I hope, therefore, that you will be a good child while you stay with your uncle and aunt, and not give more trouble than you cannot avoid. You know, my love, that although you are going among strangers, yet you will be properly and kindly taken care of; and though I do not say it is so agreeable as to be at home with your nearer friends, yet, as we cannot have every thing we wish for, we must not be fretful, because that will not give us what we desire, and will certainly make us more uncomfortable, and be disliked by all those with whom we are connected. There are a great many little things, Jemima, which you know I frequently tell you of, and which you must endeavour to remember when I am not with you. Therefore, do not forget to hold up your head, and behave gracefully; and when you are at dinner, if you should be offered any thing improper, that is, what you are not permitted to have at home, be sure civilly to refuse it, and say, Your mamma does not choose you should eat any. My only reason, you must be convinced, for denying you any indulgence of that kind, is, because it would disagree with you, and make you ill; and you are so good, I dare say, as never to do those things when your papa and I are absent, which we should prevent if we were present.--Miss Placid assured her mamma of her obedience, and her firm resolution to mind all her admonitions; when she resumed her injunctions, and added--There is one thing, my dear, of more importance than the rest, which I would have you chiefly attend to: whatever may be your temptation to the contrary, remember to speak the truth. Your absence from me will be no excuse for the neglect of your duty; and if once you forfeit your honour, I can have no farther dependence upon you; and never venture to rely on the concealment of a fault; for you may depend upon it, such things are found out when least expected; but if they should not be, the unhappiness you would feel at having behaved wrongly, would be a great punishment of itself. Yet I need not, I dare say, have mentioned this to my Jemima, as she is at all times so good as to deserve reliance; only as you are going to be left quite to yourself, I thought it necessary to put you particularly upon your guard.--Mr. Piner returning at this period, interrupted any farther discourse, only Mrs. Placid affectionately pressed her hand, and, after giving her a kiss, Jemima sat down on a little stool by her side. [Illustration]