the same as Mary Erskine's were. In fact, Mary Erskine's position was
altogether that of an older sister, and strangers visiting, the family
would have supposed that the two girls were really sisters, had they
not both been named Mary.

Mary Erskine was about twelve years older than Mary Bell, so that when
Mary Bell began to go to school, which was when she was about five
years old, Mary Erskine was about seventeen. Mrs. Bell had proposed,
when Mary Erskine first came to her house, that she would go to school
and learn to read and write; but Mary had been very much disinclined
to do so. In connection with the amiableness and gentleness of her
character and her natural good sense, she had a great deal of pride
and independence of spirit; and she was very unwilling to go to
school--being, as she was, almost in her teens--and begin there to
learn her letters with the little children. Mrs. Bell ought to have
required her to go, notwithstanding her reluctance, or else to have
made some other proper arrangement for teaching her to read and write.
Mrs. Bell was aware of this in fact, and frequently resolved that she
would do so. But she postponed the performance of her resolution from
month to month and year to year, and finally it was not performed at
all. Mary Erskine was so very useful at home, that a convenient time
for sparing her never came. And then besides she was so kind, and so
tractable, and so intent upon complying with all Mrs. Bell's wishes,
in every respect, that Mrs. Bell was extremely averse to require any
thing of her, which would mortify her, or give her pain.

When Mary Erskine was about eighteen years old, she was walking home
one evening from the village, where she had been to do some shopping
for Mrs. Bell, and as she came to a solitary part of the road after
having left the last house which belonged to the village, she saw a