doubt of the warmth of your affection, I am far from exacting so heavy a
sacrifice. She is a stupid girl, and has nothing to recommend her. I would
not, therefore, on my account, have you encumber one moment of your
precious time by sending for her to Edward Street, especially as every
visit is so much deducted from the grand affair of education, which I
really wish to have attended to while she remains at Miss Summers's. I want
her to play and sing with some portion of taste and a good deal of
assurance, as she has my hand and arm and a tolerable voice. I was so much
indulged in my infant years that I was never obliged to attend to anything,
and consequently am without the accomplishments which are now necessary to
finish a pretty woman. Not that I am an advocate for the prevailing fashion
of acquiring a perfect knowledge of all languages, arts, and sciences. It
is throwing time away to be mistress of French, Italian, and German:
music, singing, and drawing, &c., will gain a woman some applause, but will
not add one lover to her list--grace and manner, after all, are of the
greatest importance. I do not mean, therefore, that Frederica's
acquirements should be more than superficial, and I flatter myself that she
will not remain long enough at school to understand anything thoroughly. I
hope to see her the wife of Sir James within a twelvemonth. You know on
what I ground my hope, and it is certainly a good foundation, for school
must be very humiliating to a girl of Frederica's age. And, by-the-by, you
had better not invite her any more on that account, as I wish her to find
her situation as unpleasant as possible. I am sure of Sir James at any
time, and could make him renew his application by a line. I shall trouble
you meanwhile to prevent his forming any other attachment when he comes to
town. Ask him to your house occasionally, and talk to him of Frederica,
that he may not forget her. Upon the whole, I commend my own conduct in
this affair extremely, and regard it as a very happy instance of
circumspection and tenderness. Some mothers would have insisted on their
daughter's accepting so good an offer on the first overture; but I could