artful one, will be conscious she has so much to conceal, that the dread of betraying her real temper will make her put on an over-acted softness, which, from its very excess, may be distinguished from the natural, by a penetrating eye. That gentleness is ever liable to be suspected for the counterfeited, which is so excessive as to deprive people of the proper use of speech and motion; or which, as Hamlet says, ' makes them lisp and amble, and nickname God's creatures.'

"The countenance and manners of some very fashionable persons may be compared to the inscriptions on their monuments, which speak nothing but good of what is within; but he who knows any thing of the world, or of the human heart, will no more trust to the courtesy than he will depend on the epitaph.

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Many ladies complain that, for their part, their spirit is so meek they can bear nothing; whereas, if they spoke truth, they would say, their spirit is so high and unbroken, that they can bear nothing. Strange! to plead their meekness as a reason why they cannot endure to be crossed, and to produce their impatience of contradiction as a proof of their gentleness!"

These remarks are very just, and they will aid the reader to understand the nature of amiability, such as Mary Lyon, and kindred spirits, have possessed. It is not that kind of gentleness that runs into servility, for this is often a dangerous weakness. "She who hears innocence maligned without vindicating it, falsehood asserted without contradicting it, or religion profaned without resenting it, is not gentle, but wicked.”

The Rev. Mr James, in addressing young women upon the value of this quality to a religious profession,

says, "There are some persons whose bad temper is unassociated with piety, or, indeed, moral worth of any kind; and they are wasps, hornets, scorpions; all venom, and no honey; according to the degree of malignity they possess. There are others who have real godliness, and some sterling excellence of other kinds, and they resemble the bees, who, though they have honey, yet are somewhat irritable, and have also a sting for those who offend them. Cultivate, then, a lovely and amiable temper, as one of the brightest ornaments of religion. It is to religion what the burnish is to the gold, the polish to the steel, the fragrance to the rose, the sunshine to the prospect."

There are many eminent examples of this virtue on record, two or three of which we shall notice.

Octavia was a Roman lady renowned for her beauty and virtues. In no respect did she present a wider contrast with most of the distinguished females of her day than in her amiable disposition. Nought of pride, vanity, envy, or kindred malevolent feelings, were discoverable in her intercourse with the world. Even when her husband proved a profligate, and cast her off, there was the same sweetness and gentle bearing in her behaviour as before. Through the wearing grief of her heart, of which she died at last, there was clearly to be seen the evidence of a serene and lovely spirit, that won the hearts of beholders. It was this quality, as much as any other, which so endeared her to the Roman people, that, after her death, they desired to pay her divine honours.

Margaret Winthrop was the wife of the first Governor of Massachusetts. She was known among the principal

women of her day for her equable, mild, and happy disposition. In this respect, she was a model for those around her. She had other noble virtues, for amiability is never found alone. A cluster of charming graces always keep it company. It was so with Mrs Winthrop, and her presence was greeted with delight everywhere. The following paragraph, which she once addressed to her absent husband, could be penned only by such a lovely spirit:-" It is your love that conceives the best, and makes all things seem better than they are. I wish that I might always please thee, and that those comforts which we have in each other may be daily increased, as far as they be pleasing to God. I will use the speech to thee that Abigail did to David, 'I will be a servant to wash the feet of my lord.' I will do any service wherein I may please my good husband. I confess I cannot do enough for thee; but thou art pleased to accept the will for the deed, and rest contented."

CHAPTER IX.

MODESTY.

MODESTY has ever been regarded as one of the principal charms of woman. In all ages and nations, it has

held about the same rank and value. Even the heathen

place it high among the feminine graces. Dr Bowring informs us that the Samaritan, Syrian, and Mussulman females, whom he saw in his Eastern travels, were ac

customed to veil themselves in public; and he was asked on one occasion, whether "the English women were so immodest as to walk out with uncovered faces?" Different nations may not agree in their sentiments concerning the nature of genuine modesty; but none fail to esteem it highly according to their own views of its character.

The Rev. Mr James says, "It must never be forgotten that bashfulness is the beauty of female character; like the violet, which seems to court seclusion, and indicates its coy retreat rather by its fragrance than its obtrusiveness of colour or of place, her very retiringness adds to her attractions. Anything that would destroy this that would strip off this delicate veil of modesty, and make her bold and obtrusive; that would thrust her, by an impulsive ambition of her own mind, upon the public notice, instead of being sought out for usefulness; that would make her clamorous in her complaints of neglect, and imperious in her demands for employment-would inflict an irreparable injury on society by depriving her of that passive power of gentleness, by which her influence can be most effectually exerted in society."

Dr Alcott says, "Of all the qualities appropriate to young women, I know of none which is more universally esteemed than modesty. And what has been, by common consent, so highly esteemed, I cannot find it in my heart to undervalue. Indeed, I do not think it has ever been over-valued, or that it can be."

We have cited these opinions of other writers, and we might bring many more to our aid, in order to shew that we do not attach undue importance to the quality

under consideration. It is not merely an adornment, but it is a passport to the hearts and confidence of both sexes. A bold, forward, presuming woman, destroys her own influence. She may be upon an errand of mercy, and be actuated by the highest motives; but a masculine forwardness defeats the object of her mission. She never inspires confidence. Distrust rather springs up in her path. She will never occupy a high position of influence or usefulness, because she has laid aside that delightful protection and passport of womanmodesty. Probably no instance can be found of an immodest woman becoming great or good in the estimation of mankind. Hence, this virtue is to be sought, not merely for its beauty, but also for its use. It is essential to the attainment of the highest controlling influence over society. No woman can be truly successful in performing the mission of life without it.

The Scriptures make it a prominent quality. Paul, in writing to Timothy, expressed the desire, "That women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." Then, too, how charmingly this grace appears in those women of the Bible whose names and characters are given! Esther, Ruth, Rebecca, Hannah, Mary, Eunice, and many other Scripture names, are familiar to the reader. Is not modesty a marked characteristic of each of them? With what singular propriety they occupy the places assigned them by Providence, content to act in their own sphere of retirement! They present a pleasant spectacle in contrast with those modern female reformers