The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-18

fophicai romance could not hope it. He m1n
mould 1ome infant into the being his fancy had
imagined.
With the late MIR. Bcknel, then Il barri1er, in
comfortable practice, and of taintleis reputation
and feveral years older than himfelf, Mr.. Day
lived on terms of intimate friendihip. Creden-
tials were procured of MIR. Days moral probity,
and with them, on his coming of age, thefe two
friends journed to Shrewsbury, to explore the
hofpital in that town for founding girls. From
the little train, MIR. Day, in the preience of MIR.
Bicknel, feleSted two of twelve years each; both
beautiful one fair, with haxen locks, and light
eyes; her he called Lucretia. The other,
clear, auburn brunette, with darker eyes, more
glowing bloom, and cheinut treiles, he named
Sabrina.
Thefe girls were obtained on written conditi-
ons, for the performance of which Mr.. Bicknel
was guarantee. They were to this effect that
MIR. Day ihould, within the twevemonth after
taking them, reign one into the protection of
fome reputable tradeiwoman, giving one hum
dred pounds to bind her apprentice maintain
ing her, if ihe behaved well, till ihe married, or
began buhnefs for herieIf. Upon either of thefe
events, he promifed to advance four hundred
| more. He avowed his intention of educating
| the girl he ihould retain, with view to making
her his future wife; folemnly engaged never to
violate her innocence and if he fhould renUunce
| his plan, to maintain her decently in fome Gre
ditable family till ihe married, when he promi-
fed five hundred pounds as her wedding porti-
on.
Mr.. Day went infantly into France with thefe
girls; not taking an Englifh fervant, that they
might receive no ideas, except thoie which him.
felt might choofe to impart.
They teized and perplexed him they quar-
relied, and fought incefiantly they 6ckened of
the fmall-pox; they chained him to their bed
fide by crying, and icreaming if they were ever
left moment with any perfon who could not
| fpeak to them in Englifh. He was obliged to
fit up with them many nights to perform for
them the loweft offices of afiiftance.
| They loft no beauty by their dieafe. Soon
! after they had recovered, crofling the Rhone
with his wards in tempeftuous day, the boat
overfet. Being an excellent fwimmer he faved
4 them both, though with difficulty and danger
| to himfelf.
| MIR. Day came back to England in eight
months, heartily glad to feparate the little fquab-
bers. Sabrina was become the favourite. He
placed the fair Lucretia with a chamber MILL
ner. She behaved well, and became the wife
of a respectable linen-draper in London. On
his return to his native country, he intrufed Sa-
brina to the care of Mr.. BicknelPs mother, with
whom fhe rehded fome months in country VIII
lage, while he ettled his affairs at his own manf-
on-houfe, from which he promifed not to remove
4
1t has been faid before, that the fame of DR..
Darwin's talents allured Mr. Day to Lichfield.
Thither he led, in the fpring of the year 1910,
the beauteous Sabrina, then thirteen years old,
and taking twelve months poiiefiion of the
pleafant manfion in Stowe Valley, returned his
preparations for implanting in her young mind
the characteristic virtues of Aria, Portia, and
! Cornelia. His experiments had not the ilccefs
he wifhed and expected. Her fpirit could not
| he cd inf he IS>fr Jtl,.,
pearance of danger. When he dropped melted
fealing-wax upon her arms fhe did not endure
it heroically, nor when he fired piftols at her
petticoats, which fhe believed to be charged
with balls could fae help fa.ting aide oT ffup-
preiling her fcreams.
! When he tried her fidelity in housekeeping,
| by telling her of well-invented dangers to him.
felf, in which greater danger would refult from
| Its being Uncovered that he was aware of them,
he once or twice detected her having impaired
them to the fervants, and to her play-fellows.
She betrayed an averfenefs to the ftudy OF
books, and of the rudiments of fcience, which
gave little promie of ability, that fhould, one
! day, be refponfible for the education of youths,
who were to emulate the Gracchi.
Mr.. Day perffted in thefe experiments, and
iuftained their continual disappointment during
years reGdence in the vicinity of Lichfield
! The difficulty feemed to lie in giving her motive
to exertion, fef-denial, and heroifm. 1t was "a
gainff his plan to draw it from the ufIal fources,
pecuniary reward, luxury, ambition, or vanity
His watchful cares had precluded all knowledge
of the value of money, the reputation of beauty,
and its concomitant deiire of ornamented drefs
The only inducement, therefore, which this
lovely artlefs girl could have to combat and fub-
duethe natural preference, in youth bloi1oming,
OF cafe to pain, of vacant fport to the labour
of thinking, was the defre of pleafing her pro-
teetor, though fhe knew not how, or why he
became fuch. In that deiire, fear had greatly
the attendant of affection, and fear is cold and
indolent feeling.
Thus, after ferries of frutlefs trials, Mr. Day
renounced all hope of moulding Sabrina into the
being his imagination had formed and ceafing
to behold her as his future wife, he placed her
at boarding ichool in Sutton-Coldfeld, War
wlckihire. His truft in the power of education
fatered; his averGon to modern elegance fub-
lided. From the time he firft lived in the Vale
of Stowe, he had daily converted with the beau
tiful MfS Honora Sneyd of Lichfeld. With
out having received Spartan education, 1he u
nted difnterefted defre to pleafe, fortitnde of
fpirit, native ftrength intellect, literary and fc-
entihc tate, to unfwerving truth, and to all the
Graccs- She vas the very Honora 5neyd, for
whom the gallant and unfortunate Major An
dre's inextinguiihable PATTON is on poetic, as his
military fame and haplcfs deftiny are on patriot,