Tales for Fifteen; Or, Imagination and HeartCooper, James Fenimore
General
Tales for Fifteen; Or, Imagination and Heart
Cooper, James Fenimore
Girls -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Juvenile fiction
that she could not always discover much of the
useful amid this excess of the agreeable, she rather
attributed the deficiency to her own ignorance than
to any error in the new system of instruction. From
the age of six to that of sixteen, Julia had no other
communications with Miss Emmerson than those
endearments which neither could suppress, and a
constant and assiduous attention on the part of the
aunt to the health and attire of her niece.
{fever of 1805 = New York City had suffered a
major epidemic of yellow fever in the summer of
1805; tambour-frame = a circular frame used to
hold material being embroidered}
Miss Emmerson had a brother residing in the city of
New-York, who was a man of eminence at the bar,
and who, having been educated fifty years ago,
was, from that circumstance, just so much superior
to his successors of his own sex by twenty years,
as his sisters were the losers from the some cause.
The family of Mr. Emmerson was large, and, besides
several sons, he had two daughters, one of whom
remained still unmarried in the house of her father.
Katherine Emmerson was but eighteen months the
senior of Julia Warren; but her father had adopted a
different course from that which was ordinarily
pursued with girls of her expectations. He had
married a woman of sense, and now reaped the
richest blessing of such a connexion in her ability to
superintend the education of her daughter. A
mother's care was employed to correct errors that a
mother's tenderness could only discover; and in the
place of general systems, and comprehensive
theories, was substituted the close and rigorous
watchfulness which adapted the remedy to the
disease; which studied the disposition; and which
knew the failings or merits of the pupil, and could
best tell when to reward, and how to punish. The
consequences were easily to be seen in the
manners and character of their daughter. Her
accomplishments, even where a master had been
employed in their attainment, were naturally
displayed, and suited to her powers. Her manners,
instead of the artificial movements of prescribed
rules, exhibited the chaste and delicate modesty of
refinement, mingled with good principles--such as
were not worn in order to be in character as a
woman and a lady, but were deeply seated, and
formed part, not only of her habits, but, if we may
use the expression, of her nature also. Miss
Emmerson had good sense enough to perceive the
value of such an acquaintance for her ward; but,
unfortunately for her wish to establish an intimacy
between her nieces, Julia had already formed a
friendship at school, and did not conceive her heart
was large enough to admit two at the same time to
its sanctuary. How much Julia was mistaken the
sequel of our tale will show.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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