Believe me, my dear child, it is these first steps that are the most important of your life. Take their importance into consideration, and you will guard them with vigilance. Turn neither to the right hand nor to the left in search of by-paths to happiness. Seek for it in the strait road of virtue; and when you are tempted from your course, reflect upon the motives which induced you to enter it, and you will thus invigorate your resolution, Finally," to use the language of the Apostle, "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are 66 pure, whatsoever things are lovely, "whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if "there be any praise, I would lead you to think on these things. Those

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things which ye have learned and "received I would have you do, "and the God of peace shall be with "you."

Farewell!

LETTER XIII.

IT may perhaps appear strange to my dear young friend, that I have avoided entering into any particulars, with regard to the studies I would have her to pursue, the books I would recommend it to her to read, or the opinions I would wish her to adopt upon subjects that have, to many instructors, afforded an ample field of declamation and controversy.

These particulars I might doubtless have expatiated upon much to my

own

sue;

own satisfaction; but I must beg leave to doubt whether it would have been much to your advantage. The studies which I recommended, it might not be in your power to purthe books which I approved, you might never have an opportunity to read; and the speculative opinions to which I gave my sanction, might have been found, as speculative opinions generally are, in some points erroneous, and consequently untenable. I could doubtless, with very little trouble to myself, have made such a false but specious display of wisdom and knowledge, as would have excited your admiration, and raised your conception of the extent of my capacity and attainments to a height that would have soared far beyond the truth. Had the gratification of my own vanity been the object I had in view, I should have found my account

count in having recourse to such in genious devices for establishing my pretensions. But what benefit would have resulted to you from all this? None, that I can see; except in as far as your vanity might have been gratified in having been the medium through which a lady apparently so wise and learned, chose to exhibit her attainments to the world.

By enforcing the principles which I had with so much success begun to unfold to you, I expect to render you a more essential service; and though in this I may deceive myself, I shall still have the comfort of reflecting, that as I was impelled to the task by pure affection, I have, in executing it, laid aside every consi deration, but how I might render it most effectually beneficial to the dear objects of my tender love.

Rules, however judicious, are only applicable