of retirement fucceeds to the buftle of company, her folitary moments must be embittered by very mortifying reflexions; for it has been well remarked, "that anger begins with folly, and ends with repentance."

I remember hearing of an experiment that was tried upon a girl, who ufed to throw herself into a violent rage upon the most trivial occafions. A friend happened to call when Mifs was furiofa, and he instantly led her to the looking-glafs: "Only look," said he, " at yourself-when calm and compofed you are a very pretty girl; but now you are in a paffion, had ever hag fuch diftorted features, was ever Medufa fo ugly and frightful!" The mirror convinced her of the truth of the remark; fhe felt the juftness of the appeal, and from that time abated her storming humour, for fear her anger should spoil her beauty. I fhould like to repeat this experiment in the cafe of Mrs. Wilson, and poffibly the compliment to her perfon might reconcile her to the reproof.

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Or

Or if you think that by relating to Mrs. Wilfon the following incident, which once took place in our family, you may chance to moderate her anger, when fhe is difpofed to direct it against her fervants without juft cause, you are at liberty to quote my authority for its truth.

Your dear mother had a coftly and beautiful fet of china, which the valued very highly-they were perhaps the envy of fome, and certainly the adiniration of all her friends, and were never used in the family except upon fuch feftive occafions as a birth-day or a chriftening. One fatal evening, as a fervant was carrying them from the tea-room, her foot flipped, the beautiful equipage fell from her hands, and the ftone pavement of the hall was covered with the glittering fragments-for not a fingle cup or faucer escaped unbroken. This unfortunate fervant had lived with us many years, and we esteemed her, among her other good qualities, for her great carefulnefs.-Your mother, inftantly anticipating what her feelings

of

of concern muft be, uttered indeed fome expreffions of furprise at the accident, but not a fingle word of anger efcaped her lips: the bore her lofs like a philofopher, and you must be as great an admirer of old china as fhe was to be a judge of the facrifice the made of her own feelings to those of her domeftic. As I wish you always to discri minate between accident and defign in the conduct of fervants as well as others, I hope you will never forget this diftinguifhed inftance of felf-command.

The example of Mrs. Wilfon's violent temper is alone fufficient to convince you of the great importance of that self-command which morality enjoins, Christianity fanctions. with all its authority, and which is indifpenfably neceffary for the happiness of life.

The province of felf-command comprehends manners, as well as morals; for if we do not lay a proper restraint upon our own will, but give the reins to our darling propenfities, how can we pay to others the attention

tention which civility and politeness inform us is their due?

Self-command exercifes its nobleft office, when it enables us to maintain the dignity of our nature as intelligent beings, by cftablithing the empire of Reafon over the paffions. It renders a perfon the mafter of himself under all the various circumftances of lifein profperity cheerful without infolence, and in adverfity refigned and calm without dejection. It gives an effectual check to all the vitious propenfities of envy, malice, and anger; and in the fame proportions as it reftrains them, it encourages the growth of the virtues, prevents them from running into extremes, and fixes their due bounds.

If you confider this felf-command as the proper regulator of all the movements of your thoughts, words, and actions, you will be able to eftimate its value, and afcertain its effects upon the happiness of your life.

As a genial foil produces weeds as well as beautiful flowers and nutritious fruits, fo is the mind fertile in all kinds of thoughts.

The

The object of felf-command is to turn this fertility to the beft advantage, and to check the growth of all fuch ideas as are vitious, frivolous, and fretful; and to encourage thofe that are innocent, inftructive, and cheerful. And you cannot, my Emily, exercise this reftraint over yourfelf for more fatisfactory purpofes, than by paffing over little affronts without notice, by repreffing the mortification you may feel for the imaginary or real flights paffed upon you by others; or than by checking, if you cannot exclude, your vexation for petty difappointments. I thall have no great opinion of the firmnefs of your mind, if you difcover much concern becaufe a lady of quality, to whom you have been introduced, happens not to notice you the next time you meet; or because your drefsmaker has delayed to bring home the gown, in which you intended to appear at a ball.

The importance of felf-command with respect to converfation may perhaps be estimated by remarking the fatal effects that may attend its abfence. Two gentlemen of my acquaint

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ance,