threatens us with immediate danger; but to pretend to be so at a
mouse, and such like inoffensive things, is a degree of weakness
that I can by no means suffer any of my children to indulge.'
'May I then, madam,' inquired the child, 'be afraid of cows and
horses, and such great beasts as those?' 'Certainly not,'
answered her mother, 'unless they are likely to hurt you. If a
cow or an horse runs after you, I would have you fear them so much
as to get out of the way; but if they are quietly walking or
grazing in a field, then to fly from them, as if you thought they
would eat you instead of the grass, is most absurd, and discovers
great want of sense. I once knew a young lady, who, I believe,
thought it looked pretty to be terrified at everything, and scream
if dog or even a mouse looked at her: but most severely was she
punished for her folly, by several very disagreeable accidents she
by those means brought upon herself.

'One day when she was drinking tea in a large company, on the door
being opened, a small Italian greyhound walked into the
drawing-room. She happened to be seated near the mistress of the
dog, who was making tea: the dog, therefore, walked toward her,
in order to be by his favourite; but, upon his advancing near her,
she suddenly jumped up, without considering what she was about,
overturned the water-urn, the hot iron of which rolling out, set
fire to her clothes, which instantly blazed up, being only muslin,
and burnt her arms, face, and neck, most dreadfully: she was so
much hurt as to be obliged to be put immediately to bed; nor did
she recover enough to go abroad for many months. Now, though
every one was sorry for her sufferings, who could possibly help
blaming her for her ridiculous behaviour, as it was entirely owing
to her own folly that she was so hurt? When she was talked to upon