Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1823-09-24

press. These two ladies are the survivors
OF family Of five sisters, who formerlp lived
IN Bristol, and subsequently, at Bath. Some
OF them We're the managers Of distinguished
female school, by which they increased the
means of their support. They all possessed
talents above mediocrity; but Hannah is alone
celebrated for her literary productions. She
was warmly beloved by them all :: proving
that her talents have ever been associated
with amiable qualities, and with true good
ness of heart.
Her Search after Happiness, and Sacred
dramas. she told me were the juvenile pro-
auctions of seventeen; and written with the
intention to counteract the growing custom of
introducing into female boarding schools, plays
OF an improper tendency, and allowing them
TO be acted by the pupils. Her views, she
Thought, had been successful She and her
surviving sister retired some years ago to this
spot, which they found in state wild and
uncultivated. They selected it for the beauty
and healthiness of its situation; and had they
surveyed all the south of England, it is ques-
tionable whether they could have found sit
uation more truly delightful. The village at
| the foot of the hill contains an old Gothic
church, and provides them with all the. facili-
ties OF mere neighborhood, at a convenient
| distance. The house is large enough for all
| the purposes Of domestic comfort and hospi-
| tskty. The walls of the sitting room, below,
are oInamented with the portraif: of their most
distinguished friends. On our attention being
turned to them, the characters of the ndivid-
! uals, and particularly their most valuable
Qualities, were adyerted to by Hannah More.
with warmth and energy, which proved that
| age had not diminished the force of her early
| recollectlons, nor the ardor of her friendship,
! Among these favorites, noticed particularly
| the hkenesses of William Wilberforce. Eliza
beth Carter, Richard Reynolds, and -
Henderson, the celebrated youthful genius of
Bristol In one corner of the room was a
picture which had been sent her from Gene
va. 1t was a descriptive scene from one of
the most interesting passages of Celebs-Lu-
cllla IN the attitude of prayer, at the bed side
! OF her poor sick neishbor. Her bed-cham-
Der, into which we were introduced for the
sake of more complete prospect of the coun-
try, contained her library, which should es-
| innate at least at a thousand volumes. 1t con-
slsts OF the most select and valuable works
upon theology and general literature. She
| showed us letter from Russian Princess
written with her own hand, in broken English
| solely to acknowledge the satisfaction and
benefit which the works of Hannah More had
afforded her. We were gratiied, too. with
seeing atranslation of Coelebs in the German
language, and a spIendidly bound copy OF it
IN French, sent to her as present from the
Continent. Industry is, doubtless, one of the
habitual virtues Of these worthy sisters. Be-
sides the numerous literary productions of the
elder, and the extensive charitable Offices in
which they are engaged, every thing within
and about the cottage, the furniture, the nee
dle-work, the flowers, bears the impression of
taste and activity.
We pursued the windings of gravelled
walk among the shrubbery. and reposed our
selves on seats in rustic arbors, from which
| glimpses are obtained of the expanded valley
| below. In an open spot, at one of the turns
| of the walk, was a neat but plain monument,
to the memory of Bishop Porteus, who had
| been their particular friend; and, in another.
| more costly stone was erected to the men,
| DRY of John Locke. This was a present TO
these sisters from Lady Montague: and a
very appropriate place it is for its erection
for, in an old matched house, adjoining the
church-yard, in the village of Wrington, at
the foot OF the hill, did that great man draw
his first breath. His mother, while travelling,
was constrained to take up her residence in
| this house, until her newborn child was old
enough for her to pursue the journey. IA
We all left Barley Wood with feelings of
much satisfaction from the visit Mine was
not diminished by carrying with me present
| of" Christian Morals from the hands of the
author, given as a memorandum of the visit
and in which She wrote my name in an excel
lent hand, without spectacles. 1t is rare, in
deed, to find so much vivacity of manners at
so advanced period of life, as these ladies
possess. They are fond If "a country life
Hannah remarked to US, that the only natural
pleasures which remained to her, in their full
force, where the love of 4he country, and of
flowers. : ..