The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-04-06

ltneie the 1weeteu eEloyments- She examines ITS
ftrueture; ihe aflgns to it its proper place in the
clailes of botany The tudes its hiitory Wherever
ihe wanders, and intereaing objects are ifrewed
beneath her feet. She has fomethng to purdue; n
iomething fill up the tedum of life; art full of
delight which fcatters charms and fluctuations over
the Landscapes of nature. What can Laura deire
I" !arnh her with anUfenent when fhc has ieri-
labop&to PERFORM and to bring the powers of her
mind into gentle and delightful exercif.
| My fair pupil ilal be in the mean time acquiring
all the common accomplishments and graces of her lex
We mutt accuitom Laura the exerciie of the fne
arts poetry, drawing and muic, which increaie tie
acurnen OF the ieies, and refine tafte Du: Laura
ihail exert bold and original genius in all that fhe
attempts. Her pencil fhall confne It's touches to
fervile imitation of the mott accomplished works
She hall afccrd to the fame fources from which the
mott celebrated arti6s have derived all their bsaues
She hall tudy the Of nature herle; her fruits
her flowers, her varegated andicapesSe withthe fame
boldneis fhe iha learn to initiate her Projections
She has already Ruded the feature. and expeditions
OF coontenance, and Laura is able deniate the IA
| ces OF her friends. With muIic in herfe,f" and
equally fit for the concord of fweet lounds Laura
has cultivated afte for the plealres of ulic She is
not and would not with her to be expert dtanti
She has however feeling enough to admire the iimp-
city of a Scotch air. while ihe has fuiicien, kill
to execute the complicated muc of an Italian over
| ture.
When have thus famliarifed the fingers and
fenies OF Laura to the practice of thefe elegan, arts
why fhould we not extend her reiearches into their
| theory Why fheud we not combine the principles
OF PeriPeeave, with the uie of her pencil! Why
ihoud We rot explain to her the curious nechaniin OF
the eye, by which able diitinguiih the xe,
the ddtance, the iodty, and the texture of OBJ
ects, at the very time when the eye fee nothiac
but ;heir ihades and color an ART which Laura has
learned to initiate without reflection, when he repre-
tents upon the fame mooth furface Objects thar are
different from each other in their ze fapes and if
| tance I'm not right alto in explaining to Laura
the principles of mulc If had aiked her the rea-
ION why the rf keyof her piano-forte not called
though A is the firft letter of the alphabet WHY
there are no more and TO lels than eight notes in
msiical octave, Laura might have felt her ignorance
OF the compai; and concord of the mu al tones and
ihould have explained her the myiteries Of the
diatonic fcae, and the principles on which depend the
| theory and harmony of iounds
Whilit taking 10 many pains to improve
and poh the mind of Laura let not the reader think
that have been more forgetlu of the attributes of
her heart. Laura fhal not be of thoe ufelef or
:" venomous toads," which merely shear a precious
jewell in their head When inf pired her with tate
for knowledge when | enriched her mind with IN
inexnauthble vein of valuable thought: when en-
arged her power of communicating pleafure
ihould have done but half my duty, had not given
her at the fame time the deee of making the bei ue
OF thete attainncnts. You have hitherto admired
Laura on account Of the endowments of her under
Handing; it i. time that you ihoud adore her for
the virtues of her heart. There is one chara
feature in the moral character of Laura which di(iu
guihes her from moi other women To an M
| thaEien equanunity OF temper to heart open as
day to melting charity - to feminine delicacv of
feeling, that difdains whatever is mean malevolept
and ooarie; The has united the firm and maiec feel
lag OF man. She has of that TREMBLING enfi
biiity, that rinks like the feniitive plant from, tbe
lesH touch oi danger, and bends under every msfor
| tune. Such diipofton as this would have merely
htred her for playing in line of character while
the nauy-cooured dcan,a of life is exhibiting ten
thouiand divertes. 1t wa. not my with, when
formed the temper OF Laura to make her fine la
ny, delicate Lady, iufcepthIe lady but to make
her happy and uieful woman. How then could
haze accomplished this enviable objeca if ! had not
| accommodated her dfpoftion to the prefent order
OF our univere; if ihe both prepared for the
ZePhyrs and the tempefs of lie if had not nfpi-
red her with the forttude to fer as well as the fem
Gbility to enjoy?
Thefc cares have not been thrown away upon nv
fair pupil Laura has all the tendernei, of her own
fex, well as the frmpeis of ours W hilR ihe fym
pathifes with the croes, dfquieudes, and the agones
of others: She fcarcey feel. her own with greater
acutenefs. Unlike thoie hylterical females who ma
nifty misfortune by foolhly anticipating it, and repre-
fenting it under themoh horrible images Laura leadi
y views the danger that is before her. and fixes it at
its genuine dmenfons. As to the ordinary terrors
OF the imagination, they produce but very little
iinpreon upon the admirable equanmity of her tenn
per- Her rePofe is never dlurbed by the vifitatons
of hobgoblins, the prts of the dead the gen of the
air, or any of the idols of vulgar fuperifition
have fonetimes known her to wander over the noul-
dering ruins of the charch-yard, without raw Of
light to direct her fepso cheer her fpirits Though
great and imminent dangers menace her, Laura ever
retains the nece1ary prefence of mind, to underland
her iituaton and apply the bef expedient that is in
her power. Let the reader conceive what would
be his fenfatons, if huge and horrible fnake fhoud
fuddeniy coil itfe round his ANGLE There are GER
tainy few men, who could contemplate fuch fear
full fpetsace this is without the greaten difnay
and yet even Laura was Efficiently collected to fun
mon friend to her aiilance & wait until her compa
Mon had graped the ferpent by its head, and dfen-
gagged her from its folds tempted, to give apo-
Their proof of the magnanimity of her fprit In the
midi of war, which delolated her country, Laura
iuddenly informed, that marauding party of the
enemys Eght-horie was approaching her habitat;or
with rapid RePs. She could even diHiualy hear the
muiic of their clarinets it ioated in the air Her
atonhng ntrepidity ddnot however deert her at this
alarming criis. She continued to ifiue the neceary
orders to her domccs for feeuring the moveables o.
the houfe, and effeGfing her own retreat. In the
midh OF this ccne, he obferved to hide dsgge,
in her bofom, which fhe had iufpended to ribbanc
around her neck. Upon one of her domeilics anxi
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