Mary Hughs

“ With many tears, Matilda promised to lay this gentle admonition to heart, and after a little more conversation she laid her head upon her pillow, with a mind composed and tranquillized by good resolutions, in regard to her future conduct.
[57] “Did you ever see so altered a girl as Matilda Hamilton is?” said Edmund Wharton to his friend Lisle, one day, about a year after Isabella Ingersol’s ball. “I declare she is grown quite handsome.” ”

“ Charles Lisle had already engaged her for the first set, and at any other time Matilda would have been highly satisfied with her partner; but in the same quadrille, opposite to her, stood Rosalba by the side of Edd Wharton, who talked and laughed with her with the utmost cordiality. This was sufficient to destroy all Matilda’s enjoyment, and she moved through the dance with even less than her usual animation, though [31] she was always careful to avoid any appearance of enjoying herself, as being altogether unfashionable and vulgar. ”

“ Let me therefore advise you to call it into action, and accustom yourself to remember that the advantages of birth and fortune are altogether adventitious, and though they may obtain for you a cold and distant respect, they never will gain the love of a single being. ”

“ If Matilda, however, had entertained any doubt of that being the case, it would immediately have been dispelled when Charles Lisle said in a sort of whisper, but loud enough for her to hear, “Why, Wharton, how could you allow Miss Hamilton to pick her music up herself?”
“Because I thought it would do her good to stoop a little,” replied the other, laughing.—“She will have to practise a good deal before she becomes [47] tolerable.” Not a word of this was lost upon Matilda. ”

“ Some people judge of individuals according to their standing in the world; others by their manners and information, and consider them low or high in proportion to their excellence in these respects. But it is a subject on which it is folly for us to pretend to dispute. ”

“ To be happy, we should act kindly towards all who are worthy, (knowing good conduct more frequently commands respect [6] than riches,) and not permit ourselves to feel envious of those who excel us in any way; but should rather strive to imitate their good actions, that we may thus, by correcting our faults, gain the love of those around us ”

“ But I suppose Rosalba’s brother goes to the same school. Besides, it is not of so much consequence [21] for a boy to form such acquaintances. Men can associate with whom they please, without compromising their dignity, Ma says.”
Again her ears were arrested, for the one who had been first addressed, said in reply; “I don’t think Henrietta Lisle danced so well as Rosalba did, though she certainly had a splendid partner. Did you ever see a handsomer boy than Edd Wharton? And didn’t his sister look lovely too?”
Matilda was thunder-struck! [22] Henrietta Lisle at a party given by Rosalba Pearson! ”

“ She however very soon relapsed again, for on Isabella’s coming to say that she was sent by several of the company to beg that she would play once more for them, she found that she was allowed to screw the stool down for herself, though Edmund Wharton was standing close to her at the time. And even this was not all that she had to encounter, for having [45] either by accident or design, let the piece of music drop from her fingers, just as she was about to place it on the desk, she was permitted to stoop to pick it up without any effort being made by him to prevent her. ”