The Governess; Or, The Little Female Academy — John Shaqi
The Governess; Or, The Little Female AcademyFielding, Sarah
General
The Governess; Or, The Little Female Academy
Fielding, Sarah
Didactic fiction; Girls' schools -- Fiction; Governesses -- Fiction; School children -- Fiction; Schools -- Fiction
The treasures of the dead tyrant were turned into blessings by the use
they were now made of: little Mignon was loved and cherished by all his
companions. Peace, harmony and love reigned in every bosom; dissension,
discord, and hatred were banished from this friendly dwelling; and that
happiness, which is the natural consequence of goodness, appeared in
every cheerful countenance throughout the castle of the good Benefico;
and as heretofore affright and terror spread itself from the monster’s
hateful cave, so now from this peaceful castle was diffused tranquility
and joy through all the happy country round.
Thus ended the story of the two giants: and Miss Jenny being tired with
reading, they left the arbour for that night, and agreed to meet there
again the next day.
As soon as they had supped, Mrs. Teachum sent for Miss Jenny Peace into
her closet, and desired an exact account from her of this their first
day’s amusement, that she might judge from thence how far they might be
trusted with the liberty she had given them.
Miss Jenny showed her governess the story she had read; and said, ‘I
hope, madam, you will not think it an improper one; for it was given
me by my mamma; and she told me, that she thought it contained a very
excellent moral.’
Mrs. Teachum, having looked it over, thus spoke: ‘I have no objection,
Miss Jenny, to your reading any stories to amuse you, provided you read
them with the proper disposition of mind not to be hurt by them. A very
good moral may indeed be drawn from the whole, and likewise from almost
every part of it; and as you had this story from your mamma, I doubt not
but you are very well qualified to make the proper remarks yourself
upon the moral of it to your companions. But here let me observe to you
(which I would have you communicate to your little friends) that giants,
magic, fairies, and all sorts of supernatural assistances in a story,
are only introduced to amuse and divert: for a giant is called so only
to express a man of great power; and the magic fillet round the statue
was intended only to show you, that by patience you will overcome all
difficulties. Therefore, by no means let the notion of giants or magic
dwell upon your minds. And you may farther observe, that there is
a different style adapted to every sort of writing; and the various
sounding epithets given to Barbarico are proper to express the raging
cruelty of his wicked mind. But neither this high-sounding language, nor
the supernatural contrivances in this story, do I so thoroughly approve,
as to recommend them much to your reading; except, as I said before,
great care is taken to prevent your being carried away, by these
high-flown things, from that simplicity of taste and manners which it is
my chief study to inculcate.’
Here Miss Jenny looked a little confounded; and, by her down-cast eye,
showed a fear that she had incurred the disapprobation, if not the
displeasure, of her governess: upon which Mrs. Teachum thus proceeded:
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