Hill. The comforts with which the former abounded, and the unaffected kindness and politeness of the latter, soon restored me to my native gaiety. I only wanted news from Jamaica to complete my happinefs. The packet was hourly expected. It arrived. You will eafily recall to your memory thofe dreadful hurricanes and tremendous thunder-ftorms which fo frequently appal the firmeft minds during the heat of our fummers: bur few indeed have been the examples of an overwhelming deftruction like that which in the space of a few hours fwept with unpitying fury over my dearest hopes. Parents, domeftics, the very earth on which my infant feet first trod, all were buried in one fad defolation. The habitation of peace, and the refidence of the mild virtues |