I do not know whether you ever heard of a Mr. Pallas, who lives at Grouse Hall. He lately received information that a certain Defender was to be found in a lone house, which was described to him; he took a party of men with him in the night, and got to the house very early in the morning: it was scarcely light. The soldiers searched the house, but no man was to be found. Mr. Pallas ordered them to search again, for that he was certain the man was there: they searched again, in vain. They gave up the point, and were preparing to mount their horses when one man who had stayed a little behind his companions, saw something moving at the end of the garden behind the house: he looked again, and beheld a man's arm come out of the ground. He ran towards the spot and called his companions, but the arm had disappeared; they searched, but nothing was to be seen, and though the soldier persisted in his story he was not believed. "Come," said one of the party, "don't waste your time here looking for an apparition among these cabbage-stalks, come back once more to the house." They went to the house, and there stood the man they were in search of, in the middle of the kitchen. Upon examination, it was found that a secret passage had been practised from the kitchen to the garden, opening under an old meal chest with a false bottom, which he could push up and down at pleasure. He had returned one moment too soon. I beg, dear Sophy, that you will not call my little stories by the sublime title of "my works," I shall else be ashamed when the little mouse comes forth. The stories are printed and bound the same size as _Evenings at Home_, but I am afraid you will dislike the title; my father had sent _The Parent's Friend_, [Footnote: Mr. Edgeworth had wished the book to bear this title.] but Mr. Johnson has degraded it into _The Parent's Assistant_, which I dislike particularly, from association with an old book of arithmetic called _The Tutor's Assistant._ * * * * * This was the first appearance of _The Parent's Assistant_, in one small volume, with the "Purple Jar," which afterwards formed part of _Rosamond._ * * * * * _To_ MRS. RUXTON. 1796.