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 THE LIBRARY 
 
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 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
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 LOS ANGELES 
 
 Ex Lihris 
 
 SIR MICHAEL SADLER 
 
 ACQUIRED 1948 
 
 WITH THE HELP OF ALUMNI OF THE 
 
 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
 
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 ARTHUR HALL, YIE-TttJE ^ C^ 
 
 25, TATEIi:NOSTEil ROW.
 
 
 THE 
 
 BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 One evening, as Mr. Harewood was sitting in 
 the midst of his amiable and happy family, he 
 announced to them his expectation of receiving 
 soon the daughter of a deceased friend, who, 
 after residing some years in the West Indies, 
 had fallen a victim to the diseases incident to the 
 climate. 
 
 This family consisted of his lady, two sons, 
 and a daughter : the eldest, named Edmund, was 
 about twelve years of age ; Charles, the second, 
 was scarcely ten ; and Ellen, the daughter, had 
 just passed her eighth birthday : they were all 
 sensible, affectionate children, but a little diffe- 
 rent in disposition, the eldest being grave and 
 studious, the second lively and active, and as he 
 was nearer to Ellen's age, she was often inclined 
 to romp with him, when she should have minded 
 her book ; but she was so fond of her mamma, 
 and was educated with such a proper sense of 
 
 6293G2 =
 
 ^ THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 the duty and obedience she owed her, that a 
 word or a look never failed to restrain the exube- 
 rance of her spirits, and lead her into the path 
 of propriety. 
 
 Children are alike naturally curious and fond 
 of society; the moment, therefore, Mr. Hare- 
 wood had mentioned their expected guest, they 
 had every one some question to put respecting 
 her ; but as Ellen's was uttered with most mild- 
 ness and modesty, she was first answered ; and 
 her brother Charles, taking this hint, listened 
 quietly to the following conversation, not joining 
 in it till he felt that he had a right to do so, from 
 having practised a forbearance that cost him some 
 effort. 
 
 Ellen. — Pray, papa, what is this little girl's 
 name, and how old is she ? 
 
 Father. — She is called Matilda Sophia Hanson : 
 her father was a man of good fortune, and she is 
 an only child ; I believe, however, his affairs are 
 in an unsettled state, as his widow is under the 
 necessity of remaining some time in the country, 
 in order to settle them. It is at her earnest re- 
 quest that I have been prevailed upon to accept 
 the charge of her daughter. I believe she is 
 about a year younger than you ; but as the growth 
 of people in warm countries is more rapid than in 
 this, 1 expect to see her quite as tall and forward 
 as you, Ellen.
 
 THE BARBADOES OIEL. 3 
 
 Ellen. — But, dear papa, how will she get here 
 from a place on the other side of the globe ? I 
 mean, who will bring her ? for I know, of course, 
 that she must come in a ship. 
 
 Father. — She will be attended by a negro ser- 
 vant, who has always waited upon her ; and who 
 will return after she is safely landed, I suppose. 
 
 Ellen. — Poor thing ! how she will cry when 
 she leaves her own dear mamma, when she is to 
 cross the wide sea ! and then again, when she 
 parts with her good nurse ; I dare say she will 
 kiss her very fondly, though she is a black. 
 
 Charles. — Oh, she will forget her sorrow when 
 she sees such a many things that are quite new 
 to her. I'm afraid she'll think Ellen, and indeed 
 us boj's, very silly, ignorant creatures, compared 
 to her, who has seen so much of the world : 
 upon my word, we must be all upon our good be- 
 haviour. 
 
 Father. — I hope you will behave well, not 
 merely from conscious inferiority, but because 
 you would be both impolite and unking, if you 
 omitted anything in your power that could render 
 a stranger happy, w^ho is so entirely thrown upon 
 our protection — one, too, who has lost a fond 
 father, and is parted from a tender mother. 
 
 Edmund. — But, papa, as Miss Hanson is coming 
 to England for education, and is yet very young, 
 surely Charles must be wrong in supposing that 
 
 B 2
 
 4 THE bahbadoes girl. 
 
 she is wiser, or, I ought to say, better informed, 
 than we are, since it is utterly improbable that 
 she should have had the benefit of such instruc- 
 tions as we have enjoyed. 
 
 Father. — True, my dear ; but yet she will, of 
 course, be acquainted with many things to which 
 you are necessarily entire strangers, although I 
 must remark that Charles's expression, " she has 
 seen much of the world," is not proper ; for it 
 is only applied to people who have mixed much 
 with society — not to "those whose travels have 
 shewn them only land and water. It must, 
 however, strike you, that in coming from a dis- 
 tant country, a society very distinct from ours, 
 and a race of beings to whom you are strangers, 
 she cannot fail to possess many ideas and much 
 knowledge which are unknown to you : I there- 
 fore hope her residence with us for a time will 
 prove mutually advantageous ; but if the advan- 
 tage should prove to be on your side, I trust you 
 will never abuse it by laughing, or in any way in- 
 sulting and teazing your visitant ; such conduct 
 would ensure most serious displeasure. 
 
 Mother. — It would prove them not only very 
 ignorant, and deficient in that education which 
 even the savage tribes of America give their chil- 
 dren, but prove that they were devoid of that 
 spirit of courtesy which is recommended in the 
 Scriptures, and which every Christian child, as
 
 THE BAREADOES GIllL, O 
 
 such, will nourish in his heart and display in his 
 manners : the same holy apostle, who inculcated 
 the highest doctrines of his Divine Master, says 
 also — " Be affable, be courteous, bearing one with 
 another." 
 
 The children for a few moments looked very 
 serious, and each appeared to be inwardly making 
 some kind of promise or resolution to themselves 
 respecting the expected stranger : at length Ellen, 
 looking up, said to her mamma, with great ear- 
 nestness, " Indeed, mamma, I will love Miss 
 Hanson as much as if she were my sister, if she 
 will permit me to do it." 
 
 " You had better say, Ellen, that you will be 
 as kind to her as if she were your sister ; for 
 until we know more of her, it is not possible for 
 us to promise so much ; nor is it advisable to give 
 our hearts at first sight, even to those who have 
 yet stronger claims upon our good will and friendly 
 services." 
 
 Mr. Harewood added his approbation of this 
 sentiment, for he knew it was one that could not 
 be repeated too often to young people, who are 
 ever apt to take up either partialities or prejudices 
 too strongly, and whose judgment has ever occa- 
 sion for the attempering lessons of experience. 
 
 B o
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 At length the long-wished-for day arrived, and 
 the young foreigner made her appearance in the 
 family of Mr. Harewood. She was a fine, hand- 
 some-looking girl, and though younger in fact, 
 was taller and older-looking than Ellen, but was 
 not nearly so well-shaped, as indolence, and the 
 habit of being carried about instead of walking, 
 had occasioned her to stoop, and to move as if 
 her limbs were too weak to support her. 
 
 The kindness and politeness with which she 
 was received in the family of Mr. Harewood did 
 not aj^pear to affect the Barbadoes girl in any 
 other way than to increase that self-importance 
 which was evidenly her characteristic ; and even 
 the mild, affectionate Ellen, who had pre-dis- 
 posed her heart to love her very dearly, shrunk 
 from the proud and haughty expression which 
 frequently animated her features, and was sur- 
 prised to hear her name her mamma with as 
 much indifference as if she were a common ac- 
 quaintance ; for Ellen did not know that the in- 
 dulgence of bad passions hardens the bosom, and 
 renders it insensible to all those sweet and tender 
 ties which are felt by the good and amiable, and 
 which constitute their highest happiness. 
 
 In a very short time, it became apparent that
 
 THE BAEEADOES GIEL. 7 
 
 passion and peevishness were also the traits of 
 this unfortunate child, who had been indulged in 
 the free exercise of a railing tongue, and even of 
 a clawing hand, towards the numerous negro 
 dependents that swarmed in her father's mansion, 
 over whom she had exercised all the despotic 
 sovereignty of a queen, with the capriciousness 
 of a petted child, and thereby obtained a habit of 
 tyranny over all whom she deemed her inferiors, 
 as appeared from the style in which she now 
 conducted herself constantly towards the menials 
 of Mr. Harewood's family, and not unfrequently 
 towards the superiors. 
 
 For a few days Mr. Harewood bore with this 
 conduct, and only opposed it with gentleness and 
 persuasion : but as it became evident that this 
 gentleness emboldened the mistaken child to pro- 
 ceed to greater rudeness, he commenced a new 
 style of treatment, and the English education of 
 Matilda, so far as concerned that most important 
 part of all education, the management of the 
 temper, in the following manner : — 
 
 On the family being seated at the dinner-table, 
 Miss Hanson called out, in a loud and angry 
 tone, " Give me some beer !'' 
 
 Mr, Harewood had previously instructed the 
 servant who waited upon them how to act, in 
 case he was thus addressed ; and in consequence 
 of his master's commands, the man took no
 
 8 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 notice whatever of this claim upon his atten- 
 tion. 
 
 " Give me some beer !" cried she again, in so 
 fierce a manner that the boys started, and poor 
 Ellen blushed very deeply, not only from the 
 sense of shame which she felt for the vulgarity 
 of the young lady's manners, but from a kind of 
 terror, on hearing such a shrill and threatening 
 voice. 
 
 The servant still took no notice of her words, 
 though he did not do it with an air of defiance, 
 but rather as if it were not addressed to him. 
 
 The little angry child muttered, loud enough 
 to be heard — " What a fool the wretch is !" but 
 as nobody answered what was in fact addressed 
 to no one, she was "at length compelled to look 
 for redress to Mrs. Harewood, whom, regarding 
 with a mixture of rage and scorn, she now ad- 
 dressed — " Pray, ma'am, why don't you tell the 
 man to give me some beer .^ I suppose he'll un- 
 derstand you, though he seems a fool, and deaf." 
 
 " My children are accustomed to say — ' Pray, 
 Thomas, give me some beer ;' or, ' Til thank you 
 for a little beer ;' and the loud rude manner in 
 which you spoke, probably astonished and stunned 
 him. As, however, I certainly understand you, 
 I will endeavour to relieve you. — Pray, Thomas, 
 be so kind as to give Miss Hanson some beer," 
 said Mrs. Harewood.
 
 . THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 9 
 
 Thomas instantly offered it : but the little girl 
 cried out in a rage — " I won't have it — no ! that 
 I won't, from that man : 111 have my own negro 
 to wait — that I will ! — Must I say pray to a ser- 
 vant ? must a nasty man in a livery be kind to 
 me ? — no ! no ! Zebby, Zebby, I say, come 
 here !" 
 
 The poor black woman, hearing the loud tones 
 of her young lady, to which she had been pretty 
 well used, instantly ran into the room, before 
 Mr. Harewood had time to prevent it, and very 
 humbly cried out — " What does Missy please 
 wanty ?" 
 
 *' Some beer, you black beetle !" 
 
 " Is, Missy," said the poor woman, with a 
 sigh, reaching the beer from Thomas with a 
 trembling hand, as if she expected the glass to 
 be thrown in her face. 
 
 Charles had with great difficulty refrained from 
 laughter on the outset of this scene ; but indig- 
 nation now suffused his countenance. The young 
 vixen was an acute observer, and had she not 
 been cruelly neglected, might have been a sensible 
 child. It instantly struck her, that his features 
 disputed her right ; and determined not to endure 
 this from any one, she instantly threw the beer 
 in the face of poor Zebby, saying — " There's that 
 for you, madam." 
 
 It was not in the forbearance of the children
 
 10 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 to repress their feelings ; even Edmund exclaimed 
 — " What a brute !" 
 
 Ellen involuntarily started up, and hid her face 
 in her mother's lap, while Charles most good- 
 naturedly offered his handkerchief to the aggrieved 
 Zebby, kindly condoling with her on her misfortune. 
 
 Mr. Harewood now, for the first time, spoke. 
 — " Zebby," said he, in a calm but stern tone, " it 
 is my strict command, that so long as you reside 
 under my roof, you never give that young lady any 
 thing again, nor hold any conversation with her : 
 if you disobey my commands, I shall be under 
 the necessity of discharging you." 
 
 The young lady checked herself, and for a mo- 
 ment looked alarmed ; but recovering, she said 
 — " She is not 'yours, and you shan't discharge 
 her : she is my own slave, and I will do what I 
 please with her ; poor papa bought her for me, 
 as soon as I was born, and I'll use her as I please." 
 
 " But I know your mamma told you, that as 
 soon as she arrived in England she would be /ree, 
 and might either return or remain, as she pleased. 
 Now it so happens that she is so much pleased 
 with my family, and having a sincere regard for 
 your mother, she this morning requested Mrs. 
 Harewood to engage her in any service she could 
 undertake : convinced that she was worthy our 
 protection, we have done this, and therefore all 
 your claims upon her are over."
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 1 I 
 
 The little girl, bursting into a passionate flood 
 of tears, ran out of the room. 
 
 Poor Zebby, courtesying, said — " Sir, me hopes 
 you will have much pity on Missy — she was 
 spoily all her life, by poor massa — her mamma 
 good, very good ; and Vv'hen Missy pinch Zebby, 
 and pricky with pin, then good missis she be 
 angry ; but massa say only — ' Poo ! poo ! she be 
 child — naughty tricks wear ofi" in time.' He be 
 warm man himself." 
 
 The poor negro's defence affected the little 
 circle, and Mr. Harewood, observing it, said — 
 " You perceive, my dear children, that this child 
 is, in fact, far more an object of compassion than 
 blame, for she has been permitted to indulge every 
 bad propensity of her nature, and their growth 
 has destroyed that which was good ; of course, 
 her life has been unhappy in itself, yet punishment 
 has not produced amendment. Poor thing ! how 
 many of the sweetest pleasures of existence are 
 unknown to her ! She is a strans^er to the satis- 
 faction of obliging others, and to the conscious- 
 ness of overcoming herself, which, I trust, you 
 all know to be an inestimable blessing. I truly 
 pity her ; but I am compelled to treat her as if I 
 blamed her only ; I am obliged to be harsh, in 
 order that I may be useful, and give pain to pro- 
 duce ease." 
 In about an hour, finding that no one approached.
 
 12 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 and feeling the want of the dinner her shameful 
 rudeness and petulance had interrupted, and which 
 she had but just begun, Matilda came down stairs, 
 with the air of a person who is struggling to hide, 
 by effrontery, the chagrin she is conscious of de- 
 serving : no person took any notice of her en- 
 trance, and all appearance of the good meal she 
 wanted was removed. There was a certain some- 
 thing in the usually- smiling faces of the heads of 
 the mansion that acted as a repellent to her, and 
 she sat for some time silent ; but at length she 
 spoke to Ellen, who was ever easy of access, from 
 the gentle meekness which characterized her, and 
 whom, intending to mortify, she accosted thus — 
 " Nelly, did you eat my chicken ?" 
 
 Charles burst into a loud laugh, as Ellen, who had 
 never heard herself thus addressed, for a moment 
 looked rather foolish; on which he answered for her, 
 with a somewhat provoking sauciness of counte- 
 nance — "No, Matty, she did not eatyourchicken." 
 
 " My name is not Matty — it is Matilda Sophia, 
 and you are a great booby for calling me so ; but 
 Nelly, or Nell, is short for Ellen, and by one of 
 those names I shall call her, whenever I choose, 
 if it be only to vex yow." 
 
 *' Perhaps, too, you will choose to prick her, 
 and pinch her, Miss Matilda Sophia Hanson ?" 
 answered Charles, sneeringly, drawing out her 
 name as long and as pompously as it was possible.
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 13 
 
 " Fie, Charles !*' said Edmund ; " I am sure 
 you act as if you had forgotten all that papa told 
 us about Miss Hanson." 
 
 Charles, after a moment's thought, acknow- 
 ledged that he was wrong, very wrong. 
 
 Matilda was much struck with this ; she was 
 well aware that, under the same circumstances, 
 she should have said much more than he had, and 
 she was curious as to what had been said of her, 
 which could have produced this effect on a boy 
 generally so vivacious and warm-tempered as 
 Charles. After cogitating upon it some time, she 
 at length concluded that Mr. Harewood had en- 
 deavoured to impress on the minds of his family 
 the consequence she possessed, as an only child 
 and a great heiress ; and although he had ap.« 
 peared so lately to act under a very different im- 
 pression, yet it was very possible that he had only 
 done so because he was out of temper himself, 
 and, now his mind was become tranquil again, he 
 had repented of his conduct, and been anxious to 
 prevent his children from following his example 
 in this respect. 
 
 The more Matilda thought on this point, the 
 more fully she fixed it in her mind as an article 
 of belief; but yet there was something in the 
 calm, firm tones of Mr. Harewood, when he 
 spoke to her, and in his present open, yet unbend- 
 ing countenance, when he happened to cast his 
 
 c
 
 14 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 eyes towards her, which rendered her unsatisfied 
 with the answer she thus gave her own internal 
 inquiries ; and although she had been exceedingly- 
 angry with him, for presuming to speak to her, 
 she yet felt as if his esteem, and indeed his for- 
 giveness, were necessary for her happiness ; and 
 her pride, thus strengthened, contended with her 
 fears and consciousness of guilt and folly ; and 
 while she resolved inwardly to keep up her dig- 
 nity with the young ones, she yet, from time to 
 time, cast an anxious eye towards her new monitor. 
 
 In a short time, to Matilda's great relief, Mr. 
 Harewood stepped into the library to fetch him- 
 self a book ; and the children, in the hope that, 
 when he returned, he would kindly indulge them, 
 either by reading to them, or relating occasionally 
 such anecdotes or observations as the work he 
 read might furnish him with, left their seats, and 
 pressed round the place where their dear parents 
 were sitting. 
 
 Matilda did not like to be left alone, nor did 
 she feel as if she had a right to be held as a child 
 among the rest : again her pride and her repent- 
 ance had a great struggle, and she knew not to 
 which she should give the preference, for her 
 heart swelled alike with pride and sorrow ; she 
 moved towards the same place, and sought, in 
 the bustle of the moment, to divert the painful 
 feeling which oppressed her. ^
 
 THE BAEEADOES GIRL. 15 
 
 In a few moments Mr. Harewood was heard to 
 shut the library-door ; and as, of course, he might 
 be expected to re-enter very soon, and would now 
 be much nearer to her than he had been, and 
 would certainly adopt some more decided kind of 
 conduct and language towards her, Matilda be- 
 came again extremely desirous of knowing what 
 he really had said about her, and she two or three 
 times essayed to speak ; but a little remaining 
 modesty, which was nearly all the good which her 
 unhappy education had left her, prevented her, 
 until she found that she had no time beyond the 
 present instant left for satisfying her curiosity on 
 so important a point, when, in a considerable flut- 
 ter of spirits, she whispered to Ellen, but in a 
 voice sufficiently articulate to be heard by others 
 — " Pray what did your papa say of me ?" 
 "That you were very much to be pitied." 
 " Pitied ! Pray what am I to be pitied for r" 
 Ellen blushed very deeply : she could not an- 
 swer a question which called down confusion on 
 the head of her who asked it — one too whom she 
 was inclined to love, and whose petulance towards 
 herself, however unprovoked, she had already for- 
 given. She looked wistfully in the face of her 
 mamma, who replied for her — " We all think you 
 are much to be pitied, because you are evidently a 
 poor, little, forlorn, ignorant child, without friends, 
 and under the dominion of a cruel enemy, that 
 
 c 2
 
 16 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 renders you so frightful, it is scarcely possible for 
 even the most humane people to treat you with 
 kindness, or even endure you." 
 
 Matilda involuntarily started up, and examined 
 herself in the looking-glass. — " If I had hap- 
 pened to be your own daughter, ma'am," she said, 
 crying again, " you would not have thought me 
 ugly ; but because I come from Barbadoes, you 
 don't like me ; and it is cruel and wicked to treat 
 me so. But I will go back — I will — I will !" 
 
 " I wish most sincerely you had never come, 
 for it is painful to me to witness the folly and sin 
 you are guilty of 5 but, since you are here, I will 
 endeavour to bear with you, until I have found a 
 good school to send you to. If you would give 
 yourself time to consider, you would know that 
 the enemy I spoke of is your own temper, which 
 would render even perfect beauty hideous ; you 
 know very well that I received you with the great- 
 est kindness, and that you have outraged that 
 kindness. But I can forgive you, because I see 
 that you are a silly child, who fancies herself of 
 importance ; whereas children, however they may 
 be situated, are poor dependent creatures." 
 
 Matilda answered only by a scornful toss of her 
 head, and uttering the word — " Dependent !" 
 
 " Edmund," said Mrs. Harewood, taking no 
 notice of her insolent look, " you are a strong 
 healthy boy, forward in your education, capable
 
 THE EARBADOES GIEL. IT 
 
 of reflection, and decidedly superior, not only in 
 age, but wisdom, to any other in the room, answer 
 me candidly, as if you were speaking to a boy 
 like yourself — Do you feel it possible so to con- 
 duct yourself, that, if you were left alone in the 
 world, you could be happy and independent ?" 
 
 " My dear mamma," said Edmund, " you must 
 be laughing at me ; a pretty figure I should cut, 
 if I were to set up for a man, without any one to 
 advise me how to act, to command me when I 
 was wrong, and to manage every thing for me ! 
 how could I do right without my papa, or some 
 proper guardian ? and how could I be happy with- 
 out you, mamma?" 
 
 As Edmund spoke, he tenderly threw his arms 
 round his mother ; and the other two instantly 
 followed his example, crying— "No, no, we could 
 do nothing without you and dear papa ; pray do 
 stay with us, and make us good." 
 
 As they spoke, the tears were in their eyes, and 
 Matilda was affected : she remembered the tender 
 embraces of her own mother, and she had like- 
 wise the consciousness that she had often turned 
 a deaf ear to her tender expostulations. She was 
 convinced that these children, at this very time, 
 enjoyed a sweeter pleasure than she had ever ex- 
 perienced from the gratification of her desires, 
 and she even longed to own her folly, and gain 
 her share of Mrs. Hare wood's caresses ; but pride 
 
 c3
 
 18 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 still struggled in her heart ; and though her reason 
 was convinced of the truth, that children are in- 
 deed dependent on their friends for all that ren- 
 ders life valuable, yet her temper still got the 
 better, and she resolutely held her tongue, though 
 she ceased to look haughty and ill-humoured. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 This interesting display of natural feelings was 
 interrupted by the hasty re- entrance of Mr. Hare- 
 wood, followed by Betty, the housemaid, who, in 
 entering the door in a hurry, had fallen down a 
 step, and hurt her forehead, and was now brought 
 forward by her good master, to claim the ready 
 assistance of her kind and skilful mistress. 
 
 The children were full of concern and condo- 
 lence with Betty, and with great tenderness shrunk 
 when they saw their mamma bathe her forehead 
 with vinegar, as they knew it must smart exceed- 
 ingly : and Ellen could not help saying — " How 
 good Betty is ! she never says oh !" 
 
 " No, Miss," said Betty, " I know your mamma 
 does it for my good; and though she gives me some 
 pain, yet she saves me from a great deal more." 
 
 In a few minutes, Betty declared the smarting 
 was quite gone ; and the children were so glad, 
 that Matilda began to think, though they were 
 foolish, yet they were certainly happy, and she 
 wished she could feel as happy as they did.
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 19 
 
 When Betty was gone,' the tea came in, and 
 Mrs. Hare wood ordered a large plate of toast, as 
 she recollected Matilda's scanty dinner. Thomas 
 once handed it all round, and Mr. Harewood then 
 said — " Set it down ; when the children want it, 
 they will ask you for it." 
 
 All the children remembered poor Matilda's 
 wants, and in order that she might have plenty, 
 without any more being ordered, or any thing in 
 reference to the past being mentioned, with the 
 true delicacy of feeling, forbore to eat any more, 
 so that Matilda could not repeat their words in 
 asking, which she now determined to do. She 
 was very hungry, and the toast looked very tempt- 
 ing, as it stood on the cat before the fire. 
 
 Matilda looked at the toast, and then at the 
 footman ; her cheek glowed, her eye was subdued, 
 but her tongue did not move. Thomas, however, 
 handed her the toast, and she then articulately 
 said—" Thank you." 
 
 This was heard, but no notice was taken ; they 
 knew that much false shame attends the first 
 efforts of pride and passion, and they feared lest 
 even approbation shotdd be misconstrued. 
 
 In order to divert the general attention, Mrs. 
 Harewood said — " I forgot to ask Betty what 
 made her run in such a hurry as to occasion her 
 accident, for I gave her leave to go out, and stay till 
 nine o'clock, and it is only seven now, I believe."
 
 20 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 *' I believe, madam," said Thomas, very respect- 
 fully, " she came home in haste, because her sister 
 is brought to bed of twins ; and as you were so 
 good as to promise her some caudle, she came to 
 tell the cook to make it, and likewise to get some 
 little matter of clothing, from her own clothes, 
 for the baby that is unprovided." 
 
 *' Poor woman !" said Mrs. Harewood ; " we 
 must all help; this little stranger has a claim onus." 
 
 Ellen clapped her hands — " Oh, mamma, may 
 I make it a nightcap ?" 
 
 " Yes, my dear ; I will get some old linen, and 
 cut out a few things, after tea." 
 
 " I will give you a crown, my dear," said Mr. 
 Harewood ; " as I cannot assist in sewing, I must 
 help to buy needles and thread." 
 
 " And I will give you a shilling, mamma," said 
 Edmund, " if you please." 
 
 " Oh dear," said Charles, " I am very sorry, 
 but I have only fourpence, because I spent all 
 my money on my new kite ; but if that will do 
 any good, mamma " 
 
 " It will do good, Charles, and I will not grieve 
 you by refusing it, because I see you are sorry 
 that you have no more, and that sorrow will teach 
 you another time to be provident, and then you 
 will not be under the necessity of giving your last 
 farthing, or refusing to be charitable, when such 
 a case occurs again."
 
 THE BAK13AD0ES GIRL. 21 
 
 Ellen handed Charles's fourpence to her 
 mamma ; and as she did so, she put a sixpence 
 between the pence, so as not to be seen by Ma- 
 tilda, lest it should seem liiie a reproach to her ; 
 and as she slipped the whole into her mother's 
 hand, she said — " I hope, mamma, you will be 
 so good as to let Miss Hanson make a little cap 
 for the baby?'' 
 
 "I don't like to sew," said Matilda, rising; 
 " at least not such things as these : I think a bit 
 of calico to wrap the pickaninnies in is the best, 
 and I'll give that to buy some with." 
 
 As she spoke, she threw half-a-guinea on the 
 table, with the air of one desirous of exhibiting 
 both generosity and wealth, and looked round 
 with an eye that asked for admiration. 
 
 No notice was taken. Mrs. Harewood, open- 
 ing her own purse, took out half-a-crown, and 
 then counted all that she had got. In doing it, 
 Ellen perceived not her sixpence, and she then, 
 with modesty, but without any shame, said — " I 
 believe my sixpence must have slipped down." 
 
 " I did not know you gave me one, child." 
 
 " Yes, but she did, for I saw her," said Mr. 
 Harewood, "though she was not aware that I 
 did. She gave it in silence, not from affectation, 
 but a kind motive towards one who could not 
 appreciate it ; but we will say no more on this 
 point. Ellen, you have gratified your father : I
 
 22 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 see in your conduct the germ of a gentlewoman, 
 and, what is infinitely more precious, of a Chris- 
 tian." 
 
 Ellen sprung to her father's arms, and in his 
 affectionate kiss found a rich reward. 
 
 For a moment, Matilda thought to herself, 
 what 'a piece of work is here about sixpence, while 
 they take no notice at all of a bright golden half- 
 guinea ! but still her understanding combated 
 this thought, and she was compelled to inform 
 herself that all the present company saw beyond 
 the surface, and truly estimated the gift according 
 to the spirit and the power of the donor. 
 
 Betty now came in, and Mrs. Harewood gave 
 her the money, telling her to buy some frocks 
 with it. Observing the servant eye the half- 
 guinea, she said — " That was the gift of Miss 
 Hanson ; she is very rich, it seems, and gives 
 out of her abundance. I am sure you will be 
 grateful to her ; but if your fellow-servants, Betty, 
 should spare, out of the little time they have, as 
 much as will enable them to assist you in the 
 making of these things, they will be the best 
 friends you meet with ; for labour is much greater 
 charity than money." 
 
 Betty replied, that she was much obliged to all 
 her friends, both above and below, and especially 
 to poor Zebby, who had offered, with her lady's 
 leave, to sit up all night with her sister.
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 23 
 
 " She has not only my leave, but my aj^proba- 
 tion, especially as your accident has rendered you 
 unable. Tell Zebby I will spare her for a week, 
 on this truly charitable occasion." 
 
 AVith many thanks and courtesies, Betty with- 
 drew, and Ellen was soon, like her mamma, busy 
 with her needle, Mr. Harewood, drawing a ce- 
 lestial globe towards him, began to give his sons 
 some instruction, which interested them exceed- 
 ingly ; all were employed, all happy, but Matilda, 
 whose uneasiness was in fact considerably aug- 
 mented by the idea of Zebby leaving the house : 
 for though she used her ill, she had a regard for 
 her, the extent of which she was not aware of 
 till now that her heart was a little softened, and her 
 j udgment enlightened, by the transactions of the day. 
 After fidgeting about for some time, she at 
 length took up a needle and threaded it, and then 
 drawing more timidly towards Mrs, Harewood, 
 she said — " I don't mind if I do sew a little bit." 
 Eager to seize upon any good symptom, Mrs. 
 Harewood gave her a little cap, carefully doubled 
 down, saying — " You see this is double ; in these 
 countries, the babies, or pickaninnies, as you call 
 them, must be kept warm." 
 
 " I called that woman's twins pickaninnies, 
 because I thought she was poor — a kind of ser- 
 vant ; we do not call white children so — only little 
 negroes."
 
 24 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 *' They are all the same with us, and will be 
 so with you, I hope, by and by ; indeed they 
 always were, with sensible good people. But, 
 Matilda, what long stitches you are taking ! I 
 shall have all your work to pick out again." 
 
 " I believe I cannot sew, indeed." 
 
 *' So it appears ; nor can you play a tune, nor 
 read a French lesson, nor write, nor draw : poor 
 little girl ! you have a great deal to learn : but, 
 however, keep up your spirits ; if you are dili- 
 gent and tractable, you will conquer all your 
 difficulties ; humility and industry will enable 
 you to learn every thing." 
 
 " How very strange it is," said Matilda to 
 herself, " that these people appear to pity me, 
 instead of envying me, as they used to do in 
 Barbadoes, and as I thought they would do here ! 
 besides, they are not angry with me, even when 
 they find fault with me, and they seem to wish 
 me to be good, for the sake af being happy.'' 
 
 These thoughts somewhat soothed the per- 
 turbed bosom of the poor child until the hour of 
 rest, when the remembrance of the good-tempered 
 negro's destination rose to her mind, and she 
 lamented her absence, and blamed her exceed- 
 ingly for leaving her, to go after a woman she 
 had never seen in her life : but, on the following 
 day, she evinced that the lesson she had received 
 was not lost upon her ; she appeared ashamed of
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 25 
 
 her ignorance, and willing to learn ; and as all 
 her young friends were very willing to instruct) 
 her, in whatever they had the power of commu-i 
 nicating, she soon began to make some progress 
 in her education ; she was a child of an acute 
 mind, excellent capacity, and, when roused to 
 exertion, unusually quick ; and being at an 
 age when the mind expands quickly, it was no 
 wonder that she soon gave evident marks of im- 
 provement. It was observed, that as her mind be- 
 came enlightened, her manners were softened, and 
 her petulance less obtrusive, though she was seen 
 to suffer daily from the habitual violence of her 
 temper, and that disposition to insolence,which un- 
 checked power is so apt to foster in young minds. 
 Mrs. Harewood found the care of Matilda 
 greatly increase her task of managing her family, 
 as one naughty child frequently makes another, 
 by raising up a spirit of contention and ill-humour: 
 and Charles was so frequently led into sallies of 
 passion, or tempted to ridicule that fault in his 
 new companion, that his parents often lamented 
 that they had accepted such a burdensome charge : 
 but when they saw any symptoms of improve- 
 ment in her, they were ever happy to foster the 
 good seed ; and in the consciousness that they 
 were not only raising up a human mind to virtue 
 and happiness, but preparing an immortal soul 
 for heaven, they thought little of their own 
 
 D
 
 26 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 trouble, and were even ttuly thankful that she had 
 been intrusted to their careful examination and 
 affectionate discipline. 
 
 CHAPTER ly. 
 
 At the end of the week, Zebby came home, ac- 
 cording to appointment ; and having paid her 
 respects to her excellent lady, she ran up stairs, 
 and entered the apartment where the two young 
 ladies were getting the tasks assigned them by 
 Mrs. Hare wood. When Matilda first beheld her 
 she had a great inclination to embrace her, for 
 her heart bounded towards the only creature she 
 had been acquainted with from her cradle ; but 
 she suddenly checked herself, and pretended to 
 continue her reading ; but Ellen spoke to her 
 kindly, though she told her that she was so situ- 
 ated, as not to be able to chat at present. 
 
 Zebby comprehended this, and would have 
 withdrawn; but not to have a single word from 
 her, whom in her heart she still considered as 
 her young mistress, the faithful creature could 
 not endure ; after waiting some minutes in vain, 
 she dropped a second humble courtesy, and said 
 — " How you do. Missy ? me verry glad see you 
 larn booky, but me hopes you spare one look, 
 one wordy, for poor Zebby : me go away one 
 long weeky, to nurse white man baby, pretty as 
 you, Missy."
 
 THE BAIIBADOES GIEL. 27 
 
 " Yes," said Matilda, reproachingly, " you 
 went away and left me very willingly, though it 
 was to wait on a person you never saw before." 
 
 " Ah, Missy ! you no lovee me, and poor white 
 woman lovee me much. You makee beer spit in 
 my face — she givee me tea- gruel out of her own 
 cup. You callee me black beetle — she callee me 
 good girly, good nursy, good every ting." 
 
 Matilda gave a deep sigh ; she well remem- 
 bered that it was on the very day of her outrage 
 that Zebby had quitted her, and in her altered 
 sense of justice she could not help seeing the 
 truth of the poor negro's statement ; she looked 
 up, with an ingenuous sense of error depicted on 
 her countenance, and said — " I am sorry, Zebby, 
 that I used you so ill, but I will never do it again." 
 
 The poor African was absolutely astonished, 
 for never had the voice of concession been heard 
 from the lips of Matilda before, even to her own 
 parents ; and the idea of her humility and kind- 
 ness in this acknoAvledgment so deeply affected 
 the faithful creature, that, after gazing at her in 
 admiration for a moment, she burst into tears, 
 and then clasping her hands, she exclaimed, in 
 a broken manner — " Oh, tankee God ! tankee 
 God ! pretty Missy be good girly at last ! her 
 lovee her good mamma — her pity poor negro — 
 her go up stair when her die. Oh, me be so 
 glad ! great God lovee my dear Missy now !" 
 
 D 2
 
 28 THE BAEEADOES GIRL. 
 
 Matilda felt the tears suffuse her own eyes, as 
 the kind heart of her late faithful slave thus gave 
 vent to its natural and devout emotions ; and she 
 gave her hand to Zebby, who kissed it twenty 
 times. Ellen was so delighted with this proof of 
 good disposition in Matilda, and with the honest 
 effusions of the poor negro, that she could not 
 forbear gratifying her own affectionate little heart, 
 by running to tell her dear mamma, who truly 
 rejoiced in every proof of Matilda's amendment, 
 and doubted not but it would prove the forerun. 
 ner of virtue, in a child who appeared convinced 
 of her faults, and desirous of improving herself. 
 
 It was now near Christmas, and Mrs. Hare- 
 wood was inquiring for a boarding-school where 
 she could place Miss Hanson. She would have 
 preferred keeping her at home, and having a 
 governess, who might attend to the instructions 
 necessary both for her and Ellen ; but the bad 
 temper and insolent airs of Matilda would not 
 hitherto admit of this plan, since Mrs. Harewood 
 could not bear the idea of subjecting an amiable 
 young person, whom she designed for that situ- 
 ation, to be tormented with a girl of her descrip- 
 tion. ^, She was well aware that in schools two 
 faults never fail to be cured much sooner than 
 they can elsewhere— these are, impertinence, or 
 insolence, and affectation ; the one renders us 
 disagreeable, the other ridiculous, in the eyes of
 
 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 29 
 
 our circle of society ; and every member in the 
 community of which a school consists, assists the 
 efforts of the ruler in punishing the one, and 
 laughing at the other. 
 
 To return to our story. One morning, when 
 Matilda got out of bed, she went to look whether 
 the morning was fine, and the moment she got to 
 the window, eagerly cried out, in great surprise — 
 " Ellen, Ellen ! get up this moment, and come to 
 the window ; the whole world is covered with 
 white ! and see, there are thousands and thou- 
 sands of little white feathers coming from the 
 skies, as if the angels were emptying featherbeds 
 upon the earth. ^' 
 
 "It snows," said Ellen, calmly; "I recollect 
 my papa told us you had never seen it snow." 
 
 "What is snow ?" 
 
 " We will ask Edmund ; he can tell you much 
 better than I can." 
 
 The surprising appearance thus witnessed, in- 
 duced Matilda to hasten down stairs, where Ed- 
 mund was writing his Latin exercise. — " Do pray 
 tell me," she cried, " what snow is, and why I 
 never saw it before ?" 
 
 " Snow," said Edmund, " is nothing but drops 
 of rain, which, in passing through the cold air, 
 become congealed or frozen. If you take this 
 pretty light substance into your warm hand, it 
 will melt and become a rain-drop again." 
 
 D 3
 
 30 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 As Edmund spoke, he opened the window a 
 very little way, caught some snow, and shewed 
 her the effect he spoke of. 
 
 " But why did I never see this in Barbadoes ?" 
 
 *' Because Barbadoes lies nearer to the sun than 
 England, and is much warmer, even in winter ; 
 therefore the rain-dr©ps never pass through that 
 region of cold air which freezes them in northern 
 climates. If you were to go farther north, you 
 would find still more snow and ice, the same I 
 saw you looking at yesterday. I will lend you a 
 little book, where you will see a description of a 
 palace of ice, and of whole mountains of snow, 
 called Glacieres ; and, if you please, I will shew 
 you that part of the globe, or earth, in which 
 those effects begin to take place. But, my dear 
 Ellen, pray lend Matilda your tippet, for she 
 looks as much frozen as the snow ; she must take 
 great care of herself in this cold climate.'' 
 
 Ellen threw the pinafore she was going to put 
 on over the neck of the shuddering Matilda, and 
 then ran nimbly before them towards the globe, 
 on which Edmund was going to lecture, neither of 
 them looking in Matilda's face ; but Charles, who 
 just then happened to enter, perceived that silent 
 tears were coursing each other down her cheek. 
 His compassion was moved, he apprehended that 
 the cold, which he felt himself to be severe, had
 
 THE BAKBADOES GIRL. 31 
 
 made her ill, and he inquired what was the mat- 
 ter with her, in a tone of real commiseration. 
 
 " I am so — so very ignorant," said Matilda, 
 sobbing. 
 
 "Oh, that's it !" cried Charles, gaily; "then you 
 and I may shake hands, for I am ignorant too." 
 
 " Oh, no, European children know every thing, 
 but I am little better than a negro ; I find what 
 your mamma said was very true — I know no- 
 thing at all." 
 
 " Dear Matilda, how can you say so ?" said 
 Edmund; "though you have not read as much 
 as we have, yet you have seen a great deal more 
 than any of us, and you are the youngest of the 
 company, you know. Consider, you have crossed 
 the Atlantic Ocean, seen groves of orange-trees 
 and spices grow, and the whole process of sugar- 
 making. You know the inside of a ship as well as 
 a house, and we never saw any thing better than 
 a sloop, or sailed anywhere but on the Thames." 
 
 " Besides," said Charles, " you have seen mon- 
 keys and parrots, and many other creatures, in 
 their own country, and many curious fish on your 
 voyage. Oh, you understand natural history 
 much better than we do." 
 
 " And if you understand nothing at all," added 
 Ellen, kindly pressing her hand, " mamma says it 
 is only wilful ignorance that is blamable." 
 
 Matilda wept still more, while the children thus
 
 32 THE BAEBADOES OIEL. 
 
 tried to comfort her. This distressed them all, 
 but they rejoiced to see their parents enter the 
 room, persuaded that they would be able to yield 
 her more effectual relief; and Ellen instantly be- 
 sought their attention to the subject, by relating 
 as much of the foregoing conversation as was 
 necessary. 
 
 " No, no, it is not exactly that I am crying for," 
 said Matilda,'interrupting her ; " it is because I 
 have been so very naughty, and you are all so — 
 so — so — " 
 
 " So what, my dear ?*' said Mr. Harewood, 
 drawing her towards him, and placing her between 
 his legs, in the same manner he was accustomed 
 to let Ellen stand, when she was much in his 
 favour. 
 
 The action, however kindly meant, for a time 
 redoubled her tears ; and the children, under- 
 standing their mamma's look, withdrew to the 
 room where they usually breakfasted, without the 
 least symptom of discontent, although they per- 
 ceived their mamma fill a cup of tea for Matilda 
 at her own table. 
 
 When they were gone, and the little girl had 
 somewhat recovered, Mr. Harewood whispered 
 her — " Did you mean to say, my dear, that my 
 children were so clever, or so proud, or so what ?" 
 
 " Oh, sir, they were so good! that was what I 
 wanted to say ; for there was Edmund, who al-
 
 TnE BAliEADOES ixlRL. 3.3 
 
 ways looked so grave, and was poring over his 
 books, he talked to me quite kindly, and never 
 made the least game of me, for all I must look 
 like a fool in his eyes, who has seen the snow all 
 his life. And then Charles, who is so full of fun 
 and nonsense, and who I always thought could not 
 abide me, he spoke to me as if he was sorry for 
 me, and made it out that we were both ignorant 
 alike ; and when I remembered how I had looked 
 at them, and behaved to them, I felt as if my 
 heart would break. Ellen is always so good, that 
 I did not think so much of her kindness, but no- 
 body knows " 
 
 Again the repentant girl wept, and at length 
 with difficulty proceeded — " Nobody knows how 
 dearly I love her, and you too." 
 
 She received the kindest assurances from both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harewood of their affection, and 
 that they entertained no doubt but she would com- 
 pletely conquer her bad temper, now she saw how 
 much it was not only her duty, but happiness to 
 do so ; and Mr. Harewood assured her that he 
 had no doubt, but in the course of a few years, 
 he should see her as sensible, good, and well- 
 informed, as his own children. 
 
 "And then I shall not be an object of pity, sir ?" 
 " No, you will be one of affection and esteem.'' 
 *' Oh, I doubt that must never, Jiever be T 
 " Never despair ; though you have many bat-
 
 34 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 ties with yourself, yet never relinquish the hope 
 of final conquest, and be assured you will find 
 every victory easier than the last. When you 
 find pride rising in your heart, think on your 
 ignorance, and it will make you humble ; and 
 when you are inclined to be angry with those 
 around you, remember what you have this day 
 confessed respecting their kindness, and it will 
 make you bear with the present vexation ; and if 
 at any time you are discomfited in any pursuit, 
 either of virtue or knowledge, recollect what I now 
 say, that, with many faults, yet you have some 
 merit, and may therefore reasonably hope to at- 
 tain more." 
 
 " Have'^I indeed r" said the now-humbled girl. 
 
 " Yes, you have an inquiring mind, which is 
 one great step towards the attainment of know- 
 ledge, and you are sincere and open-hearted, 
 which enables your friends to see what is the real 
 bent of your disposition, from which circumstance 
 they are always enabled to give you the advice 
 really necessary for your case ; and I hope, with 
 this groundwork of good, you will become a very 
 different girl, before we have the pleasure of 
 presenting you to your mother." 
 
 Mr. Harewood rose as he said these words, and 
 left Matilda calm in her spirits, but deeply resolv- 
 ing what he had said in her mind.
 
 THE BAEBADOES aiEL. 35 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 From this time Matilda felt as if her heart was 
 lightened of a heavy load, and she looked up to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harewood as friends, whom it was 
 her duty to obey, and her privilege to love ; and 
 to the children, as brothers, whose pleasures were 
 dear to her as her own ; and the warmth and 
 opennesss of her temper naturally led her to 
 display more than usual friendship, wherever she 
 professed it at all. Happily, with all her faults, 
 she was neither mean, artful, nor deceitful ; so 
 that the worst part of her disposition lay open to 
 the observation of those good friends who, like 
 skilful physicians, only wounded to cure her. 
 
 The errors of Matilda were those which never 
 fail to attach to extreme indulgence — pride, im- 
 petuosity, haughtiness, insolence, and idleness. 
 Accustomed to consider all around her as born 
 for her use and amusement, she commanded 
 where she should have entreated, and resisted 
 where she ought to have obeyed ; but when she 
 found that her wealth, power, and consequence, 
 were unknown, or utterly disregarded, and that 
 she could only be esteemed for her good qualities, 
 even her self-love tended to cure her of her idle- 
 ness ; and instead of drawling out — " Zebby,
 
 36 THE BAPvBADOES GIRL. 
 
 brinpj me this," " You fool ! fetch me the other," 
 she administered to her own wants, and obtained 
 her wishes at so much less expense than she had 
 once thought possible, that even her own con- 
 venience^taught her the wisdom of waiting upon 
 herself. She imputed the change, which could 
 not fail to be remarked, to the climate — and un- 
 questionably it is more easy and pleasant to be 
 active in a cold country than a hot one ; but her 
 friends were well aware that the change in her 
 mind was greater than that of her country, and 
 they forwarded this happy effect, by rendering 
 the studies in which she engaged as delightful to 
 her as possible, in order that by prosecuting them, 
 she might become less liable to rest her happi- 
 ness on that vain pomp, useless show, and ty- 
 rannical power, which were wont to delight her. 
 As, however, all bad habits are slowly eradi- 
 cated, and it by no means follows that even the 
 error we have lamented and acknowledged should 
 be so torn from the heart that no traces remain, 
 so it would happen, from time to time, that Ma- 
 tilda would fly into violent passions with the ser- 
 vants around her, as with her young companions ; 
 and even when these were suppressed, she was 
 apt to give herself airs of importance, and descant 
 on the privileges she enjoyed in her own coun- 
 try, v/here she was fanned when she was hot, by 
 slaves upon their knees, and borne about in a
 
 r 
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 37 
 
 stately palanquin ; where the most exquisite 
 fruits were continually presented to court her 
 palate, and the most costly dresses that money 
 could procure purchased to please her; where 
 every slave trembled at her anger, or rejoiced in 
 her smile, and where she would one day return 
 to reign as absolute as an empress. 
 
 "Well," said Ellen, one night, as this conver- 
 sation took place in the play-room, " I must own 
 I should like to live at Barbadoes for one thing 
 — I should like to set all the slaves at liberty, 
 and dress their little children, and make all 
 happy ; as to all the other good things and grand 
 things, I really think we have quite sufficient of 
 them at home ; for I suppose there are no more 
 books nor charities in your country than ours, 
 Matilda ; and surely there can be no greater 
 pleasure in this world, than reading the ' Parent's 
 Assistant,' and giving clothes and food to poor 
 children when they are really hungry and starv- 
 ing?" 
 
 " Certainly not," cried Charles ; " depend upon 
 it, Ellen, England is the finest land in the world, 
 and though I should like to see oranges and 
 pine-apples grow, I confess, and the poor slaves 
 at their merry meeting, all dancing away, with 
 their woolly heads and white teeth, as happy as 
 princes, yet depend upon it there is nothing else 
 half so beautiful as with us. England is un- 
 
 E
 
 38 THE BAUBADOES GIEL. 
 
 questionably the most beautiful, excellent, rich, 
 delightful country upon the globe." 
 
 As Charles spoke, he fixed his eyes upon Ed- 
 mund ; for although the ardour of his spirits 
 rendered him a great dealer in positive assertions, 
 he was yet so conscious of his inferiority in 
 knowledge to his elder brother, that he seldom 
 felt satisfied with them, unless they were stamped 
 by his brother's approbation. 
 
 Edmund, in answer to his appealing eye, said 
 — " I am as well convinced as you can be, Charles, 
 that England combines more advantages than any 
 other country, and that we either have in our- 
 selves, or obtain from other countries, whatever 
 is most worthy of possession ; and the two good 
 things which Ellen has mentioned, as comprising 
 what she considers the greatest pleasures of ex- 
 istence, are undoubtedly to be had here in per- 
 fection ; but I must own I should like to see 
 Barbadoes prodigiously, for a property which 
 none of you have yet mentioned." 
 
 *' What, have not / mentioned it ?" said Ma- 
 tilda. 
 
 " No, Matilda ; you have been so much taken 
 np with fine verandas, grand dinners, kneeling 
 slaves, luxurious palanquins, orange groves, and 
 delicious sweetmeats, that you have never once 
 boasted of your pure air, and the glories of your 
 evening sky, where all the planets shine with
 
 TKE BAEBADOES OIEL. 39 
 
 such a glowing lustre, that, Mr. Edwards tells 
 us, Venus is there a kind of moon, in the light 
 she sheds upon the earth, and those stars which 
 are scarcely to be discerned here, are beheld in 
 that enchanting air as bright as the stars of 
 Orion with us." 
 
 " Well," cried Charles, " that must all be be- 
 cause Barbadoes, and the other West India 
 islands, are so much nearer the sun, and I can- 
 not say I have any desire to be in such a hot 
 neighbourhood." 
 
 " No, Charles, that is not the reason ; for al- 
 though it is the fact, yet you cannot suppose that 
 their difference can be perceptible, in that re- 
 spect, to those heavenly bodies which appear to 
 resemble only diamond sparks, from their im- 
 mense distance. The brilliancy of which I spea.v 
 arises from the greater purity of the air : we fre- 
 quently see objects here through a kind of veil, 
 which, though too thin to be perceptible, has yet 
 its effects upon all objects ; in some cases it alters, 
 or rather bestows a colour, which does not pro- 
 perly belong to them ; frequently impairs their 
 form and beauty, but sometimes adds to their 
 sublimity, and invests them with imposing great- 
 ness, proportioned to the obscurity with which 
 they are enveloped." 
 
 " I don't understand all that Edmund says," 
 observed Ellen, with a modest, but not sheepish
 
 40 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 look, " but I should be glad to know whether 
 something is not the matter with the sun when 
 it looks copper colour, like the lid of a stewpan ; 
 because in summer time, I remember, when we 
 were out in the fields, it used to be bright golden 
 yellow, so glorious and full of shine, as it were, 
 that looking at it, even for a moment, made my 
 eyes aches, and thousands of black and green 
 spots to come into them." 
 
 *' My dear Ellen, though you did not under- 
 stand all the words I used, it is yet plain you did 
 comprehend the sense, as you have brought for- 
 ward an example of this effect of the atmosphere, 
 w^hich we all witness every day ; the fogs and 
 exhalations through which we view the sun, are 
 the sole cause of that dingy appearance you re- 
 mark : and even in the summer time, as the sun 
 descends, you may perceive he becomes more and 
 more red and dark as he approaches the horizon. 
 I have therefore no doubt but the veil, or va- 
 poury substance, of which I speak, is but a little 
 distance from the earth ; for I observe, that as 
 the sun rises into the heavens, he grows more 
 brilliant from surmounting this veil." 
 
 " Did you find this out of yourself, Edmund ?*' 
 " I noticed it one day to my papa, and he ex- 
 plained it ; he told me too, that all the beautiful 
 variety of colours which we observe in the set- 
 ting sun must be imputed to this cause ; he taught
 
 THE BAEBADQES GIEL. 41 
 
 me at the same time to distinguish shadows in 
 the water by reflection, and those which are re- 
 fracted, and many other things, which rendered 
 me much more delighted with the country than 
 I had ever been before, and more fond of dear 
 papa for taking the trouble to inform me." 
 
 " Well then," said Ellen, " when we go down 
 to Richmond next summer, you must explain 
 every thing to us, and we will love you better 
 than ever, dear Edmund ; and I will say the ode 
 to Eton College to you in my very best manner ; 
 perhaps Matilda will be able to say it before 
 then, and " 
 
 " Go forward, Ellen." 
 
 " I want to know — ive want to know what it 
 means in that poem, where it says, 
 
 ' Grateful Science still adores 
 Her Henry'' s holy shade.^ 
 
 What is a holy shade, Edmund?" 
 
 " It is a poetical expression, my dear, meaning 
 that we of the present day are grateful to the 
 founder, Henry the Sixth, who was a religious, 
 and probably a learned man, although very un- 
 fortunate as a king." 
 
 " Oh," cried Ellen, " I remember all about 
 him ; he was deposed by Edward the Fourth, 
 whose two sons were afterwards murdered in the 
 Tower by their wicked uncle, Kichard the Third." 
 
 E 3
 
 42 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 " I remember that,^^ said Matilda, timidly, yet 
 with that kind of pleasure, which indicated a 
 sense of approaching her superior in knowledge, 
 and being sensible that this was the only kind of 
 superiority worth possessing. 
 
 Scarcely, however, had she spoken, when 
 Charles, throwing himself into a theatrical atti- 
 tude, exclaimed — "Ay ! but do you remember the 
 man that looked like him — to this same Henry, 
 * Who drew Priam' s curtain in the dead of nighty 
 andtvould have told him half his Troy was burnt P" 
 
 *' No, indeed," said both the girls, starting. 
 
 Charles burst into a loud laugh at their innocent 
 surprise at his violent gesticulation and grimace. 
 
 " I know what you mean," said Ellen, rather 
 poutingly ; " yes, I know it very well, though I 
 don't choose to talk about things of that kind, 
 because I have always been told that none but 
 ignorant and foolish people did so." 
 
 " But I entreat yoii," said Charles, " to tell me 
 what you think T mean, for I am sure you sur- 
 prise me now as much as I did you." 
 
 " Why, I suppose Henry's holy shade means 
 spirit, and it was that which drew Priam's cur- 
 tains in the dead of night (or which he thought 
 did), though it was probably only the housemaid." 
 
 Again Charles burst into an immoderate fit of 
 laughter, exclaiming — " Housemaid ! admirable ! 
 upon my word, Ellen, you have found a person-
 
 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 43 
 
 age in the old king's establishment Homer never 
 thought of." 
 
 " I never read Homer/' said Ellen, simply. 
 
 " No, child, you need not tell us that," con- 
 tinued Charles, most provokingly continuing to 
 laugh, until poor Ellen was completely discon- 
 certed, and looked in the face of Edmund with 
 such an appealing air, that he assumed a look of 
 much more serious remonstrance than was usual, 
 as he thus addressed his brother — " You may 
 laugh as long as you please, sir, but your whole 
 conduct in this affair has shewn so much less 
 knowledge, as well as good sense, than Ellen 
 herself has displayed, that really I should not 
 wonder if a moment's recollection made you cry 
 as heartily as you now laugh." 
 
 *' Indeed !" said Charles, suddenly stopping. 
 
 " Yes, indeed ! In the first place, there can be 
 surely no doubt but you and I have read a great 
 deal more than the girls, and could at any time 
 puzzle and distress them by various quotations ; 
 but when they make inquiries to increase their 
 own stock of knowledge, it is our duty, and ought 
 to be our pleasure, to give them information, not 
 confusion, which you evidently intended to do ; 
 besides, it is rude, almost inhuman, to oppress 
 any person, even by the possession of that which 
 is in itself praiseworthy : and as the end of all 
 conversation is, or ought to be, improvement, a
 
 44 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 person who in any manner checks the spirit of 
 inquiry and free discussion, hinders that end. 
 We all know that English history is all which 
 Ellen has dipt into, and in the little she presumed 
 to utter on the subject, she was perfectly correct ; 
 whereas you, in your exhibition of more reading, 
 made a palpable error, since Homer names maids 
 repeatedly as belonging to the palace, and we can- 
 not doubt their being employed as our housemaids 
 are, since their offices are often particularized." 
 
 " A mighty piece of work, truly," said Charles, 
 *' for just quoting two lines of Shakespeare!" 
 
 "No, no, Charles, 'tis not for the quotation, 
 but the manner, and you cannot but see yourself 
 how erroneous an idea was taken up in conse- 
 quence : how often does papa say people can 
 never be too plain and simple, too downright and 
 unequivocal, in their explanations to children, 
 otherwise they plant words rather than ideas in 
 their minds, and create a confusion which it may 
 take many a year of after-thought to unravel ?" 
 
 " I was very foolish," said Charles, looking at 
 Ellen, with the air of one that wondered how it 
 had been possible to give pain to that little gen- 
 tle heart, which sought only to bestow pleasure 
 on all around it. He was about to speak, but 
 before he had time, his fond sister had read his 
 heart, and throwing her arms round his neck, she 
 exclaimed — " I know you meant nothing, dear
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 45 
 
 Charles ; no, I know you didn't ; only you are so 
 fond of being funny." 
 
 The eyes of Charles did indeed now twinkle 
 with a tear ; and Matilda, who was quick to dis- 
 cern, and acute in all her feelings, was much af- 
 fected. When they retired, she revolved all the 
 conversation in her mind ; she saw clearly that 
 virtue and knowledge were the only passports to 
 happiness ; and the remembrance of her mother's 
 desire to teach her various things, which she had 
 either shunned from idleness, or rejected with 
 insolence and ill-humour, rose to her mind ; and 
 the unhappy indulgence of her father appeared 
 to her in far different colours to what she had 
 ever beheld it. She became frequently disturbed, 
 and full of painful reflection ; yet she evidently 
 took much pains in attaining knowledge of the 
 task assigned her, and in conquering those risings 
 of temper "which were become inherent in her 
 mind. Notwithstanding her frequent fits of ab- 
 straction, in which it was evident some great grief 
 was uppermost in her mind, yet, as her nature led 
 her to be communicative, and she was never sub- 
 ject to be sullen, the family did not press her to 
 reveal her trouble, thinking that at the proper time 
 she would repose confidence in them; and accord- 
 ingly, as she sat one day alone with Mrs. Hare wood, 
 the following conversation took place between 
 them.
 
 46 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Matilda, after a long silence, in which she was 
 endeavouring, but in vain, to arrange her ideas, 
 and calm the incessant beating of her heart, said, 
 timidly and abruptly, with her eyes fixed on the 
 carpet — " Do you think, ma'am, that if Ellen 
 had ever been very, very naughty and saucy to 
 you, who are so good to her, that you could ever 
 really in your heart forgive her ?" 
 
 " I certainly should consider it my duty to 
 punish her for .her disobedience, by withholding 
 my usual expressions of love, and my general in- 
 dulgences from her ; but I should undoubtedly 
 forgive her, because, in the first place, God has 
 commanded me to forgive all trespasses, and in 
 the second, my heart would be drawn naturally 
 towards my own child." 
 
 " But surely, dear Mrs. Harewood, it is worse 
 for an own child to behave ill to a parent than 
 any other person ?" 
 
 "Undoubtedly, my dear, for it unites the crime 
 of ingratitude to that of disobedience ; besides, 
 it is cruel and unnatural to be guilty of insolence 
 and hard-heartedness, towards the hand which 
 has reared and fostered us all our lives — which 
 has loved us in despite of our faults — watched 
 over our infancy — instructed our childhood —
 
 THE BAEEABOES GIEL. 47 
 
 nursed us in sickness, and prayed for us before 
 we could pray for ourselves." 
 
 " My mamma has done all this for me a thou- 
 sand times," cried Matilda, bursting into tears 
 of bitter contrition, which, for some time, Mrs. 
 Harewood suffered to flow unrestrained ; at 
 length she checked herself, but it was only to 
 vent her sorrow by self-accusation — " Oh, ma'am ! 
 you cannot think how very ill I have behaved to 
 my dear, dear mother — I have been saucy to her, 
 and bad to every body about me ; many a time 
 have I vexed her on purpose ; and when she 
 scolded me, I was so pert and disobedient — you 
 can form no idea how bad I was. If she spoke 
 ever so gently to me, T used to tell my papa she 
 had been scolding me, and then he would blame 
 her, and justify me ; and many a time I have 
 heard deep sighs, that seemed to come from the 
 very bottom of her heart ; and the tears would 
 stand in her sweet eyes as she looked at me. Oh, 
 wicked, wicked child that I was, to grieve such 
 a good mamma ! and now we are parted such a 
 long, long way, and I cannot beg her pardon — I 
 cannot shew her that I am trying to be good ; 
 perhaps she may die, as poor papa did, and I 
 shall never, never see her more." 
 
 The agonies of the repentant girl, as this af- 
 flictive thought came over her mind, arose to 
 desperation ; and Mrs. Harewood, who felt for
 
 48 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 her with the truest solicitude, endeavoured to be- 
 stow some comfort upon her ; but poor Matilda, 
 who was ever violent, even in her better feel- 
 ings, could not, for a long time, listen to the 
 kind voice of her consoler — she could only re- 
 peat her own faults, recapitulate all the crimes 
 she had been guilty of, and display, in all their 
 native hideousness, such traits of ill-humour, pe- 
 tulance, ungovernable fury, outrageous passion, 
 and vile revenge, as are the natural offspring of 
 the human heart, when its bad propensities are 
 nurtured by indulgence, particularly in those 
 warm countries, where the mind partakes the 
 nature of the soil, and slavery in one race of 
 beings gives power to all the bad passions of 
 another. 
 
 At length the storm of anguish so far gave 
 way, that Mrs. Harewood was enabled to com- 
 mand her attention, and she seized this precious 
 season of penitence and humility to imprint the 
 leading truths of Christianity, and those plain 
 and invaluable doctrines which are deducible 
 from them, and evident to the capacity of any 
 sensible child, without leading from the more 
 immediate object of her anxiety, as Mrs. Hare- 
 wood very justly concluded, that if she saw her 
 error as a child, and could be brought to conquer 
 her faults as such, it would include every virtue 
 to be expected at her time of life, and would lay
 
 ■ THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 49 
 
 ^ tlie-*foundation of all those which we estimate in. 
 the female character. 
 
 *' Oh," cried Matilda, sobbing, " if 1 could 
 kneel at her feet, if I could humble myself lower 
 than the lowest negro to my dear mamma, and 
 once hear her say she forgave me, I could be 
 comforted ; but I do not like to be comforted 
 without this ; I am angry at myself, and I ought 
 to be angry." 
 
 " But, my dear little girl," replied Mrs. Hare- 
 wood, " though you cannot thus humble your- 
 self in your body, yet you are conscious that you 
 are humbled in your mind, and that your peni- 
 tence will render you guarded for the time to 
 come ; and let it be your consolation to know, 
 though your mother is absent, the ears of your 
 heavenly Father are ever open to your sorrows ; 
 and that if you lament your sins to him, he will 
 assuredly accept your repentance, and dispose the 
 heart of your dear mother to accept it also. I 
 sincerely pity you, not as heretofore, for your 
 folly, but for your sorrow ; and in order to en- 
 able you to comprehend what I mean by repent- 
 ing before God, I will compose you a short 
 prayer, which will both express your feelings, 
 and remind you of your duty towards yourself 
 and your mother." 
 
 Matilda received this act of kindness from her 
 good friend with real' gratitude ; and when she 
 
 F
 
 50 THE EAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 had committed it to memory, and adopted it in 
 addressing Almighty God, she found her spirits 
 revive, with the hope that she should one day 
 prove worthy of that kind parent whom, when 
 she lived with her, she was too apt to slight and 
 disobey. As her judgment became more en- 
 lightened, she saw more clearly into the errors of 
 her past education, and became perfectly aware 
 that the love of her too-indulgent father had been 
 productive of innumerable pains as well as faults. 
 She found herself much more happy noAv than 
 she had ever been in her life ; yet she had never 
 so few indulgences — she had no slaves to wait 
 on her — no little black children to execute her 
 commands, and submit to her temper ; she was 
 not coaxed to the dainties of a luxurious table, 
 nor had costly clothes spread before her to court 
 her choice, nor any foolish friend to retail all she 
 said, as if she were a prodigy of wit and talent ; 
 and all these things, she well remembered, were 
 accorded to her as a kind of inheritance in Bar- 
 badoes ; but, along with them, she remembered 
 having violent passions, in which she committed 
 excesses, for which she afterwards felt keen re- 
 morse, because she saw how they wounded her 
 mother, and shamed even her doting father — 
 ill-humour and low spirits, that rendered every 
 thing irksome to her, and many pains and fevers, 
 from which she was now entirely free ; and she
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 51 
 
 found, in the conversation, books and instruc- 
 tions of her young friends, amusement to which 
 nothing she had enjoyed before would bear com- 
 parison ; for what in life is so delightful as 
 knowledge, except the sense of having performed 
 some particular benefit to our fellow-creatures ? 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 It will be readily supposed that, with the hopes 
 now entertained of Matilda's conduct, Mrs. Hare- 
 wood did not hesitate to provide the governess we 
 have spoken of, and accordingly Miss Campbell 
 was soon established in the family. 
 
 She found Matilda rapid in her ideas, persever- 
 ing in her pursuits, but prone to resentment on 
 every trifling occasion, and still subject to finding 
 herself cause for repentance. On these occasions 
 Miss Campbell conducted herself with composure 
 and dignity, as if she considered a petulant child 
 below the notice of a sensible woman ; by this 
 means the pride of the culprit was humbled ; she 
 was taught to retread her first steps, and perceive 
 that she was an insignificant being, obliged to the 
 sufirage of her friends, and only capable of being 
 valuable in proportion to her docility and ami- 
 able conduct. 
 
 Mrs. Harewood had been accustomed to give
 
 52 THE BAKBADOES GIRL. 
 
 her children the treat of a ball at Christmas ; but 
 on^this year she put it off until Midsummer, partly 
 because she was afraid, in so large a party, and 
 with such various dispositions, Matilda might not 
 be able to conduct herself with perfect propriety 
 during a whole evening, and partly because she 
 wished her to learn to dance ; for although this 
 was, in her eyes, a very secondary accomplish- 
 ment, when compared to solid knowledge, yet, as 
 a healthful and innocent amusement, and called 
 for, in order to form the person in that station of 
 life in which Matilda was likely to move, she de- 
 sired to see her acquire at least as much of it as 
 would preserve her from the appearance of awk- 
 wardness. It was an object of anxiety with this 
 truly- maternal friend to save her from all unne- 
 cessary mortification, at the same time she ear- 
 nestly desired to see her tractable, humble, and 
 gentle. 
 
 Time now passed away pleasantly, for all were 
 occupied, and therefore happy : the idle are sub- 
 ject to many errors, and therefore many sorrows, 
 from which the busy are exempt. 
 
 The good governess studied the temper and 
 disposition of her pupils, and drew them forth in 
 the happiest manner ; not by making exhibitions 
 of their'tattainments to others, but by shewing 
 them what was necessary to themselves for their 
 improvement. She considered the work of edu-
 
 THE BAKBADOES GIEL. 53 
 
 cation as sowing good seed, which shall spring 
 up with vigour in advancing life, in proportion to 
 the depth of the soil, and its preparation for re- 
 ceiving it. 
 
 Whilst Miss Campbell inculcated those branches 
 of polite learning which gave a grace to virtue, 
 she was still more desirous of inculcating virtue 
 itself, by grafting it on religious principle, and 
 that " fear of God which is the beginning of 
 wisdom." 
 
 The children of Mrs. Hare wood had been taught, 
 from their earliest days, that prudence and charity 
 must go hand in hand ; but it remained for Miss 
 Campbell to impress this salutary truth on the 
 mind of Matilda, who was naturally very gene- 
 rous, but debased that feeling by ostentation, 
 and ever sought to indulge it with a vain and 
 hurtful profusion, until she was become en- 
 lightened by her young preceptress, who like- 
 wise, in many other points, regulated those de- 
 sires in her pupils which blend good and evil, 
 and require a firm and delicate management. 
 She was very solicitous to render them active, 
 both personally and mentally, knowing that the 
 health of both body and mind depends upon their 
 due exercise, and that a taste for study is yet 
 perfectly compatible with those various exertions, 
 to which the duties of a woman always call her, 
 in whatever sphere she may have occasion to move. 
 
 r 3
 
 54 TUE BAEBADOES GTRL. 
 
 Miss Campl>ell wished to save her pupils alike 
 from that perpetual fidgettiness which renders so 
 many females unable to amuse themselves for a 
 single hour, unless their hands, feet, and tongue 
 are employed, and that pertinacious love of read- 
 ing, which renders them utterly unable to enter 
 into the common claims of society, while a new 
 story is perused, or a new study developed ; she 
 considered these errors as diseases in the mental 
 habit it was her duty to prevent or eradicate, 
 since they must be ever inconsistent with general 
 duty and individual happiness. 
 
 Time passed — the vacation arrived, and the 
 young people had the pleasure of all meeting 
 again. Matilda was nearly as glad as Ellen to 
 see Edmund and Charles, who, on their parts, 
 were much improved, and delighted to find the 
 girls so. Matilda was in every respect altered ; 
 and although she had not Ellen's sweetness of 
 temper and amenity of mind, yet she had greatly 
 conquered her propensity to passion, was very 
 obliging in her general manners, and considerate 
 to her inferiors, and attached to Ellen, her gover- 
 ness, and Mr. and Mrs. Harewood, with a ten- 
 derness and gratitude that was very amiable, and 
 even affecting.
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 55 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 One day, when Edmund and Charles had been at 
 home about a week, the latter ran eagerly into 
 the sitting-parlour, crying out — " Oh, mamma ! 
 there is Betty's sister down stairs, with the poor 
 little twins in her arms, which were born just 
 when Matilda came ; they have short frocks now, 
 but I perceive they have no shoes : suppose we 
 young ones subscribe, and buy them some, poor 
 things ! there is my eighteen-penny piece for 
 shoes, mamma — shoes and hats too, if we can 
 raise money enough." 
 
 Mrs. Harewood could not help smiling at 
 Charles's eagerness, as she remembered the use- 
 ful mortification he had experienced the last time 
 his charity was called upon ; and as she took up 
 the money, she observed to him — " I am glad to 
 see this, Charles ; it is a proof you are more pro- 
 vident than you used to be ; and, wdth your pro- 
 pensity to spending, it requires no little effort to 
 save, in a large school, where there are always 
 many temptations. I think your proposal is a 
 very good one ; and whilst I am collecting the 
 money, pray step down stairs, and tell Betty to 
 bring up the little innocents — we shall all be glad 
 to see them." 
 
 Charles flew out of the room, and in less than
 
 56 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 a minute returned with the mother, carrying a 
 babe in each arm. She was a very decent woman, 
 the widow of a soldier, who died before his poor 
 children were born; she now endeavoured to 
 maintain herself and them by taking in washing, 
 together with the pay of the parish, which, al- 
 though small, she received very thankfully, and 
 managed very carefully. 
 
 " Look, mamma ! what pretty little feet they 
 have," cried Ellen ; " I am sure Charles was a 
 good boy to think about shoes for them — was it 
 not very kind of him, Matilda? because you know 
 boys seldom love little babies so much as girls do." 
 Matilda answered " yes," mechanically, for her 
 mind was abstracted, and affected by the remem- 
 brance this scene was calculated to inspire. Mrs. 
 Harewood, feeling for her evident embarrasment, 
 sent the poor woman down stairs to take some re- 
 freshment, and then laid a three-shilling piece, 
 as her own share of the contribution, besides 
 Charles's subscription, on the table. 
 
 Edmund laid a shilling on the table, saying—* 
 " If more is wanted, I will give you another with 
 great pleasure : I hope, mamma, you knoiu that I 
 will ?" 
 
 " Yes, Edmund, I do know that you will do any 
 thing in your power, for you are regular and pru- 
 dent, as well as a kind-hearted boy, and there- 
 fore have always got something to spare for the
 
 THE BAllBADOES OIEL. 57 
 
 wants of others ; I perceive, too, that you have 
 the good sense to examine the nature of the claim 
 made upon you, and that you give accordingly ; 
 you are aware, and I wish all the young ones to 
 be so likewise, that this, although an act of charity, 
 is not called for by any immediate distress ; it is 
 not one of those cases which wring the heart and 
 drain the purse, for the poor woman is neither 
 unprovided with lodgings nor food, and we ought 
 always to keep something for the sake of sufferers 
 of that description : I wish you, children, to be 
 free and liberal, for we are told in the Scriptures 
 that ' God loveth a cheerful giver ;' but, in order 
 to render you also frequent givers, you must be 
 prudent ones." 
 
 *' I have only one shilling in the world," said 
 Ellen, laying it on the table. 
 
 *' Then sixpence is as much as you ought to 
 give," said Mrs. Harewood, giving her a sixpence 
 in change, when observing that she took it with 
 an air of reluctance, she said — " My dear Ellen, 
 be satisfied ; you are a little girl, and have not 
 half your brother's allowance, you know — it is 
 sufficient." 
 
 While this was passing, Matilda had been 
 fumbling in her pocket, and blushing excessively; 
 her mind was full of painful recollections, yet 
 fraught with gleams of satisfaction; but she 
 wished very much to do two very contrary things,
 
 58 THE BAKBADOES GIEL. 
 
 and whilst she still hesitated, Miss Campbell said 
 — " Here is another sixpence, ma'am, which I will 
 take, and give you an eighteen-pence, as I wish 
 to give you a shilling, with Edmund's proviso." 
 
 " But," said Matilda, with a mixture of eager- 
 ness and hesitation, " then there will be no change 
 for me, and I wish to give the same as Ellen ; 
 don't I want change, ma'am? I — I beheve I do/' 
 
 There was in this confusion, and the blush 
 which deepened in her cheek, a something which 
 shewed Mrs. Harewood a great deal of what was 
 passing in the mind of this self-convicted, but 
 compassionate and ingenuous girl. Mrs. Hare- 
 wood took her shilling, and returned her sixpence, 
 which she evidently received with pain, but made 
 an effort to smile, as Ellen had done, in return for 
 the smile of her mamma. 
 
 After a short pause, Mrs. Harewood said — 
 " Well, Matilda, your delicacy is now satisfied — 
 you have not affected any display of humanity, or 
 ostentatious exhibition of wealth, in order to 
 humble your young friends ; but I perceive your 
 hea/t is not satisfied ; that heart is really inter- 
 ested in these babes, and conscious thatit is in your 
 power to do more, you are mortified at stopping 
 short of yovr own wishes and their wants." 
 
 " Oh dear, ma'am," replied Matilda, " you 
 have read all the thoughts of my heart (at least 
 all but one), and if you think it right, and
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 59 
 
 Ellen will not think me proud, I will indeed be 
 very glad, if you will accept a crown for my 
 subscription." 
 
 " I shall receive it with pleasure ; and I can 
 venture to assure you, that my children will 
 neither feel envy, anger, nor any other emotion, 
 except joy, at seeing the little objects of their 
 care benefited, and you happy ; for they have been 
 taught only to value such actions, according to 
 the motive in one party, and their usefulness to 
 the other : but, Matilda, if it is not a very great 
 secret, I should be glad to know what that one 
 other thought in your heart was, which I did not 
 guess upon this occasion ?" 
 
 Matilda did not find this question so easy of 
 reply as Mrs. Harewood had expected it to be ; 
 she blushed and hung down her head ; but, on 
 perceiving that Mrs. Harewood was going to 
 release her from all necessity of reply, she strug- 
 gled to conquer what she deemed a weakness in 
 herself, and answered thus — " Why, my dear 
 madam, I w^as thinking what a little proud, 
 stubborn, ill-behaved girl I was at the time when 
 these twins were born, and we first made a sub- 
 scription for this poor woman ; I remembered, 
 too, how miserable I was, and altogether how 
 much I had to lament, and I felt as if I could 
 like to do something, to prove how thankful I 
 am to God for bringing me into a family like
 
 60 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 yours, where every day of my life I may learn 
 something good, and where I have been a great 
 deal more happy than ever I was before, even 
 in the house with my own parents." 
 
 Matilda stopped a moment as if she thought 
 her confession had perhaps infringed on her 
 duty ; but recollecting that all her past sorrow 
 had been laid to the proper account, which was 
 her own bad temper and pride, she again pro- 
 ceeded in it. 
 
 " When I thought on these things, I came 
 close up to you ; but my heart beat so quick, I 
 could not speak, or else I had a guinea in my 
 hand, the last my dear mamma gave me, and I 
 wished very much to give you that ; but then the 
 memory of my foolish pride, the last time, came 
 again into my mind — I became ashamed, and 
 determined in all things to be guided by Ellen, 
 who is almost a year older than me, and a great 
 deal better." 
 
 " No, no — not better,'' said Ellen, warmly ; 
 and even her brothers, who loved her very 
 dearly, struck with the same admiration of 
 Matilda's frankness and generosity, exclaimed — 
 " You are as good as Ellen now, Matilda — indeed 
 you are !" 
 
 Mrs. Harewood, tenderly kissing her, assured 
 her of her approbation, saying — " All you have 
 said, my dear, tends decidedly to prove that your
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL.' 61 
 
 mind is indeed properly impressed with your 
 duty both towards God and man, and that you 
 have the most sincere desire to conquer those 
 faults which you have already greatly amended ; 
 therefore I am determined to permit you to ex- 
 ercise your benevolence in the most extensive 
 manner your heart could wish, knowing, as I do, 
 that your fortune is fully equal to an act of cha- 
 rity, and that your good mamma will not fail to 
 approve of it." 
 
 " Thank you, thank you, dear Mrs. Hare- 
 wood ! oh, you are my English mother, and I 
 love you much more than any other person in 
 the world, except my Barbadoes mamma." 
 
 The children eagerly crowded round their 
 mother's chair, to hear what the good news was, 
 which promised to benefit Sally, and make Mttilda 
 happy. 
 
 " I know," said Mrs. Harewood, " that the 
 purchase of a mangle would set up the poor wo- 
 man in her profession as a washerwoman, and 
 enable her to earn at least ten shillings a-week 
 more. It was my intention to purchase one for 
 her myself at Christmas ; but I could not do it 
 before, as my charity-purse has been very much 
 run upon lately. When Mr. Harewood comes 
 in, I will ask for the money, and to-morrow we 
 will all go in the coach, and see Matilda pur- 
 chase it : but, my dear girl, suppose you just 
 
 G
 
 62 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 step and inform the poor woman of your in- 
 tention, which I am certain you had rather do 
 without witnesses ; it will not only increase her 
 pleasure, but enable her to prepare her apart- 
 ment for such a noble and useful piece of fur- 
 niture." 
 
 Matilda left the room; but returned almost 
 immediately. 
 
 " You have been very quick," said Ellen, in 
 rather a murmuring voice ; " I wanted to know 
 what she said, and how she looked when you 
 told her the good news." 
 
 " I did not speak to her myself — I commis- 
 sioned Zebby to do it, for I knew it would give 
 her quite as much pleasure as the poor woman 
 herself could receive ; and surely she has a right 
 to receive every good I can bestow, as a slight 
 atonement for the pain I have so very frequently 
 given her." 
 
 Scarcely had Matilda given this proof of con- 
 sideration and amiable feeling, when Sally and 
 Zebby rushed into the room together, followed 
 by Betty, who was truly grateful for the kind- 
 ness thus bestowed on her sister. 
 
 Sally, with tears of joy, thanked her young 
 benefactress ; her words were few, but they 
 were those of respect and thankfulness, and 
 shewed she was deeply sensible of the benefit 
 she experienced.
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 63 
 
 Poor Zebby, delighted with the goodness of 
 her young mistress, audibly expressed her plea- 
 sure, with all the characteristic warmth of her 
 country, and not a little proud of those virtues 
 which she fancied she had assisted to nurture. — 
 " Oh," cried she, " dis be my own beautiful Missy 
 own goodness ; she makee joy in her mamma 
 heart ; she makee poor negro all happy — singee 
 and dancee every body ; no more whip, massa 
 Buckraman — every body delight — every body 
 glad — every body good Christian, when Missy 
 
 go back !" 
 
 The spontaneous effusion of joy uttered by 
 
 this daughter of nature affected all the party, 
 and the joyful bustle had not subsided when Mr. 
 Harersvood entered. On being informed of the 
 cause, he gave his full assent, and produced the 
 money necessary for the purchase of the mangle. 
 The following day was pleasantly employed, 
 in arranging the poor woman's new acquisition ; 
 and as Matilda contemplated her grateful, happy 
 countenance, and became acquainted with the 
 manner in which the machine would be worked, 
 and the value it was of in smoothing linen, she 
 felt the full value of a useful life, and a sense of 
 importance was annexed to her character, dis- 
 tinct from the idle consequence which is che re- 
 sult of vanity and pride, and which was perfectly
 
 64 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 compatible with that self-distrust and true hu- 
 mility which was now happily taking a deep root 
 in her young mind. 
 
 Mrs. Hare wood, in perceiving the fruit of her 
 maternal cares thus happily exemplified in Ma- 
 tilda's improvement, yet did not thence relax in 
 her vigilance ; for she well knew that along with 
 corn will spring up the tares in every young 
 mind, and that the virtue of one day does not 
 exempt from the vice of another, during the 
 years of early life ; and there were still many 
 points in which the errors of her Barbadoes edu- 
 cation were but too visible, and which called for 
 the pruning hand of a sensible and pious friend. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The foolish indulgence of Mr, Hanson had in no 
 respect been more injurious to his only daughter, 
 than in the unrestrained permission to eat of 
 whatever she liked, and as much of it as she 
 could swallow. 
 
 On arriving at Mr. Harewood's, she found 
 herself at a loss for many of the sweet and rich 
 dishes she had been accustomed to eat of at her 
 father's luxurious table ; for although theirs was 
 very well served, it consisted generally of plain
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 65 
 
 and wholesome viands. Under these drcum- 
 stances, Matilda made what she considered very 
 poor dinners, and she endeavoured to supply her 
 loss by procuring sweet things and trash, through 
 the medium of Zebby, who, in this particular, 
 was more liable to mislead her than any other 
 person, because she knew to what she had been 
 used, having frequently waited upon her, when 
 the little gormandizer had eaten the whole of 
 any delicacy which had happened to be provided 
 for the company. 
 
 Mrs. Harewood had found much difficulty in 
 combating this evil, especially on Ellen's ac- 
 count ; for as Matilda was not covetous, it was 
 natural that she should share with her only com- 
 panion a part of the raisins and almonds, figs, 
 gingerbread, biscuits, or comfits, which she was 
 continually munching ; and this she had a parti- 
 cular aversion from, not only because it is bad 
 for the health, and lays the foundation for innu- 
 merable evils in the constitution, but because it 
 renders young people hateful in their appear- 
 ance, since nothing can be more unlady-like or 
 disagreeable than the circumstance of being 
 called to speak when your mouth is full, or dis- 
 playing the greediness of your appetite, by 
 cramming between meals, stealing out of a room 
 to fill your mouth in the passage, or silently 
 
 G 3
 
 66 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 moving your jaws about, as if you had got the 
 mumps, and being obliged to blush with shame 
 when caught in such disgraceful tricks. 
 
 In order to guard against this habit, Mrs. 
 Harewood positively forbade her servants from 
 bringing any thing of the kind into the house : 
 but poor Zebby, from habit, still obeyed her 
 young Missy, and, besides, she had no idea that 
 the enjoyments of fortune were good for any 
 thing else than to pamper the appetite ; so that, 
 from one cause or other, it was a long time be- 
 fore she could be brought to desist from so per- 
 nicious a practice. As, however, the mind of 
 Matilda strengthened, and she began to employ 
 herself diligently in those new branches of edu- 
 cation now imparted to her, she insensibly be- 
 came weaned from them ; and at length, inspired 
 with a sincere desire to imitate her young friends, 
 she broke herself entu-ely from this sensual, dis- 
 gusting, and degrading vice, and willing adopted, 
 in every thing, the simple, wholesome fare par- 
 taken by the family of the young Harewoods. 
 
 It was undoubtedly owing to this temperance 
 that she preserved her health, and even enjoyed 
 it more than she had ever done, notwithstanding 
 the change of climate; but, alas ! the good sense, 
 resolution, and forbearance she thus acted with, 
 was not followed by the humble companion of 
 her voyage.
 
 THE BAEBADOES CflEL. 67 
 
 The change Zebby experienced in Mr. Hare- 
 wood's comfortable kitchen, from the simple pulse 
 to which, as a slave, she had been accustomed in 
 the West Indies, was still greater, though in an 
 exactly contrary line, than that of her young lady. 
 Zebby soon learned to eat of the " good roaster 
 and boiler " she sat down to, and exchanged the 
 simple beverage of water for porter and beer, in 
 consequence of which she became much disor- 
 dered in her health ; and when Mrs. Hare wood 
 prescribed a little necessary physic, as her mild 
 persuasions were enforced by no threat, and the 
 prescription appeared to the unenlightened negro 
 a kind of punishment she had no inclination to 
 endure, there was no getting her to swallow the 
 bitter but salutary potion. 
 
 Zebby had been a long time feverish and sub- 
 ject to headaches, when the circumstance men- 
 tioned in the last chapter took place, and which 
 so exhilirated her spirits, that she declared she 
 would be the first person who should use the new 
 mangle which " her pretty Missy givee poor Sally." 
 It is well known that the negroes are naturally 
 extremely averse to all bodily labour, and that, ' 
 although their faithfulness and affection are such 
 as to render them capable of enduring extreme 
 hardship, and many painful privations, yet they 
 are rarely voluntarily industrious ; and it is there-
 
 68 THE BAEBADOES aiBL. 
 
 fore a decisive proof of Zebby's real kindness, 
 that she thus exerted herself in a way so purely 
 English. 
 
 Unhappily a mode of labour entirely new to 
 her, and, in her present sickly state, requiring 
 more strength than she possessed, although, had 
 she used it freely some time before, it would have 
 done her good, was now too much for her, and 
 she came home complaining, in doleful accents, 
 that " poor Zebby have achies all over — is some- 
 times so hot as Barbadoes, sometimes so cold as 
 London." 
 
 Mrs. Harewood was well aware that the good- 
 tempered negro was seized with fever, and she 
 sent immediately for her apothecary, who con- 
 firmed her fears, and prescribed for her ; but as 
 there was no getting her to swallow medicine, he 
 was obliged to bleed her, and put a blister on 
 her head, which, however, did not prevent her 
 from becoming delirous for several days. 
 
 Poor Zebby was at this time troubled with the 
 most distressing desire to return to Barbadoes, 
 and all her ravings were to this purpose ; and 
 they were naturally very affecting to Matilda, 
 who never heard them without being a little de- 
 sirous of uniting her own wishes to behold her 
 native country, especially when she heard it cou- 
 pled with the name of that only, and now fondly.
 
 THE BABBADOES GIIiL. 69 
 
 beloved parent, from whom she was so far sepa- 
 rated, and her tears flowed freely when she visited 
 the bedside of the poor African. But her sorrow 
 increased exceedingly when she learned the dan- 
 ger in which poor Zebby stood, and found that 
 her death was daily expected by all around ; bit- 
 ter indeed were the tears she then shed, and she 
 would have given the world to have recalled 
 those hasty expressions, angry blows, and capri- 
 cious actions, which had so often afflicted her 
 humble attendant, whose fidelity, love, humility, 
 and services, she now could fully estimate, and 
 whose loss she would deeply deplore. 
 
 Mrs. Harewood endeavoured to comfort her 
 under this affliction, by leading her to view the 
 consolations which religion offers to the afflicted 
 in general, and she explained the nature of tliat 
 beneficent dispensation whereby the learned and 
 the ignorant, the poor and the rich, the slave and 
 his master, are alike brought to receive salvation 
 as the free gift of God, through the merits of our 
 merciful Redeemer ; and comforted her with the 
 hope, that although poor Zebby's mind was but 
 little enlightened, and her faith comparatively 
 uninformed, yet as, to the best of her knowledge, 
 she had been devout and humble, resting her 
 claims for future happiness on that corner-stone, 
 "the goodness of God in Christ Jesus," so there 
 was no reason to fear that she would not leave
 
 70 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 this world for a far better, for "a house not made 
 with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
 
 Matilda's mind was deeply impressed with this 
 holy and happy consolation, but yet she could 
 not help lamenting her own loss, in one whom 
 she no longer considered her slave, and little bet- 
 ter than a beast of burden, but as her country- 
 woman, her friend, the partaker of that precious 
 faith by which alone the most wise, wealthy, and 
 great, can hope to inherit the kingdom of hea- 
 ven ; and she could not help praying for her 
 restoration to health, with all the fervour of which 
 her heart was capable ; and many a promise 
 mingled with her prayer, that, if it pleased God 
 to restore her, she would never treat her ill 
 again : and these promises she likewise repeated 
 to Mrs. Harewood and her governess. 
 
 Neither of these ladies lost the opportunity 
 thus offered, of impressing on her mind the duties 
 which every woman, whatever may be her rank 
 or situation in life, does indeed owe to those 
 Avhom Providence hath placed under her. They 
 explained, in particular, the necessity of forbear- 
 ance in point of manners, and of consideration in 
 her daily employments — " If," said the good mis- 
 tress, " I ring the bell twice or thrice, where once 
 would answer every purpose, provided I gave 
 myself the trouble of considering what I really 
 wanted, I not only waste my servant's time.
 
 THE BABBADOES GIRL. 71 
 
 which would supply my wants, and therefore in- 
 jure myself in one sense, but I waste that strength 
 which is her only means of subsistence, and I 
 awaken that vexation of temper which, although 
 perhaps suppressed before me, will yet rankle in 
 her bosom, and probably induce her to commit 
 some injury on my property, which is an actual 
 sin in her : thus my folly leads to her guilt, and 
 the very least mischief that can accrue is'^her un- 
 happiness ; for who can be happy whose temper 
 is perpetually ruffled by the cruel thoughtlessness 
 of those who have the absolute disposal of their 
 time, their talents, and, in a great measure, their 
 dispositions ?" 
 
 "Depend upon it," added Miss Campbell, 
 " that as we are assured in the Scriptures, that 
 * for every idle word we shall be brought to ac- 
 count,' so, in a particular manner, must we be 
 judged for all those idle words and actions which 
 have inflicted on any of our fellow-creatures pains 
 we have no right to bestow, or tempted them to 
 sins they had no inclination to follow ; the petty 
 tyrannies of our whims, changes, and fancies — of 
 our scoldings, complainings, peremptory orders, 
 and causeless contradictions, will all one day swell 
 that awful list of sins, of which it may be truly 
 said, ' we cannot answer one in a thousand.'" 
 
 When Miss Campbell ceased speaking, Ellen, 
 who, although not affected so violently as Matilda,
 
 72 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 had yet felt much for Zebby's situation, and was 
 seriously desirous of profiting by all she heard, 
 said in a low voice — " I will do every thing for 
 myself — I will never trouble Susan, or Betty, or 
 any body." 
 
 Mrs. Harewood knew the bent of her daugh- 
 ter's mind, and that although, from the sweetness 
 of her temper, and the mildness of her manners, 
 she was not likely to fall into Matilda's errors, 
 there were others of an opposite class, from which 
 it was necessary to guard her ; she therefore 
 added — " Although consideration and kindness 
 are certainly the first duties to be insisted upon 
 in our conduct, yet there are others of not less 
 importance. It is the place of every mistress to 
 exact obedience to reasonable commands, and the 
 execution of all proper services. If she does not 
 do this, she deserts her own station in society, 
 defeats the intentions she was called to fulfil, and 
 which made her the guide and guardian, not the 
 companion and fellow-server, of her menials. In 
 abandoning them to their own discretions, she 
 lays upon them a burden which, either from ig- 
 norance or habit, they are probably unequal to 
 endure, since it is certain that many truly-respect- 
 able persons in this class have been only so while 
 they were under the controlling eye or leading 
 mind of their superiors. Besides, all uncommon 
 levity of manners, like all unbecoming freedoms
 
 THE BAREADOES GIRL. 73 
 
 in conversation, more frequently arises from 
 weakness or idleness in the parties, and ought to 
 be guarded against in our conduct, as never fail- 
 ing to be degradatory to ourselves, and very far 
 from beneficial to those they affect to serve : it is 
 possible to be very friendly, yet very firm ; to be 
 gentle, yet resolute, and at once a fellow- Christian 
 and a good ^master to those whom Providence 
 hath rendered our dependents." 
 
 Ellen listened to this with great attention, and 
 endeavoured to analyze it, and apply it to the 
 daily purposes it was intended to reach ; but both 
 her and Matilda continued to pay the most affec- 
 tionate attentions to poor Zebby, whose disorder 
 in a few days took a more favourable turn than 
 could have been expected, although the delirium 
 did not immediately subside, but rather affected 
 her general temper, which, under its influence, 
 appeared as remarkably unpleasant and torment- 
 ing to herself and all around, as it ,was formerly 
 conspicuous for being kind, obliging, forgiving, 
 and livelv. 
 
 This period was indeed trying to Matilda, who 
 was by no means sufficiently confirmed in her 
 virtuous resolutions, or good habits, to endure 
 reproaches where she merited thanks, even in a 
 case where she was aware of deranged intellect 
 and real affection, either of which ought to hav^e 
 led her to endure the wild sallies and trouble- 
 
 H
 
 74 THE BARBA.t>OES GIEL. 
 
 some pettishness of the suffering negro. It must, 
 however, be allowed, that if she did not do all 
 she ought, she yet did more than could have been 
 once expected, and very greatly increased the 
 esteem and approbation of her friends. 
 
 Matilda, at those times when she was not in- 
 fluenced by that bodily indolence which was na- 
 tural to her as a West-Indian, and which was 
 rather a misfortune than her fault, was apt to be 
 too active and bustling for the stillness required 
 in a sick chamber ; and whatever she did, was 
 done with a rapidity and noisiness, more in unison 
 with her own ardent desire of doing good, than 
 the actual welfare of the person she sought to 
 relieve ; whereas Ellen never for a moment lost 
 sight of that gentle care and considerate pity 
 which was natural to a mind attuned to tender- 
 ness from its very birth ; and many a time would 
 she say — " Hush, Matilda ! don't speak so loud ; 
 have a care how you shut the door," &c. 
 
 One day they both happened to go in just as 
 the nurse was going to give the patient a basin of 
 broth — " Let me give it her," said Matilda ; 
 " you know she always likes me to give her any 
 thing." 
 
 " Sometimes she does, when she knows you ; 
 but her head wanders to-day sadly." 
 
 " Never mind," replied Matilda, in her hurry- 
 ing manner, and taking the broth from the woman
 
 THE BAliEADOES GIEL. 75 
 
 in such a way, that the basin shook upon the 
 plate ; on which Ellen said — " Have a care, the 
 broth seems very hot ; indeed too hot for Zebby 
 to take." 
 
 Matilda fancied this caution an indirect attack 
 upon her care, and she went to the bedside im- 
 mediately, and bolting up to the patient, who was 
 sitting, raised by pillows, she offered the broth 
 to her, saying — " Come, Zebby, let me feed you 
 with this nice food — it will do you good." 
 
 The warm fume of the basin was offensive to 
 the invalid — " Me no likee brothies," said she ; 
 and as it was not instantly removed, she unhap- 
 pily pushed away the plate, and turned the scald- 
 ing contents of the basin completely into the 
 bosom of poor Matilda, as she reclined towards 
 her. 
 
 Shrieking with pain, and stamping with anger, 
 Matilda instantly cried out that she was mur- 
 dered, and the wretch should be flayed alive. 
 
 Ellen, shocked, terrified, and truly sorry, called 
 out in an agony — "Mamma, dear mamma, come 
 here this moment! poor Matilda is scalded to 
 death !" 
 
 The nurse, the servants, and Mrs. Harewood 
 herself, were in a few moments with the sufferer; 
 and the latter, although she dispatched the foot- 
 man for a surgeon, did not for a moment neglect 
 the assistance and relief in her own power to be- 
 
 H 2
 
 76 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 stow ; she scraped some white lead* into a little 
 thick cream, and applied it with a feather all over 
 the scalded parts ; and in a very short time the 
 excruciating pain was relieved, and the fire so 
 well drawn out by it, that when the surgeon ar- 
 rived he made no change in the application, but 
 desired it might be persisted in, and said — " He 
 had no doubt of a cure being speedily obtained, 
 if the patient were calm." 
 
 During the former part of this time, Matilda 
 continued to scream incessantly, with the air of a 
 person whose unmerited and intolerable suffer- 
 ings gave aright to violence; and even when she 
 became comparatively easy, she yet uttered bitter 
 complaints and incessant invectives against Zebby, 
 as the cause of the mischief ; never taking into 
 consideration her own share of it, nor recollecting 
 that she acted both thoughtlessly and stubbornly 
 in neglecting the advice of Ellen ; and that al- 
 though her principal motive was the endeavour 
 to benefit Zebby, yet there was a deficiency in 
 actual kindness, when she ofiered her broth it 
 was ^impossible for the poor creature to taste. 
 Such, however, was the commiseration 'for her 
 injury felt by all those around her, that no one 
 would, in the moment of her punishment, say a 
 word that could, by any possible interpretation, 
 
 * The author has found this prescription very efficacious 
 in various cases of scalds.
 
 THE CAEBADOES GIRL. "Jl 
 
 be deemed unkind ; and soothings, rather than 
 exhortations, were all that were uttered. 
 
 At length the storm was appeased ; Matilda, 
 declaring herself much easier, was laid upon the 
 sofa, and a gentle anodyne being given to her, 
 she closed her eyes, and if she did not sleep, she 
 appeared in a state of stupor, which much resem- 
 bled sleep. It so happened, that the hot liquid 
 which had hurt her so severely, had, in falling, 
 thrown many hot drops uj)on her face, which 
 gave her so much pain at the moment, that she 
 concluded she was scalded much worse than she 
 really was, as did those around her ; but Ellen, 
 as she watched her slumbers, now perceived that 
 this was a very transient injury, and she observed 
 to her mamma, that she hoped Matilda would not 
 be spoiled by her accident, at least that her 
 beauty would be restored before her mother's 
 arrival from the West Indies. 
 
 "Before that time," returned Mrs. Harewood, 
 " I trust Matilda will have attained such a degree 
 of mental beauty, as would render the total de- 
 struction of her personal beauty a very trifling 
 loss, in comparison, to the eye of a thinking and 
 good mother, such as I apprehend Mrs. Hanson 
 
 to be." 
 
 " But surely, mamma, it is a good thing to be 
 handsome ? I mean, if people happen to be hand- 
 gome, it is a pity they should lose their beauty." 
 
 h3
 
 78 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 " It is, my dear, to a certain degree a pity ; for 
 a pretty face, like a pleasant prospect, gives 
 pleasure to the beholder, and leads the mind to 
 contemplate the great Author of beauty in his 
 works, and rejoice in the perfection every where 
 visible in nature. The possessors of beauty may, 
 however, so often spare it with advantage to 
 themselves and their near connections, that the 
 loss of it, provided there is neither sickness, nor 
 any very disgusting appearance, left behind, does 
 not appear to me a very great misfortune." 
 
 *' But surely, mamma, people may be both very 
 pretty and very good ?" 
 
 " Undoubtedly, my dear ; but such are the 
 temptations handsome people are troubled with, 
 that they are much more frequently to be pitied 
 for the acquisition than envied for it ; yet envy 
 from the illiberal and malicious seldom fails to 
 pursue them ; and when they are neither vain nor 
 arrogant, generally points them out as both." 
 
 " I have often wished to be handsome, mamma, 
 because I thought people would love me if I 
 were ; but if that is the case, I must have been 
 mistaken, mamma." 
 
 " Indeed you were, child ; personal charms, 
 however attractive to the eye, do not blind, or 
 even engage the heart, unless they are accompa- 
 nied by good qualities, which would have their 
 effect you know, without beauty — nay, even in
 
 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 79 
 
 Ugly persons, when we become thoroughly ac- 
 quainted with them. Can you suppose, Ellen, 
 that if you were as handsome as the picture over 
 the chimney-piece, that you would be more dear 
 to me on that account, or that you would, in any 
 respect, contribute more to my happiness ?" 
 
 " You would not love me better, dear mamma, 
 but yet you would be more proud of me, I should 
 think." 
 
 " Then I must be a very weak woman to be 
 proud of that which implied no merit, either in 
 you or me, and which the merest accident might, 
 as we perceive, destroy in a moment ; but this I 
 must add, that with extraordinary beauty you 
 possessed sufficient good sense to remain as sim- 
 ple in your manners, and as active in the pursuit 
 of intellectual endowments, as I hope to see you, 
 then I might be jjroM^Zof you, as the usual expres- 
 sion is ; for I beg you to remember that, strictly 
 speaking, it is wrong to be proud of any thing." 
 
 " Zebby always said that Mr. Hanson was very 
 proud of Matilda — I suppose it was of her 
 beauty." 
 
 " I suppose so too, and you could not have 
 brought forward a more decisive proof of the folly 
 and sin of pride, and the inefficacy of beauty to 
 procure love, than in the conduct and qualities of 
 the persons in question. Mr. Hanson's pride of 
 his daughter's beauty rendered him blind to her
 
 80 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 faults, or averse to correcting them ; and from 
 his indulgence, the effect of that very beauty for 
 which he sacrificed every real excellence was so 
 completely impaired, that I am sure, with all your 
 predilection for a pretty face, you will allow that 
 Matilda, with all those red spots plaistered with 
 white ointment, is a thousand times more agree- 
 able than Matilda with bright eyes and ruddy 
 cheeks on her first landing." 
 
 "Oh yes, yes !" cried Ellen, looking at her with 
 the tenderest affection, and relapsing into tears, 
 which had frequently visited her eyes since the 
 time of the terrible accident. 
 
 The opiate had now spent itself, and Matilda 
 giving a slight shudder, awoke, and looked at 
 Ellen with a kind of recollective gaze, that 
 recalled the events of the morning, and which was 
 succeeded by a sense of pain. 
 
 " What is the matter, Ellen r you are crying — 
 have you been scalded r" 
 
 *' No," said the affectionate child, " but you 
 have." 
 
 A confused recollection of all the particulars of 
 the affair now came to Matilda's memory; and as 
 by degrees they arose on her mind, she became 
 ashamed of the extreme impatience she had ex- 
 hibited, and surprised that Ellen could love and 
 pity so much a girl whose conduct was so little 
 likely to ensure affection and respect. And al-
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIBL. 81 
 
 though the pain became every moment more 
 troublesome, she forbore most magnanimously to 
 complain, until the changes in her complexion 
 induced Mrs. Harewood to say — " I think, Ma- 
 tilda, we had better apply the ointment again to 
 your wound — you are still suffering from the 
 fire, I see." 
 
 " If you please, ma'am." 
 
 With a light and skilful hand, Mrs. Harewood 
 again touched the wounds, and immediate ease 
 followed ; but ere she had finished her tender 
 operation, Matilda ' caught that kind hand, and 
 pressing it fondly to her lips, bathed it with her 
 tears ; they were those of gratitude and contrition. 
 
 " I fear you are in much pain stillj'' said her 
 kind friend, though she partly comprehended her 
 feelings. 
 
 " Oh no ! you have given me ease ; but if you 
 had not, I would not have minded. I feared, in- 
 deed I am certain, that I behaved very ill — quite 
 shamefully, this morning; and you are so — so 
 good to me, that — that " 
 
 Matilda was choked by her sobs, and Mrs. 
 Harewood took the opportunity of soothing her, 
 not by praising her for virtues she had not exer- 
 cised, but by calling upon her to shew them in 
 her future conduct ; although she did so far con- 
 ciliate as to say, that the suddenness of the in-
 
 82 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 jury, in some measure, excused the violence she 
 had manifested under it. 
 
 Matilda gave a deep sigh, and shook her head, 
 in a manner which manifested that she thoroughly- 
 understood how far this went in palliation, and 
 was aware that much of error remained unatoned. 
 As soon as she was able, she inquired how Zebby 
 was, and if she was sensible ? 
 
 " She has been so ever since your accident, 
 which appeared to recal her wandering senses, by 
 fixing them to one point ; and as her fever is 
 really abated, I trust she will soon be better." 
 
 Matilda hastily sprang from the sofa ; and 
 though in doing so she necessarily greatly in- 
 creased the pain under which she laboured, yet 
 she suppressed all complaint, and hurried for- 
 ward to Zebby's room, followed by Mrs. Hare- 
 wood and Ellen ; the former of whom was ex- 
 tremely desirous at once to permit her to ease her 
 heart, and yet to prevent her from injuring her- 
 self, by adding to the inflammation of her wound. 
 
 It was a truly-affecting spectacle to behold 
 Matilda soothing and comforting the poor black 
 woman, who had not for a moment ceased to re- 
 proach herself, since the screams of the young 
 lady had brought her to her senses, and her in- 
 vectives to the knowledge of her own share in 
 the transaction. It was in vain that the nurse
 
 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 83 
 
 and the servants of Mrs. Harewood had endea- 
 voured to reconcile her, by the repeated assur- 
 ance, that let the young lady say what she pleased, 
 yet no harm could reach her : that in old Eng- 
 land, every servant had law and justice as much 
 on their side as their master could have. 
 
 This was no consolation to the faithful negro, 
 who appeared rather to desire even unmerited 
 punishment, than seek for excuse ; she inces- 
 santly upbraided herself for having killed pretty 
 Missy, and breaking the heart of her good mis- 
 tress ; and when she beheld the plaistered face of 
 Matilda, these self-reproaches increased to the 
 most distressing degree, and threatened a com- 
 plete relapse to the disorder she had yet hardly 
 escaped from. 
 
 " You could not help it, Zebby ; it was all an 
 accident, and ought to be principally attributed 
 to my own foolishness," said Matilda. 
 
 " Oh, no! it was me bad and foolish. Missy, 
 me naughty, same you used to be — pushee here 
 and pushee there, in bad pets — it was all me — 
 breaky heart of poor Missis — she comee over great 
 seas ; thinkee see you all good and pretty as Eng- 
 lis lady; and den you be shocking figure, all cover 
 with spottee — oh deary! oh deary! perhaps come 
 fever, then you go to the death, you will be bury 
 in dark hole, and mamma never, never see you 
 again."
 
 84 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 The desponding tones of this speech went far 
 beyond its words, and Matilda combining with it 
 the caution she had heard the medical gentleman 
 make respecting fever, and the first exclamation 
 of Ellen, that—" Matilda was scalded to death," 
 induced her to suppose that there was really dan- 
 ger in her case ; and after repeatedly assuring 
 Zebby of her entire forgiveness and regard, she 
 returned to the apartment she had quitted, with a 
 slow step, and an air of awe and solemnity, such 
 as her friends had never witnessed before. 
 
 After Matilda had laid down on the sofa some 
 minutes, she desired Ellen to get her materials 
 for writing, but soon found that the pain in her 
 breast rendered it impossible for her to execute 
 her design. 
 
 " I will write for you," said Ellen, 
 
 " That won't do — I wanted, with my own 
 hand, to assure dear mamma that poor Zebby 
 was not to blame, nor any body else." 
 
 " My dear," said Mrs. Harewood, " we can do 
 that by-and-by, when your mamma comes over." 
 
 " But if, ma'am — if I should die ?"" 
 
 Mrs. Harewood could scarcely forbear an in- 
 ward smile, but she answered her with great 
 seriousness, and did not lose the opportunity of 
 imprinting upon her mind many salutary truths 
 connected with her present situation, not forget- 
 ting to impress strongly the necessity which every
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 85 
 
 Christian has of being ever ready to obey that 
 awful summons, which may be expected at any 
 hour, and from which there is no appeal ; but she 
 concluded by an assurance that in a few days the 
 present disorder would be completely removed, 
 in case she guarded her own temper from impetu- 
 osity, and observed the regimen prescribed to her. 
 
 When Matilda's fears on this most important 
 point were subsided, she adverted to her face, but 
 it was only to inquire whether it was likely to be 
 well before her mother came, she being naturally 
 and properly desirous of saving her dear parent 
 from any pain which could arise from her appear- 
 ance ; and when her fears on this head were like- 
 wise relieved, she became more composed in her 
 spirits, and more anxious than ever to prove, by 
 future good conduct, her sense of contrition for 
 the past, and resolution for the future ; and al- 
 though she was most thankful for the sympathy 
 of her friends, she never sought it by useless 
 complainings, or aggravated her sufferings in or- 
 der to win their pity, or elicit their praise ; and 
 by her perseverance and patience, a cure M'as 
 obtained much sooner than could have been ex- 
 pected from the nature of the accident. 
 
 Zebby regularly amended, as she perceived the 
 great object of her anxiety amend also ; and the 
 sense she entertained of her late danger, the gra- 
 titude she felt for the kindness she had been treated 
 
 I
 
 86 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 with, and, above all, the self-denial to which she 
 perceived her young lady accustomed herself, in 
 order to recover, induced her henceforward to 
 become temperate in her use of food, and tract- 
 able as to the means necessary for preserving her 
 health, and to perceive her duty with regard to 
 the commands given by her young lady, to whom 
 she was yet more truly attached than she had 
 ever been ; for the attachment of improved mind 
 goes far beyond that of ignorance. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 When Matilda was fully recovered from the pain 
 of her accident, her good friends had the satisfac- 
 tion to perceive that the most salutary effects had 
 arisen from the disposition with which she had 
 borne it. She had become sensible how much we 
 must all be indebted to our fellow-creatures, in 
 any privation of health and ease, and this had 
 taught her to be humble and thankful to all who 
 contributed to her comfort ; and from necessarily 
 suppressing both her appetite and her temper, she 
 had gained a command of both, which she had 
 been a stranger to before. From being unable to 
 join in any play requiring personal activity, she 
 had been obliged to find her amusement in read- 
 ing ; and as that most excellent and delightful 
 work, " The Parent's Assistant, by Miss Edge-
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 87 
 
 worth," had been presented to her just before, 
 she made herself completely mistress of those ad- 
 mirable tales, and by conversing much upon them 
 with Mr. and Mrs. Harewood, with whom she 
 usually sat, she became deeply imbued with all the 
 important precepts they are intended to convey, as 
 well as the stories they so agreeably relate. 
 
 One evening, when the whole family were as- 
 sembled, the disorder which had afflicted Zebby be- 
 came the subject of conversation ; Miss Campbell 
 observing, " that the poor woman had undoubt- 
 edly been as nervous as any fine lady, and there- 
 fore given another proof, in addition to the mul- 
 titude which must affect every person of judgment 
 and feeling, that there was indeed no difference of 
 constitution, feeling, or character, between white 
 people and black ones, when they were placed in 
 similar circumstances." 
 
 " Certainly not," said Mr. Harewood, " and in 
 a short time this doctrine will be more fully 
 proved by the emancipation of all the blacks, who 
 will, I trust, become diligent servants and happy 
 householders, no longer the slaves of tyrants, but 
 the servants of upright masters." 
 
 " But I am told, mamma," said Edmund, "that 
 the proprietors of West India property will all be 
 ruined ; people say, this will come upon them as 
 a retribution for past sins ; but as many of these 
 sins were committed in days that are past, and 
 
 I 2
 
 88 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 the present inhabitants, in many instances, have 
 behaved exceedingly well, I must own I wish sin- 
 cerely this may not be the case. Can you tell me 
 any thing about it?" 
 
 " They all deserve to be ruined," interrupted 
 Charles, " who have done such bad things as the 
 planters do. Oh, how I wish I could be there when 
 all the slaves are set at liberty ! with what delight 
 should I join in their universal shout of joy and 
 freedom, and in all their innocent festivals !" 
 
 Edmund shook his head — " I should like the 
 slaves to be ha23py as well as you ; but I don't like 
 for any body to be ruined, especially people who 
 are so nerveless and inactive as those who have 
 resided in warm islands ; surely it is not true ?" 
 Edmund looked again inquiringly. 
 "I am sorry to say," answered Mrs. Harewood, 
 " that in many cases much suffering may be ap- 
 prehended ; but our government will undoubtedly 
 soften every evil to the inhabitants, as far as they 
 can do it consistent with their views : vou know 
 the emancipation of the slaves takes place grad- 
 ually, and by that means enables people to collect 
 their money, to divert the channels of their mer- 
 chandise,or to make themselves friends of those who 
 have hitherto been held by the arm of power only. 
 The grand shout of a multitude restored to free- 
 dom is undoubtedly very attractive, and enough 
 to warm the heart of a benevolent enthusiast like
 
 THE EAEBADOES GIKL. 89 
 
 Charles ; but it is not advisable to set food in 
 great quantities before a starving man, lest he eat 
 himself into a surfeit. Ignorance is always in danger 
 of using power very ill, since we see that even the 
 enlightened are frequently prone to misusing it." 
 " Then I hope, mamma, it will turn out better 
 than people think ; and there will be very little 
 individual suffering from it." 
 
 " I am sorry to say, my dear, that notwith- 
 standing what I have said, I yet fear many persons 
 will suffer ; I know a widow myself, who is re- 
 turning to this country nearly destitute, after 
 living many years in a state of luxury ; very hap- 
 pily she has only one child, and has not suffered 
 her past prosperity so to unnerve her mind, as to 
 render her useless and desponding in the day of 
 adversity. On the contrary, she has the magna- 
 nimity to rejoice in the freedom of the slaves, 
 although that freedom has destroyed her fortune," 
 At this moment every eye was involuntarily bent 
 on Matilda, who, feeling undoubtedly some degree 
 of compunction and shame, when she either 
 thought on her own former conduct, or the state 
 of her country, had kept aloof till now. At this 
 moment she started, and with a look of most 
 anxious inquiry, she cried — " Oh, ma'am ! surely 
 you do not mean my poor mamma ? And yet — 
 yes, certainly you mean her — she has lived many 
 years in prosperity — she has but one child, and 
 
 I 3
 
 90 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 she is possessed of a pious, good heart, and a kind, 
 generous spirit, and would not wish the poor 
 nesrroes to remain slaves — she would rather work 
 herself than injure any body. Dear Miss Camp- 
 bell, pray make me clever and good like yourself, 
 and then I will be a governess, and get money, 
 and support dear mamma — indeed I will." 
 
 The amazing rapidity with which these words 
 were uttered, and the perturbation of spirits which 
 accompanied them, prevented Matilda from per- 
 ceiving that Mrs. Harewood was anxious to in- 
 terrupt her ; and even when that good friend be- 
 gan to speak, she was too much affected and dis- 
 turbed to listen to her. She went on to say, with 
 an agitated voice, but ingenuous countenance — 
 " I cannot help crying, to be sure ; but indeed I 
 am not sorry that the poor slaves are to have 
 their liberty, and I do not mind the money we 
 have lost ; I only want to see my dear mamma, 
 and to comfort her, and to tell her that I would 
 not be the mistress of bought slaves for all the 
 world ; for I now know that in the sight of God 
 they are my equals, and if good, my superiors. 
 I know that Jesus Christ died to save them as well as 
 me, and that he will not forgive them who insult 
 him, by daring to buy and sell those whom he has 
 purchased with his own blood ; and besides, I do 
 not wish to possess them ; for if I did, I should be 
 proud, and cruel, and miserable, as I used to be."
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 91 
 
 The anxious troubled heart of Matilda now 
 found refuge in abundant tears, and throwing her- 
 self on the bosom of her maternal friend, she shed 
 them freely there ; and as the storm of grief sub- 
 sided, Mrs. Harewood obtained her attention to 
 these words — " My dear Matilda, your vivid 
 imagination, and that quickness of feeling, which 
 even in a good cause is too apt to hurry you away, 
 have led you into much unnecessary suffering ; 
 it is not your mamma, but a Mrs. Weston, of Ja- 
 maica, of whom I spoke. I can, however, scarcely 
 regret the pain you have experienced, because it 
 has been the cause of explaining sentiments which 
 do you honour, and must be hereafter a source 
 of the sincerest pleasure to your worthy parent." 
 *' But my mamma is coming over soon V 
 " She 25, my dear, but under very different cir- 
 cumstances, her property being all well disposed 
 of, and settled in the English funds ; and be it your 
 comfort to know, that although your father was a 
 proprietor of West Indian estates, yet his fortune 
 was not accumulated by the infamous traffic to 
 which we allude ; although, like other people, he 
 held slaves for the purposes of agriculture and 
 domestic labour, he had an estate in this country, 
 which enabled him to support an expensive esta- 
 blishment, without recurring to those practices too 
 common among the planters in your country."
 
 92 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 " And has the lady of whom you spoke no 
 estate, no money, to support herself and her little 
 girl?" 
 
 " She has not, my dear ; but I trust her friends 
 in England will -provide her with some situation, 
 in which her talents will enable her both to sup- 
 port herself and benefit others ; and by this means 
 the cup of affliction now may hereafter prove one 
 of blessedness : her little girl is only six years 
 old, and will therefore be only a trifling expense 
 to her for some years to come." 
 
 Matilda now wiped her eyes, but was observed 
 for a considerable time involved in deep thought, 
 and silent thanksgiving to God, and no one around 
 thought it right to interrupt the silent aspirations 
 of her heart ; but as soon as her countenance 
 resumed its usual expression, and she rose from 
 her seat, the young ones surrounded her, and with 
 cheerful looks congratulated her on the change in 
 her feelings, which they were aware a few mo- 
 ments must have produced ; for, as Edmund ob- 
 served, though it w^as very right to be resigned to 
 every change which it j)leased God to send, yet 
 it was undoubtedly a great pleasure to know that 
 a dear parent enjoyed not only the power of living 
 in her usual style of comfort, but that she pre- 
 served the power of bestowing a part of her for- 
 tune to feed the poor, and to communicate know-
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. ' 93 
 
 ledge, and sow the seeds of virtue, in the minds 
 of the young and uninformed. 
 
 Matilda listened to their heartfelt congratula- 
 tions with the most lively gratitude and pleasure, 
 and looked forward with exultation, chastened by 
 a proper portion of diffidence of herself, to that 
 period when, with her beloved mother, she should 
 be employed in acts of daily beneficence and so- 
 cial enjoyment — " So passing through things tem- 
 poral, as not to lose the things that are eternal." 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 On the following Midsummer vacation, Mrs. 
 Harewood complied with the wishes of her young 
 family, by consenting to give a ball to their young 
 friends ; and as she disapproved very much of 
 late hours, the whole party were invited to dinner, 
 in order that the dance might commence early. 
 
 The day previous to this entertainment was a 
 very busy one, as the young people were permitted 
 to display their taste by arranging the ball-room, 
 and ornamenting it in the best manner they were 
 able with flowers, under the inspection and with 
 the assistance of Miss Campbell. The boys, at- 
 tended by the footman, went out into the country, 
 and returned laden with beautiful spoils from the 
 hedges and copses, consisting of branches of
 
 94 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 trees, brushwood, and maythorn, together with 
 those green plants which at this season of the 
 year are found in abundance, such as clivers, 
 coltswort, and the various mallows. When these 
 were brought home, the young ladies tied gay 
 flowers, made of various-coloured paper, upon 
 them, at distances, with green worsted ; and when 
 these ornaments were finished, the branches 
 themselves were tied together with strong cord, 
 which was hidden by the foliage. By this means 
 they were made into long wreaths, which were 
 hung in festoons all round the room, and had an 
 exceedingly beautiful effect, while over the doors 
 and windows, arches were formed of the same 
 materials ; but when the greens were brought 
 nearer to the eye, natural flowers were used, which 
 being cut very short in the stem, preserved them- 
 selves fresh and beautiful, and perfumed the place 
 with the most delightful odours. 
 
 Though this employment was very delightful, 
 yet it was necessarily fatiguing, and the children 
 all went to bed at a very early hour; Not long 
 after they had retired, Mr. and Mrs. Harewood 
 heard a carriage, and while they were conjec- 
 turing who it might be, to their great surprise, 
 the long-expected stranger, Mrs. Hanson, was 
 announced. 
 
 They were truly rejoiced to see her ; for al- 
 though personally unknown to them, they were
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 95 
 
 much disposed to esteem and love her, both from 
 the style of her letters, and the many traits of 
 her conduct and character given by Zebby, who 
 was an able eulogist, since she ever spoke from 
 the heart, and although ignorant, was by nature 
 acute and penetrating. 
 
 The anxious mother, sensible that forms were 
 not necessary to be attended to, in addressing the 
 worthy couple to whom she came a welcome, 
 though unknown guest, first inquired after her 
 only child. When told that she was in bed, and 
 fast asleep, having been much fatigued when she 
 retired, she immediately declared that she would 
 not have Matilda awoke for her own gratification 
 — a declaration which confirmed the good opinion 
 the family already entertained of her. She could 
 not, however, resist the very natural desire she 
 felt of beholding that dear object of her solici- 
 tude, from whom she had been so long parted ; 
 and she therefore visited her room, and softly 
 kissing her forehead, observed, to the great satis- 
 faction of Mrs. Harewood, that she had never 
 seen her look so well before, which was certainly 
 the fact, though her weariness had induced some 
 degree of paleness. 
 
 Tears rose to the eyes of the fond mother, and 
 often, often were they turned to the bed which con- 
 tained allher earthly treasure, ere she could tear her- 
 self away ; and Mrs. Harewood felt aware that silent
 
 96 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 prayers occupied her heart for the future welfare 
 and progressive virtue of a being naturally so 
 very dear, and whose bad passions, at the time of 
 their parting, had given so little rational hope of 
 future felicity, either to herself or her widowed 
 parent. Sympathizing truly with her feelings, 
 and aware of the extreme delicacy of the subject, 
 especially to one of whose peculiar feelings she 
 knew so little, Mrs. Harewood left it to time to 
 develop the change in Matilda, being persuaded 
 that it was in a great measure known to her 
 mamma, although a little consideration would 
 have shown her that Mrs. Hanson could not 
 judge much from her daughter's letters, as it was 
 very possible for them to be dictated for her. 
 
 Mrs. Hanson was recalled from the fond reverie 
 the sight of her daughter had involved her in, by 
 the voice of Zebby, who had only just learned 
 the arrival of that dear mistress she had ever so 
 justly estimated. The two ladies descended, and 
 found the happy negro weeping for joy, and run- 
 ning about the breakfast-parlour and dining- 
 room, seeking for her lady, whom, when she be- 
 held, she danced about like a wild woman ; one 
 moment being ready to cast herself at her feet, 
 and the next longing to embrace her. 
 
 " I am very glad to see you, Zebby," said Mrs. 
 Hanson, " and very happy to find you still my 
 daughter's servant, as I know you will suit her
 
 THE BARBABOES GIRL. 97 
 
 much better in many respects than any English- 
 woman could possibly do." 
 
 " Me love Missy ver much, madam, but me no 
 Missy maid now ; me housemaid for madam Hare- 
 wood now ; me makee de bed, sweepy de stair, do 
 all sort ting ; me never wait on Missy, no, never." 
 
 Mrs. Hanson gave a deep sigh, and said to Mrs. 
 Harewood — " I fear you have had some trouble 
 in procuring a maid for my daughter, ma'am ?" 
 
 " When your daughter came to us, you may re- 
 member, my good madam, that we undertook to 
 treat her in every respect as if she were our own; 
 we have done it, and you will be able to judge to- 
 morrow how far your dear girl is benefitted or in- 
 jured by sharing the attentions of Ellen's nurse- 
 maid, Ellen's governess, and Ellen's mother." 
 
 Mrs. Hanson felt that she was much indebted 
 to the kindness evidently intended by this arrange- 
 ment, especially as it was a plain case that Zebby 
 had been retained in the family^for her accommo- 
 dation ; yet she could not help thinking that the 
 contrast between Matilda's past and present situ- 
 ation was too great : although she had a thousand 
 times desired that some great change might be 
 adopted in her education, yet her heart shrunk at 
 the idea of the discipline which she had so long 
 felt to be necessary. She was afraid that the 
 terrible passions her child had manifested, had 
 rendered terrible changes necessary, and a train 
 
 K
 
 98 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 of inflictions and privations arose to her view, 
 which maternal tenderness was unequal to con- 
 template unmoved : she therefore apologized to 
 her friends, and retired to her room, but her pil- 
 low was strewed with those thorns which solici- 
 tude had planted there. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The following morning the young people arose 
 early, and were surprised to find Mrs. Harewood 
 also stirring ; her amiable, affectionate heart pro- 
 mised itself a treat, in witnessing the sweet emo- 
 tions of Matilda, on hearing the joyful tidings of 
 her mother's arrival ; nor was she disappointed — 
 the delighted girl manifested all the rapture of 
 which her warm susceptible heart was capable ; 
 and on hearing her mother slept in the crimson 
 room, was hastily bending her steps to the cham- 
 ber thus named from the colour of the bed. 
 
 " But, my dear, it is yet early; your mamma 
 was much fatigued with her long journey from 
 Falmouth : is it not a pity to disturb her, espe- 
 cially as she has already seen and kissed you, 
 although she would not awake you ?" 
 
 Matilda stopped — " I do so wish to see mamma," 
 said she, " and to hear her speak ! but then to 
 awake her for my own pleasure would be selfish, 
 as I used to be — I vv'on't be selfish."
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 99 
 
 " That's right, my dear — you are now proving 
 yourself truly affectionate— you are preferring 
 mamma to yourself." 
 
 " But I may just stand at the door and listen to 
 her breathing, and so wait till she moves?" 
 
 " Certainly, my dear." 
 
 Away flew Matilda, happiest of the happy ; and 
 she had scarcely been ten minutes on her station 
 when Mrs. Hanson's bell rang, and Matilda in- 
 stantly opened the door, in silent but delightful 
 expectation. 
 " Is my daughter awake?" said the fond mother. 
 
 " Oh, yes, yes, dear mamma, I am here !" cried 
 she, springing to the outstretched arms of her 
 widowed parent, who, in embracing her joyfully, 
 yet felt solicitude mingle with that joy, from the 
 consciousness that all her earthly happiness was 
 centered in this single object, and that upon her 
 future conduct rested the peace of both. 
 
 Mrs. Hanson did not rise for some hours, and her 
 daughter breakfasted with her, and spent the time 
 principally in making inquiries after their old 
 friends in Barbadoes, so that Mrs. Hanson had no 
 opportunity of observing how her daughter was 
 looked upon in the family ; and on this eventful 
 day the ball in the evening was naturally the sub- 
 ject uppermost on Matilda's mind, so that there 
 was yet no development of her real improvement. 
 
 At length Mrs. Hanson arose ; her maid came 
 
 K 2
 
 100 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 in to dress her, and whilst this took place, the 
 mother beheld with delight the improvement 
 which had taken place in her darling's person, 
 which was taller, and considerably better formed, 
 as she had cured herself of stooping, and all her 
 motions indicated sprightliness and agility. 
 
 Whilst Mrs. Hanson congratulated herself on 
 this appearance, Zebby tapped at the door, and on 
 being admitted, said, with a very long face and dole- 
 ful accent — "Oh dear. Missy, very bad ting have 
 happened ; de milliner have sentee home Miss 
 Ellen new frock, and no sentee yours. She say 
 she cannot makee till next week, because she very 
 busy for little girls that losee their mamma, and 
 must have blackee clothes to-morrow day." 
 
 Mrs. Hanson's heart sunk, and she felt as if 
 her pleasure for this day at least was over, for she 
 fully expected to see Matilda fly into a rage with 
 the messenger, the milliner, and indeed all the 
 house ; and she could scarcely believe her own 
 senses, when Matilda replied calmly — " Well, 
 Zebby, it canot be helped, and it does not signify 
 much ; I am sure Mrs. Hare wood will excuse my 
 want of a new dress on this occasion. To be sure, 
 I should have liked to looked the same as dear 
 Ellen ; but how can I think of such a trifling dis- 
 appointment, when I remember it was caused by 
 those unhappy children, who are now mourning 
 for their mamma ?"
 
 THE BABBADOES GIRL. 101 
 
 So saying, she turned, and eagerly threw her 
 arms round a mother who, in the course of her 
 whole life, had not embraced her with equal satis- 
 faction ; but before she had time to express her 
 pleasure, and injure her who caused it, by that 
 exaggerated praise which sprung to her lips, Ma- 
 tilda had run down stairs, just to peep at Ellen's 
 new dress, speak of the delight she experienced in 
 having gained her mother's society, and consult 
 Miss Campbell as to the frock she must substitute 
 for the one intended to be worn ; and when Mrs. 
 Hanson was left alone, she almost fancied that the 
 foregoing scene was a kind of drama, which had 
 been introduced for the purpose of surprising and 
 pleasing her. 
 
 But observation confirmed her hopes, and jus- 
 tified her happiness. She descended at dinner- 
 time, and was introduced to the children of the 
 family, who, although little seen among so large 
 a party, yet won her regard, from the unafiected 
 kindness and ease with which they treated her 
 daughter; and sheobserved, with approbation, that 
 Matilda and Ellen were dressed exactly alike ; the 
 latter having declined wearing the frock bought 
 for her, since her friend's could not be procured. 
 Mrs. Hanson could not fail to love Ellen, in whose 
 countenance the good temper, modesty, and sen- 
 sibility, which characterized her, were strongly 
 expressed; but she had not much time to comment 
 
 K 3
 
 102 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 upon it,,for the young party were now coming in, 
 and attention was in some degree divided. In a 
 short time dinner was announced, and the com- 
 pany, about thirty in number, were soon com- 
 modiously arranged round the hospitable table. 
 
 Mrs. Harewood had thought it right to disperse 
 her own family among her guests, in order that 
 they might pay proper attention to those near 
 them, as by that means she hoped that none of the 
 invited would be neglected ; and according to this 
 arrangement, which was made the preceding day, 
 Matilda took the place appointed for her, which 
 happened to be at some distance from her mamma, 
 who sat, of course, next to Mrs. Harewood. In the 
 bustle of so large a party, Mrs. Hanson could 
 scarcely observe even her daughter at the begin- 
 ning of the meal ; but when the second course 
 came in, she saw with some pain a large dish of 
 custards placed exactly before Matilda ; and on 
 one of the company observing she had never seen 
 such a noble dish of custards before, Mrs. Hanson 
 said — " Matilda is remarkably fond of them ; I 
 am sorry they are so near her, for they are not 
 wholesome." 
 
 " We seldom have such things on that ac- 
 count," said Mrs. Harewood ; " but I must own I 
 think them well placed, because Matilda can help 
 her friends to them with ease." 
 
 These words drew the attention of the young
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL, 103 
 
 ones, and Matilda soon received so many plates 
 to supply, that there appeared little probability of 
 her sharing in the feast. Edmund was near her, 
 and gladly receiving his mother's approving smile, 
 he secured one for Matilda, which he put upon 
 her plate just before the last was demanded. 
 
 Ellen was equally busy distributing tarts near the 
 bottom of the table. The footman brought her a cus- 
 tard, which he said Miss Hanson had sent for her. 
 
 "She is very good," said Ellen, "but I had rather 
 take a jelly, if she will excuse my returning it." 
 
 The happy mother pereived that Matilda had 
 sent Ellen the very custard which Edmund's kind- 
 ness had ensured for her. Delicious tears sprang 
 to her eyes ; she perceived that Matilda was in- 
 deed a different creature ; that she had not only 
 conquered a disgraceful propensity, but acquired a 
 habit of generous attention to others, of which there 
 was at one period no hopes in her character. 
 
 The dancing now commenced, and the West 
 Indian acquitted herself with great propriety ; for 
 although she did not perform so well as the greater 
 part of the company, yet she was never awkward, 
 and when at a loss for the figure, she listened with 
 modesty, and obeyed with precision the rules laid 
 down to her. Many of the party now assembled 
 were amiable and obliging, but in so large a 
 number, some were of course present whose man- 
 ners were less agreeable : but as Matilda conoid-
 
 104 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 ered herself one of the family, so she deemed it 
 her duty to partake their cares, and render every 
 person as happy as possible. She neither suffered 
 rudeness to disturb her temper, nor awkwardness 
 to excite her contempt ; her conduct, under every 
 temptation of this nature, was uniformly marked 
 by self-command, modesty, and civility. 
 
 There was in this young party two Master Eus- 
 tons, who happening to be richer, and a little 
 older than the rest of the party, thought them- 
 selves entitled to quiz all around them at some 
 times, and lord it over them at others. On their 
 first coming into the room, they sought out Ma- 
 tilda, as a proper companion for them, because 
 they had heard her named as a great West In- 
 dian heiress ; but when they saw her a modest, 
 unassuming girl, they rather shunned her, as not 
 being likely to enter into their sports. These 
 boys would not have been voluntarily chosen as 
 companions for his own by such a careful and 
 observant father as Mr. Harewood, but they were 
 the nephews of- an old friend of his, and were 
 then on a visit to their uncle, who would have 
 felt himself neglected if Mr. Harewood had not 
 invited them ; and as, that gentleman very justly 
 observed to his excellent lady, his children must 
 necessarily mix with the world, both at school 
 and elsewhere, it was desirable that they should 
 do it sometimes under the eye of those kind pa-
 
 THE BARBAD0E8 GIEL. 105 
 
 rents, who might teach them how to distinguish 
 what was good, and lead them, from general 
 company, to choose particular society. 
 
 There was also a young lady who wished to 
 render herself the particular companion of Ma- 
 tilda, for the same reason the Eustons had done, 
 because she considered her the most wealthy child 
 in the place ; and from her person, and the ele- 
 gance she observed in her mamma's dress and 
 manners, she concluded that in a few years she 
 would be the most dashing. It is astonishing how 
 soon the eye of even a child can discriminate, in 
 that particular which has been rendered the sole 
 subject of its studies, and the grand object of its 
 wishes ; so that people who pique themselves 
 upon being men of the world, or women of fashion, 
 are rivalled in all their boasted knowledge and 
 discernment by young creatures, whose faculties 
 they may deem very inefficient, and which are 
 indeed so in all the higher requisites of mind and 
 the attainments of knowledge. 
 
 Miss Holdup, the young lady in question, was 
 born of parents whose industry had acquired a 
 large fortune, but who were both called, at a very 
 early period, from the enjoyment of it; and this 
 their only child was placed, by the will of their 
 father, under the sole guardianship of his soli- 
 citor, who was a man of unsullied integrity, large 
 fortune, and without any children of his own ; so
 
 106 THE BARJ3AD0ES GIRL. 
 
 that the little girl had apparently every blessing 
 her desolate situation demanded, for kindness was 
 accorded to her in the family, as an orphan, 
 •without a rival, and her fortune was secured by 
 skill and integrity. 
 
 But, alas ! false judgment and mistaken indul- 
 gence rendered this situation totally subversive of 
 her improvement and her happiness ; the lady to 
 whose care she was immediately consigned was a 
 vain and dissipated woman, who had no greater 
 pleasure than in spending the fortune, hardly ac- 
 quired by her industrious spouse, in all the various 
 amusements the metropolis presents to the idle 
 and extravagant part of the community ; and al- 
 though she was what is generally termed a very 
 good-natured woman, yet the moment her schemes 
 of diversion or expense were thwarted, she could 
 be as pettish, sullen, or even vulgar and violent, 
 as the lowest servant. She piqued herself on 
 being a woman of family, and when little Miss 
 Holdup came into her household, the first care 
 she took with her was to eradicate, as far as pos- 
 sible, the memory of her parents, and all their 
 former connections, from her mind. — " My dear 
 child, now you are, by great good fortune, got 
 into a gentleman's family, remember you must 
 never mention those creatures in the city your 
 mamma used to visit. I must have no cheese- 
 factor cousins introduced at my table ; no, nor
 
 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 107 
 
 even the great linen-draper's daughter that gave 
 you the doll ; you have money enough to buy 
 dolls of your own, and must have no more con- 
 cern with those kind of people now." 
 
 " But," said the child, " I suppose I may talk 
 about Miss Turner and her sister Anne, because 
 they nursed me through the measles, and my 
 father said I must always be grateful — I suppose 
 he meant thankful, ma'am, for their kindness." 
 
 " Who are they, child ? if they are decent 
 people, it alters the case entirely." 
 
 " They are not decent people," said the child, 
 pettishly; "they are very genteel people, and 
 dress quite beautifully, and have a country-house, 
 where I have played many a time ; and they have 
 a fine instrument, and more books than you have, 
 and I love them dearly." 
 
 ** But who are they, my dear ?" 
 
 " Why, to be sure, they are their father's 
 daughters, Mr. Turner, the great baker ; every 
 body knows Mr. Turner's shop, I suppose." 
 
 The lady was distressed. She began a speech, 
 endeavouring to prove, that although gratitude 
 was very good in its place, yet, when it was ad- 
 visable to forget its object, then it was no longer 
 good, but foolish, and improper, and unfashion- 
 able ; but she checked herself in the midst of this 
 exordium, by recollecting that the intellects of her 
 pupil were unequal to all investigation, but that
 
 108 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 her inclination, youth, and temper, could be more 
 easily wrought upon. She began to load her with 
 finery, take her to the play, though she fell asleep 
 in the second act, speak of her in her own hearing 
 as a wit and a beauty, shake her head knowingly 
 whenever her city connections were alluded to ; 
 and therefore it was no wonder that in a short time 
 the child forgot the friends she had loved, grew 
 ashamed of the parents she had honoured, learnt 
 to prattle on the subjects of which she knew no- 
 thing, and to affect all the premature airs of a 
 woman, with more than the usual ignorance of a 
 child, as children are now usually instructed. 
 
 Perhaps a womanized child of this description 
 is the most disagreeable thing in existence, and is 
 rendered only the more so, from any talent or na- 
 tural acuteneness it may happen to possess, since 
 that never fails to give a spice of sin to what 
 would otherwise be mere folly. The thinking 
 mind shudders at the airs of infantine coquetry 
 and malicious sneers, which are merely ludicrous 
 to another stander-by ; but how any person can 
 be either indifferent to such a waste and perver- 
 sion of human nature, or behold it with pleasure, 
 is inconceivable. Mrs. Thornton was, however, 
 so far the dupe of her own folly, that she con- 
 ceived Miss Holdup the very first child she had 
 ever known, and a decisive proof of her own 
 talents for education. It was true, she had la-
 
 THE 13ARBAD0ES GIEL. 109 
 
 vished upon her all her stores of information, in 
 the same way that, agreeably to her own notions 
 of dress and pleasure, she had expended upon 
 her sums which her husband thought prodigious ; 
 and the result of both had been to make her 
 what might truly called a grand serious panto- 
 mime, or an artificial curiosity, for nature was 
 completely banished her composition. 
 
 *' Look at my lovely ward," she would exclaim, 
 in rapture ; " how totally different she is from 
 any other child ! she will never be mistaken for 
 one of the lower order !" 
 
 True ; but neither could she be mistaken for a 
 gentlewoman : the appearance of the child was 
 that of a figurante, ready equipped for her part 
 at the opera ; for although in her twelfth year, 
 she wore trowsers and petticoats that did not reach 
 to her knees : they were, it is true, trimmed with 
 the most costly Mechlin, formed by the most 
 tasteful milliner ; but as her shape was by no 
 means graceful, and her mode of life, by harass- 
 ing her into puny ill-health, kept her wretchedly 
 thin, she resembled, at a distance, a small wind- 
 mill about to be set in motion ; and when near her, 
 it was impossible not to believe that her clothes 
 had been stripped to the middle, for the sake of 
 washing her bony shoulders perfectly clean. 
 
 But, alas ! the interior was more naked, or
 
 110 THE BATIBADOES GIBL. 
 
 dressed in some parts merely for exhibition : the 
 poor child knew the steps of the last new dance 
 and the name of new music ; she could finger a 
 little, and knew a few words of French from the 
 vocabulary ; but to the history of her country 
 she was a perfect stranger, and, what was far 
 worse, was ignorant of all religion, all duties. 
 When she was out of temper, which was an in- 
 creasing evil as she grew up, she was told only 
 that it " spoiled her face ;" if she were guilty of 
 gluttony, she was warned against injuring her 
 shape ; but the real motive of good action, the 
 foundation of pure principles, the necessity of self- 
 control, were utterly unknown to her : she never 
 saw them acted upon, nor heard them explained. 
 
 Such was the girl who now, with a bustling 
 parade of affection, singled out Matilda as the 
 only child whom she thought worthy of her pa- 
 tronage, and whom she intended to win and to 
 use, when it suited her, in the very same way that 
 ladies of twice her age so frequently make their 
 selection of friends in the acquaintance of an hour. 
 
 Miss Holdup was disappointed in perceiving 
 that Matilda did not act as if she were much 
 pleased, or much flattered, by her partiality ; but 
 this she imputed to pride, and being very proud 
 herself, she concluded that, on a little farther ac- 
 quaintance, it would only render them better
 
 THE BABBADOES GIBL. 1 1 1 
 
 friends. Besides, she observed that Ellen was 
 at present the dearest friend of Matilda ; and al- 
 though she considered this a degrading choice, 
 yet she had patience to wait, and cunning enough 
 to aid, the time when Matilda should see the 
 superiority of such a girl as herself to poor Ellen, 
 whom she concluded to be simple, because she 
 perceived her to be modest and mild. 
 
 In the blithesome round of gaiety inspired by 
 dancing, designs and airs of all kinds were for a 
 time forgotten, and the sprightly movements of the 
 feet kept pace with that hilarity of heart which 
 banishes, for a time, all those unnatural combina- 
 tions which disgrace the ingenuous breast of early 
 life ; but when a pause was given for the pur- 
 pose of refreshment, various little parties were 
 fornved for conversation, and Miss Holdup con- 
 trived to monopolize Matilda, in a way that was 
 painful to Ellen, disrespectful to the rest of the 
 party, and embarrassing to her who was thus sin- 
 gled out, who became, with some, an object of 
 envy, because the most fashionable girl distin- 
 guished her ; with others, one of contempt, for 
 the same reason. It will be readily conceived 
 that Miss Holdup was never insignificant ; where 
 she did not attract admiration, she never failed to 
 excite contempt ; and as the party were of course 
 for the most part amiable and well-educated chil- 
 dren, whom Mr. and Mrs. Harewood held up as 
 
 L 2
 
 112 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 examples to their own, so the greater number, by 
 many, regarded this young lady as a weak, ridicu- 
 lous girl, whose appearance excited surprise or 
 disgust, and whom nothing but good manners 
 could prevent them from laughing at ; and Matilda 
 felt herself involved, from her union with her, in 
 that kind of snare which, of all others, was the 
 most galling to her, as from her very cradle she 
 could never endure to be laughed at. 
 
 Mrs. Harewood perceived, from the expression 
 of her countenance, that she laboured vmder very 
 considerable vexation, and she was at times afraid 
 that, by some irritating expression or haughty 
 toss, Matilda would tarnish the honours of the 
 day, by giving a pang to the heart of that fond 
 and still-happy parent, whose eyes were con- 
 tinually bent upon her, but who wished to see 
 her act on the present occasion without those 
 influences her immediate presence was likely 
 to inspire. While with all the anxiety of a true 
 friend this good lady watched Matilda, a quick 
 rattling sound was heard against the windows, 
 and Matilda, a little surprised by the sound, and 
 desirous of escaping the tedious and affected con- 
 versation of Miss Holdup, inquired what it was 
 that she heard ? 
 
 " Quiz the West Indian," said the younger 
 Euston ; " she never saw it hail before." 
 
 With a very grave face, the elder immediately
 
 THE BARBAD0E3 GIRL. 113 
 
 came up to her, and told her it was raining com- 
 fits. " If you please," said he, " you may see 
 them through the windows, for it is not dark, 
 though the moon is clouded." 
 
 Matilda went eagerly to the window, for she 
 was curious to observe a phenomenon entirely 
 new to her. She soon perceived thousands of 
 little balls, that fell as hard as stones, lying on 
 the ground and the window-frames, and she was 
 desirous of examining them further; but just as 
 she was turning to make enquiries of her friend 
 Edmund, young Euston interrupted her, by say- 
 ing — " Well, Miss Hanson, you now see the 
 comfits ; would you like to taste them ? if you 
 please, I will get you a spoonful." 
 
 " I should like to have a few certainly," replied 
 she, " and will feel obliged to you to procure me 
 some of them." 
 
 *' Hush, hush !" said the young ones to each 
 other, all desirous to see how Matilda would look, 
 many merely from that love of play which is in- 
 herent at their age, others from that malicious 
 spirit which is too frequently blended with a pas- 
 sion for fun. Mr. Harewood apparently took no 
 notice, but he hovered about them, and had the 
 satisfaction of hearing several girls condemn the 
 Eustons, and profess an intention of saving Ma- 
 tilda from swallowing the cold hail-stones." 
 
 " You may be easy," said Edmund, as they 
 
 L 3
 
 114 THE RARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 stood consulting together on the subject, when in 
 ran the youth with eagerness, crying — " Here is 
 a spoonful of beautiful comfits ; now open your 
 mouth and shut your eyes — that is the way to 
 taste them in perfection." 
 
 " Thank you, sir ; I do not want to eat them ; I 
 know they must be snow, some kind of condensed 
 snow, or ice, and I wished to examine them." 
 "Snow! howyoutalk! — itnever snows in July." 
 " It never snows at all in my country— of course 
 I know little about it ; but unless Edmund as- 
 sures me to the contrary, I shall certainly con- 
 clude that these little balls are frozen rain-drops, 
 of the same nature with snow." 
 
 '* You are perfectly right, Matilda," said Ed- 
 mund, " and you have quizzed your quizzers very 
 completely." 
 
 " Miss Hanson has studied natural philoso- 
 phy," said a young lady, sneeringly, being one of 
 those who sought Miss Holdup's acquaintance. 
 " I always thought that young ladies in the West 
 India islands studied physical subjects more than 
 any other." 
 
 " Physical subjects !" exclaimed several of the 
 party ; " how very strange a study ! what a very 
 singular thing for girls to think of !" 
 
 *' I think you are quite mistaken," said Ellen, 
 with more spirit than was usual to her ; for al- 
 though she could not conceive that there was any
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 115 
 
 harm in the study, she saw plainly that some 
 spleen was intended against Matilda, and she 
 loved her too dearly to stand by whilst any wound 
 was inflicted which her interference might avert. 
 Though the most gentle and unoffending in her 
 nature, yet she was capable of warm and active 
 friendship, and, of course, was not a little as- 
 tounded and hurt when the young lady replied — 
 " Surely, Miss Harewood, you cannot be ignorant 
 that all our great medical practitioners torture and 
 kill animals, for the purpose of ascertaining the na- 
 ture of diseases, and, in many cases, undoubtedly 
 for the purpose of learning how much suffering 
 bodies of a certain size and texture are capable 
 of enduring? Now I don't doubt, Miss Hanson, 
 being so wise in other matters, can tell you ex- 
 actly how much pain is necessary to kill a slave, 
 how many stripes a child can endure, and how 
 long hunger, beating, and torturing, may be ap- 
 plied without producing death ; and prove that 
 in case they do destroy a few blackies, that don't 
 signify, if they can afford to buy more." 
 
 " Well, and suppose Miss Hanson did kill some 
 of those creatures," cried Miss Holdup, " she can 
 afford to buy more, at least her mamma can, 
 which is much the same ; though, to be sure, 'tis 
 a fine thing to be independent. For my part, I 
 think there is ten times more said about those 
 filthy negroes than signifies : dear me ! they are not
 
 116 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 to compare to my Friskey ; 'tis the most angelic 
 creature of a dog ! worth fifty blacks any day, un- 
 less, to be sure, they were in handsome liveries." 
 
 Matilda had suffered in every nerve while the 
 first lady spoke, but the defence of the second 
 hurt her ten times more, as it appeared to indicate 
 a hardness of heart, a daring to make light of a 
 most solemn subject, and one to which she had 
 given much serious thought, and she hastily pluck- 
 ed away the arm Miss Holdup had taken, and 
 would have retired, but she was hemmed in by a 
 circle, and could not escape. The young lady re- 
 plied to her advocate, in a fawning voice — "Ah, 
 dear Miss Holdup ! you are fond of defending any 
 body you take a fancy for ; but I am certain, if 
 you were really on the spot, you could not bear 
 to see those things your new friend has been in the 
 habit of doing. I am told, mere children amuse 
 themselves in Barbadoes with sticking pins into 
 the legs of little children, dropping scalding seal- 
 ing-wax upon their arms, and cutting lines and 
 stars in their necks with knives and scissors.'' 
 
 " Yes," added one of the Eustons, " and the 
 most delicate ladies are waited upon by naked 
 slaves, whose bare backs are probably bleeding from 
 the recent effects of a sound whipping, inflicted, 
 probably, because Missy's dolly had fallen, and 
 broken her nose, out of Missy's own hands." 
 
 " Shocking creatures !" — " Dreadful wretches !"
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 117 
 
 —" Wicked creatures !"— " How terrible !"— 
 *' How abominable !" were exclamations naturally 
 uttered on every side, and those who, on Matilda's 
 innocent triumph, had in the first instance pressed 
 around her, now withdrew from her side, shrink- 
 ing as from something monstrous and loathsome 
 in nature ; and such was the bustle and confusion 
 between those who are eager to inquire, and those 
 who were more eager to inform, that the few who 
 endeavoured to divert attention from the sub- 
 ject, or insist upon the pictures presented being 
 overcharged, could not be heard. 
 
 Matilda, overwhelmed with burning blushes, 
 was utterly unable to articulate a syllable, much 
 less to stem the torrent which, in accusing her 
 country in general terms, was aimed at her in par- 
 ticular : her conscience accusedherof many crimes, 
 which, though far removed from atrocity like this, 
 were yet utterly unjustifiable, and, as she now 
 believed, might have led to the utmost limits of 
 tyranny, cruelty, and oppression ; and all she felt 
 or feared in her own conduct seemed to rise to 
 her memory, and stamp conscious guilt on her 
 expressive features ; and while thus labouring 
 under the torments of a wounded spirit, the 
 Eustons, rejoicing in her confusion, pointed it out 
 as a certain proof of her conscience upbraiding 
 her, and a fresh volley of crimes and accusations 
 were poured forth. It was in vain that Edmund
 
 118 THE BAEBADOES GTEL. 
 
 attempted to be heard, and that Charles chal- 
 lenged every one to fight in her behalf, and that 
 Ellen, with distressed vociferation and tears gush- 
 ing into her eyes, kept again and again exclaim- 
 ing — " It is not true — I am sure it is not ; there 
 are many good people in the West Indies, and no- 
 body can be so wicked in the wide world. You 
 tell these tales on purpose to make us ill — fie ! 
 fie!" 
 
 The agonized countenance of Ellen, by pre- 
 senting a striking contrast to its usual expression 
 of mild benevolence, told Mr. Harewood it was 
 time for him to interfere. He had for some mi- 
 nutes hovered near, perceiving some kind of 
 conspiracy, and thinking that his presence would 
 be less observed than that of either of the ladies ; 
 and at his near approach, the aggrieved, accused, 
 discomfited Matilda, whose eyes had been long 
 cast on the ground, ventured to look up ; for al- 
 though she had a considerable general feeling of 
 awe for Mr. Harewood, yet she had the most 
 perfect reliance on his justice and kindness ; and 
 ashamed and conscious of past error as she now 
 was, she yet felt assured of his protection and 
 mercy. 
 
 The moment her eye really met his, all her 
 hopes felt confirmed ; and in the joy and exulta- 
 tion it gave her, she acquired strength to burst 
 through the crowd ; rushing forward, she sought
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 1 1 9 
 
 refuge in his arms, and laid her burning cheek on 
 the kind hand he extended towards her. 
 
 Ellen at this moment was, for the first time, 
 attended to, as she cried out, with still stronger 
 pathos — " Dear papa, I am so glad you are here ! 
 for you will tell us the truth — you will convince 
 every body that people in the West Indies do 
 not torture their poor slaves for nothing but their 
 own wicked pleasure." 
 
 " My dear little advocate, as I have never been 
 in the West Indies, I have no right to contradict 
 such evidence as has been brought forward by 
 respectable witnesses." 
 
 A cry of exultation began to pass the lips of 
 the Euston party ; but they Avere silent, as Mr. 
 Harewood began to speak again. 
 
 " I am the more inclined to think these cruel- 
 ties may sometimes take place in our islands, be- 
 cause I have myself witnessed similar effects in 
 this country, where the barbarians who practised 
 them were much curtailed in their power, and 
 proved rather the disposition than the actual 
 treatment of which you speak towards their un- 
 happy victims." 
 
 " Indeed !" exclaimed they, with anxious cu- 
 riosity, pressing nearer to the speaker. 
 
 " Yes," added Mr. Harewood, raising his voice, 
 and assuming a serious aspect, " I have this very 
 evening heard words applied to the heart of an
 
 120 THE BABBAD0E9 GIRL. 
 
 unoffending individual, more painful than the 
 lash, and seen looks directed against her, more 
 torturing than any of the hateful operations you 
 have mentioned ; and I have not the least hesi- 
 tation in saying, that those who could thus treat 
 an amiable fellow- creature, and one who, as a 
 stranger, is thrown upon their kindness, and en- 
 titled at least to their politeness, would, if they 
 had the power, wound the body also, and might, 
 by hardening their hearts against the claims of 
 humanity, in a short time become capable of 
 every possible enormity." 
 
 An awful silence, strikingly contrasted with the 
 late lively dance and its following conversational 
 bustle, now sat on every tongue ; the self-con- 
 victed were ashamed of their conduct, the doubt- 
 ful satisfied, and the friendly delighted ; and de- 
 sirous of stamping an important lesson, in the 
 moment of awakened feeling and intelligence, 
 Mr. Harewood continued to say — " Human na- 
 ture, alas ! is full of bad propensities ; and when 
 situation and the power of indulgence strengthen 
 them, no wonder that man becomes selfish first, 
 then hard-hearted, and lastly, even ferocious to- 
 wards others. When, enlightened by education 
 and taught by religion, he rises from this state of 
 barbarity, and becomes not only civilized, but 
 humane, gentle, condescending, and charitable, 
 he merits great praise, for he has achieved great
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 121 
 
 labour — he has conquered great difEculty ; the 
 very angels in heaven rejoice over him ; and this 
 child, this blushing, trembling, self-condemning, 
 but self-corrected child, has done this. Look up, 
 my dear Matilda ! let who will sneer at you, I 
 am proud of you ; and there is not one person 
 present who Avould not honour themselves, if 
 they could ensure your acquaintance. I was the 
 first to correct you, nor will I ever flatter you ; 
 but I will always protect and defend you, so long 
 as you continue to merit the high regard I now 
 feel for you." 
 
 The sweetest tears she had ever shed now ran 
 down the cheeks of Matilda, as Mr. Harewood 
 pronounced this eulogy ; and it will be easily con- 
 ceived, that all the really good and sensible part 
 of the company eagerly sought to soothe her 
 spirits, and convince her of their regard, while 
 her late tormentors either slunk away, as much 
 ashamed as they were despised, or by an inge- 
 nuous confession of error, paved the way for re- 
 turning esteem, 
 
 Miss Holdup arrogated to herself great praise 
 for having defended what she called the right 
 side ; and so delighted was poor Ellen with every 
 body and every thing which favoured her young 
 friend, that she began to take a great fancy to the 
 silly affected girl, merely because she thought 
 that she loved Matilda ; but Matilda herself felt 
 
 M
 
 122 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 that her severest pang had arisen from the very 
 defence thus adopted ; and while she thanked Miss 
 Holdup for her good wishes, she yet shrank more 
 than ever from forming an intimate acquaintance 
 with one whom she considered as little better 
 than an automaton figure on which fine clothes 
 might be hung, and whose tongue had been 
 taught to move, for the purpose of repeating the 
 silly gibberish which ill-informed women repeat 
 to uninformed children, in order to render them 
 as stupid, proud, and silly as themselves. 
 
 On the following day, the party were naturally 
 the subject of conversation, and Mrs. Hanson had 
 great pleasure in finding that the bedizened doll, 
 who had been so decidedly her daughter's com- 
 panion the evening before, was by no means her 
 chosen one, that distinction being reserved for 
 Ellen only, whose kind heart would have been 
 almost broken, had she imagined such a partiality 
 indeed reciprocal, but who was as free from jea- 
 lousy of Miss Holdup as she was full of confi- 
 dence in Matilda. 
 
 Mrs. Harewood on this occasion remarked, that 
 she had never seen two girls more likely to form 
 a mutual and lasting friendship than Ellen and 
 Matilda, because they were likely mutually to 
 benefit each other, since they would, she trusted, 
 possess the same good principles and dispositions; 
 but each having a character of her own, would
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 123 
 
 become serviceable to the other. Matilda had 
 more discrimination and firmness than Ellen, 
 who, on her part, had a forbearance, patience, 
 and gentleness, which nature as well as habit had 
 in a degree left her friend but poorly provided 
 with ; but she said it would not be surprising if 
 their mutual affection and reciprocal admiration 
 should, in time, engraft the virtues of each upon 
 the other, and she hoped to see Matilda as meek 
 as Ellen, and Ellen as firm and energetic as Ma- 
 tilda. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The happy family party at Mr. Harewood's was 
 necessarily soon broken up, as Mrs. Hanson took 
 a house at Brompton, on account of the mild- 
 ness of the air, and the young friends were then 
 separated. Their removal was facilitated by the 
 arrival of that West Indian lady and her little 
 girl, whom we have already mentioned, as being 
 stripped of nearly all her possessions, and whom 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harewood were peculiarly desirous 
 of accommodating in their house, until some plan 
 for her future situation should be fixed upon. 
 They were not of that number who can receive 
 a rich friend with pleasure, and leave a poor one 
 to shift for themselves ; on the contrary, Mrs. 
 Weston and her little Harriet were received by 
 them, not only with affection, but all those atten-
 
 124 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 tions which were due to her former situation, 
 and the loss of which never fails to be peculiarly- 
 afflictive to those who labour under the priva- 
 tions to which they have been accustomed. 
 
 As soon as Mrs. Hanson had arranged her 
 household at Brompton, she hastened to entreat 
 Mr. and Mrs. Harewood and their family to spend 
 an early day with her, and was then introduced 
 to Mrs. Weston, whom she knew well by report, 
 and for whose altered situation she was truly con- 
 cerned, especially after she became acquainted 
 with her, as the suavity of her manners, the quiet 
 dignity of mind, and unaffected resignation with 
 which she bore her misfortunes, could not fail to 
 prepossess her in favour of so wise and good a 
 sufferer, who was likewise so cheerful and wil- 
 ling to be happy. 
 
 Harriet was a little girl, about six years old at 
 this time, a tolerably good child, but certainly 
 subject to the same errors (though in a far less 
 degree) which had formerly distinguished Ma- 
 tilda ; and as she wanted incessantly somebody 
 to do something for her, and there was no longer 
 a slave at her command, her mother was too fre- 
 quently obliged to be that servant — a circum- 
 stance which rendered the young Harewoods 
 much less fond of Harriet than they would other- 
 wise have been, and which, at times, tired the 
 temper of even the gentle Ellen.
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 125 
 
 Matilda's whole mind was absorbed by this 
 little girl, on whom she continually cast looks of 
 the deepest interest : her mother imputed the 
 serious air she wore to a regret very natural at 
 her age, on revisiting the house where she had 
 been so happy, and she felt some fears lest it 
 should continue to haunt her mind : she had 
 likewise many forebodings as to the future edu- 
 cation of her daughter, being sensible that she 
 had enjoyed advantages in Mr. Harewood's house 
 of no common character ; and she very candidly 
 related all that was passing in her mind to that 
 kind lady, whose maternal love for her child ren- 
 dered her the most proper judge for the future, 
 as she had proved herself the truest friend for 
 the past. 
 
 Mrs. Harewood very strenuously recommended 
 her to procure a good governess for her daughter, 
 as it was hardly to be expected that she could 
 bring herself to part with her only child, other- 
 wise a school might have been more advantageous 
 to a girl of such a very active and social disposi- 
 tion as that which Matilda now manifested ; but, 
 above all, she pressed Mrs. Hanson to endeavour 
 to preserve in her that spirit of humility which 
 never fails to produce obedience, subdue passion, 
 and open the mind for the reception and nurture 
 of every virtue. 
 
 M 3
 
 126 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 On the arrival of Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. Harewood 
 had left the real improvements of Matilda to be 
 discovered by circumstances ; and as the mother 
 and daughter were seldom apart, she had not 
 spoken of the kind and charitable actions which 
 Matilda had performed, fearful of injuring by 
 praise those blossoms which were now only begin- 
 ning to expand ; but she now dilated on them 
 with pleasure, both to the happy mother and Mrs. 
 Weston ; and such was the effect of this discourse 
 on the former, that tears of pleasure and gratitude 
 to Heaven ran down her cheek. Matilda, al- 
 though still engaged with the child, catching a 
 view of her mother under this emotion, could not 
 forbear running up to her, and tenderly inquired 
 what was the matter ? 
 
 " Nothing at all my love, at least nothing 
 painful ; we have been speaking of you — I am 
 anxious to engage you a governess." 
 
 " Well, mamma, and will Mrs. Weston be so 
 good as to undertake me ?" 
 
 The ladies all started, but by no means with any 
 symptom of dismay, although Mrs. Hanson said, 
 with some confusion, to Mrs. Weston — " My 
 little girl takes a great liberty, ma'am, but you 
 must pardon her j)i'emature request ; she fancies 
 you are an old friend, I believe, because you are 
 her countrywoman." 
 
 " I wish sincerely I had any other claim to
 
 THE BARE A DOES GIRL. 127 
 
 being considered her friend, madam, as in that 
 
 case " 
 
 Mrs. Weston suddenly checked herself, her 
 colour rose, and the tears stood in her eyes. 
 
 " Suffer me, my dear friend, to interpret your 
 silence for Mrs. Hanson; — in that case you would 
 not object to undertaking the charge which Ma- 
 tilda has very innocently, though very abruptly, 
 been willing to assign to you?" 
 
 " If you are a faithful interpreter, I will call you 
 a most agreeable one," said Mrs. Hanson, " for 
 Mrs. Weston would be an equal acquisition to 
 both me and my daughter." 
 
 Mrs. Weston wiped her eyes. — " Believe me, 
 dear ladies," said she, " grateful for the good 
 opinion with which you so evidently honour me, 
 and truly desirous of profiting by the offer your 
 goodness makes me ; but you are both mothers, 
 and will, I am certain, consider my situation as 
 such. I am but newly arrived ; it will take some 
 time to wean my poor child from her habits ; and 
 to send one so very young to school, is a painful 
 consideration ; in a few months I shall be happy 
 indeed to avail myself of your goodness, and enter 
 with pleasure on so promising a task." 
 
 Mrs. Hanson was just going to express her en- 
 tire approbation of this proposal, when Matilda, 
 with a modest, but earnest air, entreated permis- 
 sion to speak, which was immediately granted.
 
 128 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 *' Do not think me vain nor presuming, dear 
 Mrs. Western, if I say, that whilst you are my 
 governess, I will, with my mamma's permission, 
 become little Harriet's governess ; I am quite sure 
 it will do us both a great deal of good, for she will 
 every hour remind me how much more naughty, 
 and tiresome, and provoking I used to be when I 
 first came over, and teach me to endure with pa- 
 tience, and remove with gentleness and firmness, 
 the errors which, in so young and engaging a 
 child, claim my compassion rather than blame. I 
 shall love her very dearly, I am certain, because I 
 see she is of a loving temper, notwithstanding her 
 faults ; and I am certain, if she feels as I do, she 
 will love me for curing her of them : then I will 
 teach her all I know, and as I shall improve every 
 day, you know I shall improve her also. Dear 
 mamma, pray let me try ! I do not know any way 
 in which a girl like me can shew gratitude to God 
 so effectually as in endeavouring to make my 
 fellow-creature as happy as myself, and especially 
 my own little countrywoman." 
 
 The tenderness and earnestness with which 
 this request was urged, as well as the excellent 
 motive, ensured its success ; and in a few days the 
 mother and daughter removed together to Bromp- 
 ton,and a regular system of education was entered 
 upon, which was indeed attended with the most 
 happy effects, although it is probable that Matilda
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 129 
 
 found her new office abound with trials, of which 
 she could form no idea until experience taught 
 her. It is, however, certain that she received as 
 much benefit as she communicated, and that she 
 learned the lessons of virtue whilst imparting them 
 to her little pupil, who proved a very tractable and 
 intelligent child, after she had become weaned 
 from those habits which were in a great measure 
 inseparable from her late situation in life. It is 
 probable that but for this stimulus to her exer- 
 tions, Matilda would have neglected her educa- 
 tion, and sunk into indolent habits, for want of 
 those excitements which she had found in the so- 
 ciety of Ellen and her brothers ; whereas now 
 she endeavoured, at every meeting with this dear 
 family, to exhibit some improvement or attain- 
 ment in her pupil, and these were inevitably con- 
 nected with her own. 
 
 But notwithstanding the advantages Matilda 
 possessed, and her earnest desire to profit by them, 
 and even the actual improvement she evinced, 
 our young readers must not suppose either that 
 she was perfect or that she had attained that 
 standard of excellence of which she was capable. 
 Many a moment of petulance occurred with her 
 provoking little pupil, and airs of arrogance were 
 apt to swell her bosom, upon those occasions 
 which called out the superiority of her fortune, 
 or the exhibition of those talents which could
 
 130 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 not fail to be remarked in her situation of life. 
 But on these occasions it was never difficult for 
 Mrs. Weston or her good mamma to recall her to 
 a sense of the folly and guilt of indulging such a 
 temper ; for her religious principles were deeply 
 engrafted, and her sensibility genuine and active ; 
 so that the moment her mind perceived that she 
 was wounding a fellow-creature, and thereby of- 
 fending God, her heart revolted from her own 
 conduct, and she lost not a moment in retracting 
 the assertions of anger, and rendering, as far as 
 she was able, every atonement for her error. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Time passed, and the children of either house ex- 
 hibited those gradual changes which are scarcely 
 perceptible to a parent's eye, which is ever 
 accustomed to view them. The young men ex- 
 changed school for college ; the girls, under the 
 protecting guardianship of their mothers, were 
 taken into public ; and a new sense of care, on a 
 new ground, pervaded those tender anxious hearts 
 which beat but for their beloved offspring, and 
 which were perhaps most solicitous for them, at 
 the time they were indulging the innocent and 
 artless gaiety natural to their age, and consistent 
 with their situation. 
 
 As Edmund Harewood had ever been a youth
 
 THE BAHBADOES GIEL. 131 
 
 of profound thinking, and evinced those talents 
 •which were likely to render his study of the law 
 beneficial both to himself and the community, 
 Mr. Harewood changed his opinion as to the pro- 
 fession he had originally designed him to pursue, 
 and directed him to prepare for the bar, to his 
 sincere satisfaction. 
 
 Charles had for some time evinced a great de- 
 sire to enter the army : but as his mother could 
 not conquer her feelings, so far as to permit it, he 
 was at length induced to resign the scheme en- 
 tirely ; but his anxiety to travel continuing as 
 strong as ever, Mr. Harewood promised, if possible, 
 to procure him some situation in life which would 
 allow him to indulge his wishes, consistent with 
 his duty ; but this was conceded on the express 
 terms of his diligent application to study ; and as 
 he perceived himself the positive necessity of be- 
 coming a good linguist, he applied himself to learn- 
 ing the modern languages with great assiduity. 
 
 Ellen grew up a pretty girl, but her figure was 
 diminutive, and the gentleness and docility which 
 had been ever her happiest characteristic, diff'used 
 a charm of feminine softness over her whole per- 
 son, which was to many very attractive, though not 
 striking. The equanimity of her temper had the 
 effect of perpetuating that smooth and dimpled 
 description of countenance which is peculiar to 
 childhood ; so that although a year older than Ma-
 
 132 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 tilda, she appeared about two years younger ; and 
 when they were seen together among strangers, 
 she was considered as a younger sister, supported 
 by the kind attentions of her superior ; for Matilda, 
 although very modest, was dignified, and her per- 
 son being elegant and tall, confirmed the idea. 
 
 In a short time, Mrs. Hanson received several 
 offers from men of fortune for Matilda, all of which 
 were politely but positively refused ; for the poor 
 girl always shewed a decided dread of leaving her 
 mother, and very justly observed, that a very in- 
 timate acquaintance was necessary between per- 
 sons who bound themselves to so sacred and in- 
 dissoluble a connection as marriage ; and although 
 naturally too generous and ingenuous to suspect 
 others of acting from unworthy motives, she was 
 yet aware that a young woman who has a large 
 fortune in her own disposal, and who has neither 
 father nor brother to investigate the private cha- 
 racter of those who address her, has need of a 
 more than ordinary share of prudence, and will 
 be wise in delaying a consent which deprives her 
 of all control over the wealth of which Providence 
 has appointed her^ steward. 
 
 Although thus wise in her decision on this im- 
 portant point, and ever assigning reasons which 
 shewed how utterly unbiassed her affections were 
 towards the candidates for her favour, yet Matilda 
 did not always act with equal wisdom ; she was
 
 THE BAEEABOES GIRL. 133 
 
 excessively fond of dancing, and as she acquitted 
 herself with uncommon grace, perhaps vanity fur- 
 nished her with an additional motive for her de- 
 sire to partake this amusement more frequently 
 than it suited her mamma ; and once she accepted 
 an invitation to a private ball, when Mrs. Weston 
 was her chaperon. Waltzing was introduced, 
 and Matilda, though by no means pleased with 
 the general style of the dance, was struck with 
 certain movements which she thought graceful, 
 and the day following began to practise them with 
 her young protegee. 
 
 *'I think you waltz very well," said Mrs. 
 Weston. 
 
 " I soon should do so, I dare say, if I practised 
 it ; but as it was new to me, I durst not venture 
 last night, although I made a kind of half pro- 
 mise to Sir Theodore Branson, that I Avould do 
 it the very next time we met." 
 
 " Do you call that waltzing?" said Mrs. Han- 
 son, laying down her netting : "it appears to me 
 to be more the work of the hands than the feet 
 a great deal ; and you go round and round, child, 
 very foolishly, till one grows giddy to look at you 
 — so, so — well, and what, do the gentlemen stand 
 by to grow giddy too ?" 
 
 " Dear mamma, the gentlemen waltz with the 
 ladies ; I said, you know, that Sir Theodore wished 
 me to do it, but I refused."
 
 134 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 " You did perfectly right ; I should have been 
 much hurt if you had waltzed with any man." 
 
 " It is very fashionable, mother." 
 
 " More the pity ; but I am sure I need no ar- 
 gument against it to you, Matilda." 
 
 " Indeed, mamma, I see nothing against it — 
 I think it very graceful ; and I am sure, if you 
 had seen Lady Emma Lovell last night, you 
 would have thought so too." 
 
 " My admiration of her person would not for a 
 moment have changed my opinion of her conduct. 
 I see beautiful women, who expose their persons 
 in a manner I decidedly condemn (as I know Ma- 
 tilda, you do likewise) ; looking at them as fine 
 statues, I may admire the work of the great Arti- 
 ficer ; but the moment I consider them as women 
 filling a respectable place in society, the wives 
 and daughters of men of rank and probity, and, 
 what is still stronger, women professing, at least 
 nominally, to be members of the Christian church, 
 I turn from them with disgust and sorrow ; and 
 though I sincerely despise all affectation of more 
 exalted purity than others, I yet will never hesi- 
 tate to give my voice against a folly so unworthy 
 of my sex, and which can be only tolerated by 
 women whose vanity has destroyed that delicacy 
 which is our best recommendation." 
 
 Matilda applied all her mother said to waltzing, 
 and thought it was equally just with the strictures
 
 THE BAKEADOES GIRL. 135 
 
 she herself ever felt true, with regard to the mode 
 of dress adopted by some whom she met in public. 
 Ellen and herself were ever well, and even fashion- 
 ably, dressed ; but yet they steered clear of the 
 fault they condemned : for some time, the sisterly 
 affection which really subsisted between them in- 
 duced them to appear in similar dresses ; but as 
 Matilda rose to womanhood, a fear lest Ellen 
 should be induced to expense, added to some jokes 
 hat were passed upon her respecting Charles, in- 
 duced her to forego this plan, and Ellen had too 
 uch good sense to pursue it further ; and as the 
 acquaintance of Mrs. Hanson increased, Matilda 
 was necessarily led into parties where Ellen could 
 not meet her ; so that they became in some degree 
 divided in person, but their attachment remained 
 the same. Mrs. Hanson was desirous that her 
 daughter should take a more extensive view of 
 society than was necessary for Ellen ; she dreaded 
 an early marriage for her, although she thought 
 it desirable to bring her into society, being per- 
 suaded that young women of large fortune too 
 frequently are rendered unhappy in the marriage 
 state, by being dazzled at their first outset in life 
 by the novelty and gaiety of the scene around 
 them, which leads them to expect a continuance 
 of the same brilliant career, incompatible with the 
 duties of that state into which they incautiously 
 plunge J whereas a short time passed in life*
 
 i3() THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 would shew them the inefRcacy of trifling amuse- 
 ments and splendid show to procure real satisfac- 
 tion, and lead them to investigate those circum- 
 stances in the minds and situations of their ad- 
 mirers, most likely to ensure their future felicity, 
 and most consonant with their real wants and 
 wishes. The tender and judicious mother saw, 
 with the truest pleasure, that the well-turned 
 mind of her daughter ever pointed to the scenes 
 of simple enjoyment and virtuous intelligence 
 which illumined her early years ; but in her pe- 
 culiar situation, she was aware that Matilda, to a 
 certain degree, should adopt the apostle's advice 
 — " Try all things, cleave to that which is good." 
 On the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Harewood, 
 as the young people advanced towards maturity, 
 had felt it a point of delicacy, however sincere and 
 ardent their friendship might be, in a slight degree 
 to abstain from that intimate and daily intercourse 
 which had so long and happily subsisted between 
 the families. The days were past when Charles 
 could romp with, or Edmund instruct Matilda ; 
 and although they held the same rank in society, 
 yet as the noble fortune of Matilda (increased 
 materially by the retired way in which her mother 
 lived during her infancy) entitled her to marry a 
 nobleman, Mr. Harewood did not choose that 
 the presence of his sons should cause reports 
 which might prevent her from receiving offers of
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 137 
 
 this nature. He was attached to Matilda, as if she 
 had indeed been his child, but he was too indepen- 
 dent, as well as too honest, to render either his 
 present affection, or his past services, the medium 
 of increasing the general regard Matilda had 
 manifested for both his sons into a decided pre- 
 dilection for either ; nor was he aware that either 
 of the young men had for her that peculiar at- 
 tachment which a man ought to feel for a wife. 
 Edmund was wrapt apparently in a profession 
 which is in its own nature absorbing, and Charles 
 appeared too eager to travel, to have any ten- 
 dency to early marriage. 
 
 About a week after the foregomg conversation 
 had taken place between Matilda and her mother, 
 the former went again to a ball, with a lady of 
 rank, who engaged to be her guardian for the 
 night, as Mrs. Hanson and Mrs. Weston had both 
 caught severe colds, from being out late together. 
 
 Lady Araminta Montague, the conductor of Ma- 
 tilda for the evening, was a fashionable and shewy 
 woman, who never appeared in public without 
 being surrounded by all those who affected to be 
 considered persons of taste, and fitted to move in 
 the first style. She was now sought with more 
 than common avidity, on account of her attractive 
 companion, whom she endeavoured to show off 
 in the happiest manner, by leading the light con- 
 versation of the moment to subjects familiar to 
 
 N 3
 
 138 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 
 
 Matilda's observation, or likely to draw from her 
 those remarks in which the ability and talent she 
 possessed would be naturally, yet strikingly dis- 
 played. Of this species of kindness Matilda was 
 wholly unconscious, as it was one in which the 
 efforts of her own friends had never been shewn ; 
 when, therefore, she found herself the universal 
 centre of attraction in the room, it was no wonder 
 that her spirits were unusually elated, and her 
 vanity took the lead ; so that when the sprightly 
 dance added its intoxicating powers, and her 
 mind was entranced by the pleasure of the mo- 
 ment, she forgot the resolutions and opinions 
 formed in a wiser hour. 
 
 When the two first country- dances were over, 
 several parties began, as on the preceding night, 
 to form into couples for the purpose of waltzing, 
 at that time a novelty in this country ; and while 
 IMatilda was looking at them, to her surprise. Sir 
 Theodore Branson just entered the room, and 
 asked the honour of her hand, which he almost 
 claimed as a promise. 
 
 This young gentleman was considered the hand- 
 somest man, and the most elegant dancer, in the 
 circles of fashion. That he was at once a shallow 
 coxcomb, and an encroaching acquaintance, un- 
 fortunately did not prevent many young ladies 
 from desiring him as a partner ; and when Ma- 
 tilda perceived the leer of envy, and the pause of
 
 THE BAEBADOES GTIIL. 139 
 
 observation directed towards her, she half gave 
 him her hand, being conscious that her own figure 
 and style of dancing would be superior to any 
 other of the candidates for admiration that had 
 preceded her ; yet she paused, remembering her 
 mother's words, and, with a kind of anxious, fear- 
 ful gaze, that fell like a veil over the exultation 
 J and gaiety of her features, she looked an appeal 
 f to the lady who was her guide, or ought to have 
 Jl^J^een. 
 
 HE^ " Really, my dear, I don't know what to say ; 
 H^but as the thing is new, if you are not quite au 
 P fait, you will be pardoned, and Sir Theodore is 
 W so admirable a partner, I really think you may 
 » venture to try." 
 
 Matilda, in a calmer moment, would have seen 
 how totally distinct her ladyship's fears were to 
 those which possessed her mother ; but the flutter 
 of her spirits, tlie demands of her vanity, and the 
 address of her partner, combined to hurry her 
 forward, and she found herself in the midst of the 
 group before she was aware : it was then too late 
 to recede : the motion for a short time restored 
 her spirits ; but as the arm of Sir Theodore en- 
 circled her waist, deep confusion overwhelmed 
 her, she blushed to a degree that was absolutely 
 painful ; and though unable, in the hurry of the 
 motion, to entertain a positive reflection, yet a 
 thousand thoughts seemed to press at once for
 
 140 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 admittance, all tinged with self-reproach ; and at 
 length, unable to endure them, she suddenly laid 
 her hand upon her forehead, and ran, or rather 
 reeled, to her seat. 
 
 As it was the nature of the dance to produce 
 the sensation of dizziness, this circumstance ex- 
 cited no particular attention, and her partner 
 merely rallied her upon it, with that air of ba- 
 dinage young men now-a-days pretty generally 
 adopt. Every word he uttered was distressing to 
 Matilda, who felt as if she were insulted by his 
 freedom, and had degraded herself too far to en- 
 joy the right of resenting it; her native pride, 
 however, contending with her self-condemna- 
 tion, she removed her hand from her eyes, in 
 order to give him a look which would repel his 
 impertinence, and, to her utter astonishment, saw 
 three gentlemen standing before, and looking 
 earnestly upon her ; two of these were her friends^ 
 Edmund and Charles Harewood. 
 
 The moment she looked up, the first with- 
 drew, but Charles and the stranger advanced ; 
 they did not, however, find it very easy to ap- 
 proach her, guarded as she was by the officious 
 Sir Theodore ; but as Charles was not easily put 
 by any intention he had formed, he succeeded in 
 inquiring after her health, and introducing his 
 friend Mr. Belmont to her.
 
 THE BARBAD0E3 OIEL. 141 
 
 *' I am very glad — I mean I did not know you 
 were here/' said Matilda, confusedly. 
 
 " Mr. Belmont introduced us. We only ar- 
 rived from Oxford yesterday, and Ellen being 
 very anxious that Mr. Belmont should see you, 
 proposed our coming hither." 
 
 A little relieved, from observing that Edmund 
 still did not join them, under whose eye she felt 
 that she should have shrunk, Matilda ventured 
 to look at Mr. Belmont, recollecting that she had 
 frequently heard him mentioned as the friend of 
 both the brothers, during their residence at Ox- 
 ford, and that he had been the visitant of the 
 family the preceding winter, when she was on an 
 excursion to Bath ; she knew that he was highly 
 esteemed by the family, and aware in what a fa- 
 vourable point of view their affection for her 
 would lead them to represent her, the idea that 
 her first introduction had taken place at a mo- 
 ment which, of all others, she most regretted, 
 was really insupportable to her. 
 
 Lady Araminta endeavoured, by her praise, to 
 remove the chagrin which her ingenuous coun- 
 tenance (ever the faithful harbinger of her 
 thoughts) betrayed so plainly — " I assure you, 
 my dear," said she, " that for some time you per- 
 formed very prettily ; didn't you think so, Mr. 
 Harewood ?" 
 
 " Pardon me, my lady, for differing with you
 
 142 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 — I have seen a country actress do it much bet- 
 ter ; indeed I said so at the moment — Belmont 
 knows 1 did ; and my brother observed that " 
 
 At this moment the country dances recom- 
 menced, and Matilda was hurried away, although 
 her solicitude to hear what Edmund said amount- 
 ed to misery ; but as Charles was addressing Lady 
 Araminta, not her, it was impossible to ask ; be- 
 sides, no small portion of anger at Edmund 
 mingled with her anxiety — he had never yet ap- 
 proached her. She knew, indeed, that his ideas 
 of feminine decorum were rigid, but still he had 
 no right to resent her conduct, or he might have 
 told her as a friend, as he used to do, wherein 
 she ei-red. As these thoughts struck upon her 
 mind, he passed her in the dance, and made her 
 a profound bow of recognition ; she watched to 
 the bottom, and perceived him engaged in ear- 
 nest conversation with a very lovely young per- 
 son, whom she remembered as one of those who 
 refused to waltz ; again her heart smote her, yet 
 her anger was the more predominant emotion, 
 and she felt as if Edmund Harewood had injured 
 her beyond forgiveness. 
 
 The waltzing recommenced, but the very name 
 of it was now hateful to Matilda, and she hastily 
 entreated Lady Araminta to order her carriage. 
 Charles was near ; accustomed to read her 
 thoughts, he advanced to offer his hand to lead
 
 THE BAHBADOES GTEL. 143 
 
 her down stairs — " You are not well, Matilda," 
 said he, tenderly — " at least not comfortable — I 
 am sure you are not." 
 
 Matilda replied only by a smothered sigh. 
 
 " They tell me," continued Charles, " that you 
 are about to marry Sir Theodore Branson ?" 
 
 " 'Tis false," said Matilda, quickly, her bosom 
 evidently palpitating with shame and anger. 
 
 *' Then how could you think of waltzing with 
 him ? I am sure neither Edmund nor myself 
 would have dared (brothers as we once deemed 
 
 ourselves) to have taken but — really I beg 
 
 pardon, Miss Hanson ; while I condemn another, 
 I intrude too far myself." 
 
 Matilda was just stepping into the carriage ; 
 she turned her eyes on Charles — they were full 
 of tears, tears such as he had seen in her repent- 
 ant eyes in early days ; he was affected with 
 them — he felt that the latter part of his speech 
 had hurt her — that she was not the fashionable 
 belle, but still the good girl he must love and 
 admire. — " Then," cried he, eagerly, " you will 
 not marry that sprig of a baronet — eh, Matilda?" 
 
 " I will not indeed."' 
 
 " And do you not mean to waltz again ?" 
 
 " No ; I was a fool once, but " 
 
 The carriage drove off, and Charles returned 
 with a light heart to the ball-room ; but that of
 
 144 THE BARBADOES GIEL. 
 
 Edmund was very heavy, and the friends shortly 
 left the gay scene, and returned toMr.Harewood's. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 *' I WILL never go any where again without you, 
 indeed, mother, I am determined," said Matilda, 
 with a sorrowful air, the follo\ying morning. 
 
 This was the prelude to a confession of error, 
 which in part relieved the mind of Matilda ; but 
 she was still uneasy — she felt as if Charles would 
 be her apologist with his family, for an error 
 they were likely to blame in her ; but the ardour 
 of his manner made her feel much concerned for 
 him — he was dear to her — she felt for him a sis- 
 ter's affection, but felt that she could never be 
 more to him than she was then. Anxious and 
 restless, she earnestly desired to see Ellen, whose 
 gentleness and dispassionate good sense would 
 soothe the fretfulness, and allay the uneasiness 
 she felt ; yet she could not bring herself to call 
 on the family — she had not the courage to meet 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hare wood, not the calmness she 
 desired to see either of the brothers with. While 
 she was debating what course to pursue, to her 
 infinite relief she heard that Ellen, for whom she 
 so earnestly wished, was just arrived with her
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 143 
 
 father, and that both of them were in the library. 
 Before she had time to welcome them, Ellen, 
 running up stairs, hurried with her into the dress- 
 ing-room, and closed the door with that air of 
 secrecy which evinced her ex23ectation of giving 
 or receiving intelligence of importance ; and there 
 was in her countenance an expression which 
 combined both joy and sorrow, and was really 
 undeiinable. 
 
 Full of her own cares, and anxious to conceal 
 the most interesting part of them, Matilda for 
 some time remained silent, nor did Ellen find the 
 courage requisite for her own communication ; so 
 that this much-desired visit promised little even- 
 tual satisfaction. To account for the situation of 
 Ellen, it is necessary to trace the events of the 
 morning in her father's house. 
 
 When the family were assembled to breakfast, 
 the conversation naturally turned upon the ball of 
 the evening before ; and Ellen, with friendly zeal, 
 sought to exculpate her friend Matilda from the 
 errors which Mr. Belmont seemed to think her 
 guilty of, in exhibiting herself in a dance, by no 
 means decorous, with a young man of Sir Theo- 
 dore's description. — " I do not say," added he, 
 " that it was a positively-wrong thing, nor do I 
 much wonder at it ; for a fine young woman, and 
 an heiress, may be led a great way by the flat- 
 terers and sycophants who surround her ; but I 
 
 Q
 
 14C THE BAEBADOES GIUL. 
 
 must own I expected better things from the 
 chosen friend of Ellen Harewood, from a girl 
 educated by a pious and sensible mother, and one 
 said to possess a sound understanding." 
 
 Edmund was silent, but his varying complexion 
 bespoke the strong interest he felt in the subject; 
 Charles, on the contrary, warmly entered into it, 
 declaring that a few words which passed between 
 Matilda and him clearly proved that she had been 
 misled by her party ; that her sense of propriety 
 was as strong as ever ; and, in short, that she was 
 a dear, amiable, good girl, whom he would defend 
 as long as he lived. 
 
 The warmth of Charles's assertions called a 
 smile from everyone. During the time he spoke, 
 his father had been called out ; the servant now 
 entered, desiring his presence also ; and it ap- 
 peared that their early visitant was a man of great 
 importance, and the cause of his calling at this 
 time, by awakening curiosity, suspended conver- 
 sation. In a few minutes he departed, and Mr, 
 Harewood returned to the breakfast-room, saying 
 as he entered — " I am going to announce a piece 
 of excellent news, although it is accompanied 
 with a loss we must submit to ; our dear Charles 
 is appointed to be secretary to the embassy to 
 , now preparing to embark." 
 
 Mrs. Harewood burst into tears ; but as soon 
 as she could speak, she expressed her joy, while
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 147 
 
 Ellen, in a broken voice, exclaimed — " Oh, what 
 will Matilda say, poor girl?" 
 
 Edmund rushed out of the room, as if to seek 
 his brother, but Mr. Belmont well knew it was 
 to conceal the emotion which overpowered him ; 
 no other person seemed to notice Ellen's unfor- 
 tunate ejaculation, and when the door was closed, 
 Mr. Belmont, advancing, congratulated the pa- 
 rents upon a circumstance in itself so honourable 
 and desirable to their younger son ; and as they 
 well knew the sincerity of his character, and the 
 affection he felt for Charles, they freely unbo- 
 somed to him every sensation arising from the 
 event; and Ellen innocently declared that she 
 was very glad he happened to be with them at 
 the time, as he would be a substitute for dear 
 Charles. 
 
 "Ah!" said Mr. Belmont, "if you, Ellen, 
 could persuade your worthy parents, and, what is 
 in this case of more importance, your own heart, 
 to consider me not only now, but ever, a member 
 of your family, I should be happy indeed." 
 
 Ellen, rather surprised at this speech than its 
 import, for she had long half-hoped, half- feared, 
 to think on this interesting, but awful subject, 
 turned to her mother, and hid her blushing cheek 
 upon her shoulder, while the parents exchanged 
 \o6^s of satisfaction to each other, and esteem 
 
 towards the speaker. 
 
 o 2
 
 148 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 " Mine, Ellen," continued Mr. Belmont, " is 
 neither a sudden nor violent passion ; I approach 
 you by no flattery — I dazzle you by no exhibi- 
 tion ; but as I trust both my fortune and charac- 
 ter will bear the scrutiny of your friends, your 
 only task, my sweet girl, is to examine your own 
 heart, and inquire there how far I am agreeable 
 to your wishes. I have been a silent admirer of 
 your virtues, and I can be a patient attendant 
 for your decision." 
 
 Ellen gave one glance towards her mother — it 
 answered all her wishes ; she turned, deeply 
 blushing, to Mr. Belmont, and timidly, yet with 
 an air of perfect confidence, tendered him her 
 hand ; she would have spoken, but the variety of 
 emotion so suddenly called forth by the depart- 
 ure of her brother, and the declaration of her 
 lover, overpowered her, and he received thus a 
 silent, but a full consent to his wishes. 
 
 In the mean time, Edmund had conquered the 
 more immediate pang that laboured at his heart, 
 and entering the library, had grasped the hand of 
 Charles, and uttered a few words of congratula- 
 tion, but it was in a voice so broken, that there 
 was more of sorrow than joy in it. 
 
 Charles had not the slightest doubt of his bro- 
 ther's affection, he did not therefore doubt for a 
 moment the sincerity of his assertion, but he was 
 persuaded that the idea of his own situation, as
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 149 
 
 being two years older, and yet likely to remain 
 dependent on his father for some years, was a sen- 
 sible mortification to him ; and feeling for his sit- 
 uation, he said — " Ay, my dear fellow, there is 
 a difference between us now, sure enough ; but 
 there is no doubt of your doing well by and by ; 
 besides, you are the eldest, and deserve to be so; I 
 am sure my father can never do too much for such 
 a son as you are, Edmund." 
 
 Edmund gazed in astonishment to hear Charles 
 express himself with so much ease, at a time when 
 he expected his heart must be overpowered with 
 trouble ; his fears, lately excited by the agitation 
 and warmth Avith which Charles had vindicated 
 Matilda, and the unguarded exclamation of Ellen, 
 who evidently thought her younger brother the 
 favourite, now took another turn ; he surveyed 
 Charles ; he was just twenty-three — a tall, hand- 
 some young man, and one who had ever been ad- 
 mired by the ladies. — " Perhaps," said he, inter- 
 nally, " poor Matilda loves him, but without hav- 
 ing her affection returned : this accounts for the 
 many great offers she has refused, for the sympa- 
 thy of Ellen, who knows her heart, and for the vin- 
 dication she undoubtedly made to him last night ; 
 whereas, to me she was cold and unintelligible." 
 
 While these painful thoughts rankled in the 
 mind of the young barrister, his happy brother 
 was flying all over the house, receiving from the 
 
 o 3
 
 150 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 servants the mixed congratulation of joy in his 
 success, and sorrow for his departure ; he had also 
 joined the cotetHe in the parlour, wrung the hand 
 of his future brother-in-law, kissed his mother 
 and Ellen, and thanked his father twenty times 
 for all his generous cares, before Edmund could 
 muster philosophy enough to join the family, and 
 listen to its arrangements for the day. 
 
 It was at length agreed that Edmund should 
 assist his mother in making up a package of books, 
 &c. for the traveller, who, accompanied by Bel- 
 mont, should visit the city for necessary arrange- 
 ments ; and Mr. Harewood, who knew that Ellen 
 would naturally wish to see Matilda, agreed to 
 accompany her thither, being at once desirous to 
 communicate this various intelligence to Mrs. 
 Hanson, and to witness the effect Charles's de- 
 parture would have upon Matilda, whom, at the 
 bottom of his heart, he certainly desired to have 
 for a daughter, although he would have rejoiced 
 in her alliance with any worthy man. 
 
 We return now to the young ladies in the dress- 
 ing-room, each eager to hear and to speak, yet 
 each oppressed, though very differently, with soli- 
 citude. At length Ellen, her breast labouring with 
 sighs and fear lest she should wound the heart of 
 a friend she truly loved, thus spoke: "We are 
 going to lose Charles : he has got an appointment, 
 Matilda."
 
 THE BARBAD0E3 GIEL. 151 
 
 " And is he pleased with it, Ellen ?" 
 
 " Oh yes ! he seems quite happy : he is run- 
 ning all over the house, just in his old way, and 
 the servants are all laughing and crying about 
 him, as if he were still a schoolboy." 
 
 " T am heartily glad of it — he has my sincerest 
 good wishes, and I feel certain of his success." 
 
 Ellen looked in the face of Matilda, to see if 
 she did indeed rejoice ; she perceived a tear 
 twinkle in the corner of her young friend's eye, 
 but it was not the tear of sorrow. Ellen could now 
 read the heart on subjects of this kind ; she felt 
 that she had been completely mistaken in Matilda's 
 supposed predilection, and she was almost sorry 
 to see her so happy. 
 
 " There is a — a — another affair going on at our 
 house," said Ellen, after a pause. 
 
 Matilda felt her heart beat with unusual vio- 
 lence ; she could not speak, but her very soul 
 peeped out of her eyes to say — " What is it ?" 
 
 " It is not a parting ; it — it — is a joining." 
 
 ** Oh," said Matilda, calling all her fortitude to 
 her aid, "you are going to have a wedding, eh ?" 
 
 " I believe it will come to that, indeed, some 
 time." 
 
 Matilda turned as pale as death ; but her co- 
 lour rushed suddenly back to her cheeks, as at this 
 moment the door opened, and Mr. Harewood and
 
 152 THE BAEBADOES GIEL. 
 
 Mrs. Hanson broke on their tete-d-tete. The 
 former felt assured that poor Matilda had heard 
 the destination of Charles, and was suffering under 
 it ; but as he could hardly believe Mrs. Hanson 
 M'^ould consent to her marriage with his youngest 
 son, and as he thought Charles himself had no 
 thoughts of marriage at this time, he could not 
 allow himself to rejoice in her predilection. To 
 relieve her, he said — " Well, my dear, you heard 
 how we are situated, some of us parting for a 
 time, some uniting for ever ; I am sure you re- 
 joice in all that is good, in either of these cases.'* 
 
 Matilda, overpowered, burst into sudden tears. 
 
 " My daughter is very nervous this morning," 
 said Mrs. Hanson ; " she cannot help being 
 affected with such material changes in the state of 
 those she loves so well ; you are aware her tears 
 are those of joy, Mr. Harewood.*' 
 
 Matilda struggled to recover her composure, 
 and turning to Mr. Harewood, she put both her 
 hands into his, and said, with a low but earnest 
 voice — " My dear, dear sir, I do most truly re- 
 joice in the prospect of any good that can befall 
 your family ; I saw the — the young lady — the 
 bride-elect — she is very pretty — I hope she will 
 be as good as she is handsome ; and I " 
 
 Matilda suddenly stopped, unable to articulate 
 the rest of her good wishes, and Mr. Harewood 
 eagerly said — " As to that we will say nothing ; I
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 153 
 
 trust Ellen will make a good wife ; I am sure she 
 has had a good example." 
 
 " Ellen /" screamed Matilda ; *' is it you, El- 
 len ? you that are going to be married — you ?" 
 
 " Dear me, how astonished you look ! I suppose 
 I shall be married some time. I told you that 
 perhaps Mr. Belmont might, some time -" 
 
 *' My dear, dear Ellen, pardon my dullness, and 
 accept my sincerest congratulations. May Hea- 
 ven bless you, and him you prefer, and make you 
 both as happy as you deserve to be !" 
 
 " So, so !" cried Mr. Harewood ; " if we had 
 never come up stairs, this mighty secret, which, 
 for my part, I told an hour ago down stairs, would 
 never have been revealed. But pray, Matilda, 
 who did you conclude was the marrying person 
 at our house, if it were not Ellen ?" 
 
 " You have sons, sir," tremulously articulated 
 Matilda, not choosing to trust her tongue with a 
 name that dwelt ever on her heart. 
 
 *' Oh, tut ! tut ! there is no marrying for my 
 boys. Charles is disposed of, and if Edmund can 
 take a wife at thirty, he will be better off than 
 many in his profession ; he is now but a little 
 past five-and-twenty, you know." 
 
 " He danced with a very beautiful woman last 
 night," said Matilda, eagerly, and with recovered 
 vivacity. 
 
 " So I understand ; she is a bride, and his first
 
 154 THE BARBADOES CURL. 
 
 fee was given for a consultation on her marriage 
 settlements." 
 
 Matilda breathed ; the lustre of her eye, the glow 
 on her cheek, could not be mistaken by the fond 
 parent, who had for so long a period made her 
 happiness and welfare the sole object of her soli- 
 citude ; she found that she had now got a key to 
 many hours of doubt, and even despondency, 
 passed by Matilda at times, and to the particular 
 aversion she had ever evinced to enter the mar- 
 riage state, even when every attraction fortune and 
 rank could bestow had combined to render the 
 offer desirable. 
 
 *' I wish," said Mrs. Hanson, " that you would 
 send the carriage back, and desire dear Mrs, Hare- 
 wood and our young friends to dine with me : I 
 am really impatient to be introduced to Mr. Bel- 
 mont ; allow me to do this, my dear sir." 
 
 " Do what you please, madam ; the wanderer 
 must certainly see you once more, and I do not 
 know that he can choose a better day." 
 
 Ellen proposed writing a note to her mother, 
 and left the room with Mrs. Hanson for that 
 purpose, when Mr. Hare wood perceiving that Ma- 
 tilda was again in confusion, said, by way of 
 diverting her attention — " You have seen Mr. 
 Belmont, Miss Hanson ?" 
 
 " Yes, I have ; and he has seen me, to my sor- 
 row. When you call me Miss Hanson, you re-
 
 THE BARBADOES OIEL. 155 
 
 mind me of a folly I have by no means forgiven in 
 myself. I still want the eye of a tutor, you see." 
 
 " Charles has, however, been your advocate so 
 effectually at our house, that I believe not one of 
 the family will ever remember it again.*' 
 
 "Not one .'" said Matilda, blushing deeply. 
 
 "Not owe/ Charles is a warm advocate." 
 
 " He is a dear good boy, and always was ; I 
 love him very much, and, while I rejoice in his 
 good fortune, I shall be sorry to part with him." 
 
 Matilda's frankness assured Mr. Harewood that 
 her heartwas free where he had supposed itbound ; 
 he was anxious to read her farther ; he saw that 
 she even sought investigation from him, in whom 
 she confided as a friend and father ; but he again 
 shrunk from the idea of undue iniluence, and while 
 he walked about irresolute, now touching her in- 
 strument, or viewing her drawings, time passed, 
 and Edmund and his mother were ushered into the 
 drawing-room, and Matilda summoned to receive 
 them. 
 
 An air of coldness and restraint pervaded the 
 manners of both Edmund and Matilda, to divert 
 which, Mrs. Hanson began to relate the error into 
 which her daughter had fallen, from the mauvaise 
 honte of Ellen, as she supposed, and this led them 
 to speak of the ball, and the characters of the 
 persons present. Of course, poor Matilda was
 
 156 THE BAEBADOES GHEL. 
 
 again tormented by hearing that Sir Theodore 
 was universally believed to be her affianced lover ; 
 and she expressed the most unqualified vexation 
 at the report, declaring that she would not go 
 once into public again for seven years, rather than 
 encourage the presumption of the man, or the 
 idle gossip of his admirers. 
 
 As she spoke, Edmund was observed to gaze 
 upon her with delight, and exult in the declaration, 
 as if it were necessary for his happiness ; but when 
 she ceased to speak, he relapsed into melancholy. 
 
 *' The only Avay to silence such reports effec- 
 tually," said Mrs. Hanson, with a tender smile, 
 " will be to place yourself under the protection of 
 some worthy man, whose character you can indeed 
 approve. I have ever objected to your marrying 
 under age, but I have no objection at all to your 
 gaining liberty, and relinquishing it at the same 
 time. I hope, therefore, in another year, to see 
 you follow the example of Ellen, provided you 
 can choose as well as she has done." 
 
 "It is the only thing in which I cannot obey 
 you, my dear mother," replied Matilda. 
 
 Hurt with the extreme paleness which over- 
 spread the countenance of their inestimable son, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hare wood withdrew to the window; 
 and Ellen, whose heart wanted a pretext for 
 watching the arrival of Belmont, joined them,
 
 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 157 
 
 when Mrs. Hanson, drawing closer to Edmund, 
 said — " I fear you will not soon join these mar- 
 rying people, my young friend ?" 
 
 " I shall never marry, madam," answered he, 
 abruptly. 
 
 " Never ! you are too positive, sir; men at your 
 age change their minds frequently." 
 
 *' Matilda knows that I am not subject to 
 change; she may accuse me of many errors, but 
 not of that." 
 
 " I can accuse you of nothing, ^^ said Matilda ; 
 " I wish you could say the same of me." 
 
 " Matilda ! Miss Hanson ! I accuse you ! 
 Good heavens ! what right have I to accuse you?" 
 
 " Every right. I behaved ill — you condemned 
 me — I saw you did ; and — you punished me. I 
 felt your punishment last night — to day you for- 
 give me ; and your forgiveness is — why should I 
 not own it ? — is dear to me." 
 
 " Oh, Matilda, do not distract me by this gene- 
 rosity ! you will throw me off my guard — you will 
 induce me to make a declaration that may part us 
 for ever." 
 
 Edmund looked at Mrs. Hanson ; her brow 
 was open, pleasure swam in her eye, and she held 
 her hand towards him as she said — " My dear 
 Edmund, allow me to ask what you mean by that 
 look of mistrust to me ? what right have you to 
 suppose that I am less generous than yourself, or 
 
 p
 
 ].")8 THE BAEBADOES GIRL. 
 
 that I desire to see my child ungrateful to her 
 young preceptor, or insensible of his merits ?" 
 
 " Good heavens, madam ! Matilda ! what does 
 all this mean ? is it possible that I can have ob- 
 tained such an advocate as Mrs. Hanson?" 
 
 " Edmund, can you really want an advocate with 
 poor erring Matilda ? or can you for a moment ac- 
 cuse her of a fault which never yet came amongst 
 the numerous catalogue of her early sins r" 
 
 Mrs. Hanson joined the group at the window, 
 and in a few moments they all descended together, 
 to welcome Charles and Belmont, who, in the 
 course of the evening, understood the happy foot- 
 ing on which- the parties so dear to them were 
 placed ; and Charles enjoyed a hearty laugh at 
 the jealousy he had excited, though he could not 
 regret a circumstance which had in any measure 
 led to a conclusion so desirable. 
 
 When poor Zebby, whose sable forehead was 
 now shaded by grey locks, understood the circum- 
 stances in which the young people were now placed, 
 she evinced the sincerest pleasure, and with her 
 usual enthusiasm, exclaimed — " All right — all 
 happy — Missy have goodee friend, goodee hus- 
 ban — him alway mild and kind j Missy very 
 goodee too — some time little warm, but never, 
 wewr when she look ee atmassa; himmeltherheait, 
 guide her steps, both go hand in hand to heaven."' 
 
 The negro's concejition of this union has every
 
 THE BARBADOES GIRL. 159 
 
 prospect of being verified, and proves that the 
 simplest and most uninformed of human beings 
 may yet enjoy the light of reason, and a just per- 
 ception of the characters of those around them. 
 
 When Charles had bade adieu to his family, 
 the lovers of Matilda and Ellen were each urgent 
 for their respective marriages : but the awfulness 
 of that sacred engagement into which they were 
 about to enter, the consciousness they entertained 
 of the goodness of their parents, and the happiness 
 of the state they were quitting, held the young la- 
 dies for some time in a state of apparent suspense, 
 and almost incertitude. This was neither the effect 
 of want of confidence in the men they loved, nor 
 of that spirit of coquetry by which the vain and 
 frivolous part of the sex seek to prolong what they 
 consider the day of their power. Far different ideas 
 pervaded their minds, and influenced their con- 
 duct ; for not only the tenderness of that affection 
 they felt for their parents, but the sense of their 
 responsibility as Christian wives, called to new 
 duties and new avocations, appointed to guide their 
 inferiors, and submit to their future husbands, 
 pressed upon their hearts; and when at length the 
 solemn ceremony took place, it was to each party 
 rather a day of serious thoughtfulness and fearful 
 anxiety, than one of exultation and exhibition. 
 
 In a short time this solicitude vanished, and a 
 sense of happiness, confidence, and unbounded 
 
 r 2
 
 160 THE BAEBAD0E3 GIRL. 
 
 affection, spread over their minds the most delight- 
 ful serenity, and rendered every act of duty an act 
 of pleasure. Matilda looked to Edmund as the 
 guardian of her conduct, and he found in her the 
 reward of his virtues, the companion whose vi- 
 vacity enlivened the fatigue of study, and whose 
 benevolence extended the circle of his enjoyments; 
 and although apparently of very different tem- 
 pers, the affection they felt for each other, and the 
 well-regulated minds they both possessed, ren- 
 dered them proverbially good and happy. 
 
 After residing a few years abroad, and increas- 
 ing his knowledge and reputation, Charles re- 
 turned, and is now become the husband of Miss 
 Weston, who is an amiable and virtuous young 
 woman, well calculated to render him happy. 
 The mother of this young lady still resides with 
 Mrs. Hanson, to whom her society is particularly 
 valuable, since the removal of Matilda, whose 
 eldest child is the frequent inmate of her house. 
 
 Happy in themselves, and a blessing to the 
 circle around them, Mr. and Mrs. Belmont reside 
 during the greatest part of the year upon the family 
 estate of Mr. Belmont in Staffordshire. Ellen, as 
 a country gentlewoman, extends a quiet, but bene- 
 ficial influence through an extensive neighbour- 
 hood, and is universally beloved and respected. 
 
 We will now take leave of the Barbadoes 
 Girl and her friends, with the sincere wish that
 
 THE BAEBADOES GISL. 161 
 
 all who read her story may, like her, endeavour 
 to correct in themselves those irregularities of 
 temper, and proneness to pride and vanity, which, 
 more or less, are the growth of every human 
 heart, and w^hich can never rise and flourish there, 
 but to the destruction of every virtue and every 
 comfort; and we earnestly desire them to hold in 
 mind, that in order to purify the heart from these 
 unhallowed guests, a deep sense of religion must 
 be the motive, and a strict principle of self-con- 
 trol the agent, by which so desirable an end can 
 alone be obtained. 
 
 This little story, written rather to instruct than 
 amuse, can only close with consistency by briefly 
 recapitulating the lessons it has, perhaps feebly, 
 but sincerely, endeavoured to inculcate, viz. the 
 necessity of watchfulness over our hearts — the 
 excellence and advantage of being open and in- 
 genuous — the efficacy of repentance towards God, 
 and humility even towards man — and the peculiar 
 necessity of guarding the heart, as with a tenfold 
 barrier, to those who are blest with riches and 
 prosperity. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 J. BILLING, PRINTER, WOKING, SURREY.
 
 Jan. 1859. 
 
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 This book is DUE on the last 
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 1859