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Emilia, or the Happiness of Retirement.

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SI was converfing with Emilia, a few days paft, I afked whether she was contented to live fo remote from the refort of company. She answered in the affirmative, and remarked further, that her fituation enabled her to dikinguish between real friends and complimentary: For if the lived in a more public place, he might be vifited by crowds of people, who were civil indeed, but had no motive for calling on her, but to spend an idle hour and gaze On the bufy multitude.

2. I was pleafed with the remark, and was naturally led to confider fuch a retired fituation as a fortunate circumfance for a young lady of delicacy. Not only the happinefs of a family, but the character of young women, both in a moral and focial view, depends on a choice of proper company.

3. A perpetual throng of company, efpecially if it furnifhes a variety of new objects, has a pernicious effect on the difpofitions of female minds. Women are destined by nature to prefide over domeftic affairs. Whatever parade they may make abroad, their real merit and real characters are known only at home.

4. The behaviour of fervants, the neatnefs of furniture, the order of a table, and the regularity of domeftic business, are decifive evidences of female worth. Perhaps fweetness of temper does not contribute more to the happiness of their partners and their families, than a proper attention to thefe ticles.

S For this reafon whatever has a tendency to divert the-mind from thefe concerns, and give them a turn for empty` fhow, endless noife, and taftelefs amufements, ought to be carefully avoided by young ladies who wifh for refpect beyond the prefent moment.

6. Miffes, who are perpetually furrounded with idle company, or even live in fight of it, though they may be fortuMate enough to preferve their innocence, are still in hazard of contracting fuch a fonduefs for diffipation and folly, as to unfit them for the fuperintendence of a family.

7. Another danger to which young women, poffeffed of perfonal charms, are expofed in public places, is, the flattery and admiration of men. The good opinion of a fop will

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hardly flatter a woman of difcernment; much lefs his ordinary compliments, which are commonly without meaning.

8. But the heart is often fo difguifed, that it is difficult at firft to diftinguish between a coxcomb and a man of worth, or if it is eafy for an accurate obferver, yet there is great danger that vanity and inexperience will make young ladies overlook the diftinction.

9. Few minds are effectually fecured against the attacks. of flattery. It is a poifon the more fatal, as it feizes human nature in its weakest part. In youth, when the paffions ase in full vigor, and the judgment feeble, female minds are peculiarly liable to be corrupted by the contagious influence of pretty civilities and affected admiration.

10. With whatever fcruples they may at firft liften to the praifes that are beftowed on their real or pretended charms, a conftant ftrain of flattering addreffes, accompanied with obfequious complaifance, feldon fails of giving them too high an opinion of themfelves. They are infenfibly led to believe, that they are poffeffed of virtues to which they are really frangers.

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11. This belief fatisfies them without attempting any further improvement; and makes them to depend, for reputation in life, on good qualities, the fancied existence of which begins and ends with the falfchood of cuftomary compliments.

12. Such ladies before marriage, are ufually vain, pert, affected and filly; and after marriage, haughty, disappointed and peevifh. The most perfect beauty muft fade, and ceafe to command admiration; but in moft inftances, the nuptial hour puts a period to that excess of flattering attenion which is the happiness of giddy females. The longeft term of admiration must be fhort: That which depends folely on perfonal attractions is often momentary.

13. The more flattery is beftowed upon young ladies, the lefs, in general, are they folicitous to acquire virtues which fhall enfure refpect when admiration hall cease.

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more they are praised in youth, the more they expect it in advanced life, when they have lefs charms to command it. Thus the exceffive complaifance of admirers, which is extremely pleafing at sixteen, provies at forty, a fource of morsification and difcontent.

14. I would by no means infinuate that young ladies, ought to be kept total ftrangers to company, and to rational profeffions of effeem., It is in company only that they can acquaint themfelves, with mankind, acquire an eafy addrefs, and learn numberlefs little decorums, which are ef fential and cannot be taught by precept. Without these a woman will fometimes deviate from that dignity and propriety of conduct, which in any fituation, will fecure the good will of her friends, and prevent, the blushes of her hufband.

15. A fondnels, for company and amufement is blamenble only when it is indulged to excefs, and permitted to abforb more important concerns. Noris fame degree of flattery always dangerous or useless. The good opinion of mankind we are all defirous to obtain; and to know that we possess it, often makes us ambitious to deserve it.

16. No paffion is given to us in vain: the beft ends are fometimes effected by the worft means; and even female vanity, properly managed, may prompt to the moft meritoious actions. I fhould pay Emilia but a very ill compliment to aforibe her virtues to her local fituation; for no perfon can claim, as a virtue, what he has been in no dan. ger of lofing.

17. But there is no retirement beyond the reach of temptation, and the whole tenor of her conduct proves, that her unblemished morals and uniform delicacy proceed from better principles than neceffity or accident.

18. She is loved and flattered but fhe it not vain ; her company is univerfally coveted, and yet fhe has no airs of haughtinefs and difdain.

19. Her cheerfulness in company fhows that he has a relith for fociety her contentment at home, and attention to domeftic concerns, are early fpecimens of her happy difpo-fition; and her decent, unaffected abhorrence of every fpecies of licentious behaviour, evinces, beyond fufpicion, that the innocence of her heart is equal to the charins of her perfon.

JULIANA

JULIANA. A real character. ULIANA is one of thofe rare women whofe perfonattractions have no rivals, but the fweetness of her temper and the delicacy of her fentiments. An ele

gant perfon, regular features, a fine complexion, a Avely expreffive countenance, an eafy addrefs, and thofe blushes of modefty that foften the foul of the beholder: Thefe are native beauties which render her the object of univer fal admiration.

2. But when we converfe with her, and hear the melting expreffions of unaffected fenfibility and virtue that flow from her tongue, her perfonal charms receive new luftre, and irrefiftibly engage the affections of her acquaintance,

3. Senfible that the great fource of all happiness, is pu rity of morals and an eafy confcience, Juliana pays conftant and fincere attention to the daties of religion, She abhors the infamous, but fafhionable vice of deriding the facred inftitutions or religion,

4. She confiders a lady without virtue as a monster on earth; and every accomplishment, without merals, as polite deception. Ske is neither a hypocrite, nor an enthusiaft; on the contrary, the mingles fuch cheerfulness with the religious duties of life, that even her piety, carries with it a charm which infenfibly allures the profligate from the arms of vice.

5. Not only the general tenor of her life, but in particular her behavior in church, evinces the reality of her reli- gion. She efteems it not only criminal in a high degree,. but extremely unpolite, to behave with levity in a place confecrated to the folemn purpose of devation.

6. She cannot believe that any perfon, who is folicitous to treat all mankind with civility, can laugh in the temple of Jehovah, and treat their great Benefactor with heedlefs negle&.

7. In polite life, the manners of Juliana are peculiarly engaging. To her fuperiors, the fhows the utmost deference and respect. To her equals, the most modeft complaifance and civility; while every rank experiences her kindnefs and affability.

8. By this conduct the fecures the love and friendship of· all degrees. No perfon can defpife her, for she does nothing that is ridiculous; the cannot be hated, for fhe does injury to none; and even the malevolent whispers of calumny are filenced, by her modeft deportment and generous sondefcenfion.

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Her converfation is lively and fentimental; free from falfe wit, frivolous minutenefs, and affectation of learning, Although her difcourfe is always under the direction of prudence, yet it appears unftudied; for her good fenfe always furnifhes, her with thoughts fuited to the fubject, and the purity of her mind renders any caution in expreffing them, almost unneceffary.

10. She will not lead the converfation; much lefs can The ftun the ears of company with perpetual chat, to intertupt the difcourfe of others. But when occafion offers, the acquits herself with eafe and grace; without the airs of pert nefs, or the confufion of bafhfulness.

14. But if the converfation happens to turn upon the foi bles of either fex, Juliana difcovers her goodnefs by filence, or by inventing palliations. She detefts every fpecies of under.

12. She is fenfible that to publifh and aggravate human errors is not the way to correct them; and reformation, Father than infamy, is the with and the ftudy of her life. Her own amiable example is the fevereft of all fatirs upon the faults and the follies of her fex, and goes farther in dif countenancing both, than all the cenfures of malicious detraction, 201

43. Although Juliana poffeffes every accomplishment that Can command esteem and admiration; yet he has neither Vanity hor oftentation. Her merit is eafily difcovered withi out flow and parade.

-4114 She confiders that haughtiness and contempt of others always proceed from meanness, that true greatness is ever acceffible, and that felf recommendation and bluftering pre tenfions, are but the glittering decorations of empty heads and trifling hearts.

15. However ftrong may be her defire of lufeful informas tion, or however lively her curiofity, yet the reftrains thefe paffions within the bounds of prudence and good breeding She deems it impertinent to the highest degree to be prying into the concerns of other people; much more impertinent and criminal does fhe deem it, to indulge an officious inqui fitivenefs, for the fake of gratifying private fpleen in the propagation of unfavorable truths. or sueleir

16. So exceedingly delicate is fhe in her treatment of her fellow creatures, that she will not read a paper - not