A Description of Millenium Hall: And the Country Adjacent Together with the Characters of the Inhabitants and Such Historical Anecdotes and Reflections As May Excite in the Reader Proper Sentiments of Humanity, and Lead the Mind to the Love of Virtue
John Stuart Mill · en
Miss Melvyn and her little companion received a considerable increase of
happiness from the present of books Mr Hintman had made them; the latter
had no wish but that Miss Melvyn might receive equal indulgence from
parents that she enjoyed from one who bore no relation to her. The first
desire that occurred to her on Mr Hintman's profuse presents of money
was to treat her friend with masters for music and drawing, and such
other things as she knew she had an inclination to learn; but as she was
not unacquainted with her delicacy on that subject, as soon as Mr
Hintman left her, she ran to Miss Melvyn with some of the impatience in
her countenance, though she endeavoured to conceal it, with which her
heart was filled, and tried every tender caress, every fond and humble
petition, to obtain a promise from that young lady, that she would grant
her a request she had to make. She hung round her neck, and endeavoured
to prevail by a thousand engaging infantine arts; and when she found
they would not succeed, she knelt down before her, and with all the
grace and importunity of the most amiable suppliant, tried to win her to
compliance. Nothing would avail, for Miss Melvyn was convinced by her
earnestness that her design was to confer some favour; she knew the
generosity of her youthful mind too well to believe she so ardently
aimed at any thing that was for her own private gratification.
Thus Louisa found herself reduced to explain the use she intended to
have made of the promise she wanted to obtain; and having acquainted
Miss Melvyn with Mr Hintman's generous allowance, and of the payment she
had received of the first quarter, she in explicit terms told her, 'Mr
Hintman has indeed given me money, but it depends on you to make that
money yield me pleasure, by suffering me to apply it to such uses as
will procure me the inexpressible joy of contributing in some degree to
the pleasure of one who renders my life so very happy.'