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not be vain； even if she were a bewty。〃
〃I had very pretty hair； my dear；〃 said Mist Matilda； 〃and not a bad
mouth。〃 And I saw her soon afterwards adjust her cap and draw herself
up。
But to return to Mrs Jenkyns's letters。 She told her husband about
the poor in the parish； what homely domestic medicines she had
administered； what kitchen physic she had sent。 She had evidently held
his displeasure as a rod in pickle over the heads of all the ne'er…do…wells。
She asked for his directions about the cows and pigs； and did not always
obtain them； as I have shown before。
The kind old grandmother was dead when a little boy was born； soon
after the publication of the sermon； but there was another letter of
exhortation from the grandfather； more stringent and admonitory than
ever； now that there was a boy to be guarded from the snares of the
world。 He described all the various sins into which men might fall；
until I wondered how any man ever came to a natural death。 The
gallows seemed as if it must have been the termination of the lives of
most of the grandfather's friends and acquaintance； and I was not
surprised at the way in which he spoke of this life being 〃a vale of
tears。〃
It seemed curious that I should never have heard of this brother
before； but I concluded that he had died young； or else surely his name
would have been alluded to by his sisters。
By…and…by we came to packets of Miss Jenkyns's letters。 These Miss
Matty did regret to burn。 She said all the others had been only
interesting to those who loved the writers； and that it seemed as if it
would have hurt her to allow them to fall into the hands of strangers；
who had not known her dear mother； and how good she was； although
she did not always spell； quite in the modern fashion； but Deborah's
letters were so very superior！ Any one might profit by reading them。
It was a long time since she had read Mrs Chapone； but she knew she
used to think that Deborah could have said the same things quite as well；
and as for Mrs Carter！ people thought a deal of her letters； just because
she had written 〃Epictetus；〃 but she was quite sure Deborah would never
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have made use of such a common expression as 〃I canna be fashed！〃
Miss Matty did grudge burning these letters； it was evident。 She
would not let them be carelessly passed over with any quiet reading； and
skipping； to myself。 She took them from me； and even lighted the
second candle in order to read them aloud with a proper emphasis； and
without stumbling over the big words。 Oh dear！ how I wanted facts
instead of reflections； before those letters were concluded！ They lasted
us two nights； and I won't deny that I made use of the time to think of
many other things； and yet I was always at my post at the end of each
sentence。
The rector's letters； and those of his wife and mother…in…law； had all
been tolerably short and pithy； written in a straight hand； with the lines
very close together。 Sometimes the whole letter was contained on a
mere scrap of paper。 The paper was very yellow； and the ink very
brown； some of the sheets were （as Miss Matty made me observe） the
old original post； with the stamp in the corner representing a post…boy
riding for life and twanging his horn。 The letters of Mrs Jenkyns and
her mother were fastened with a great round red wafer； for it was before
Miss Edgeworth's 〃patronage〃 had banished wafers from polite society。
It was evident； from the tenor of what was said； that franks were in great
request； and were even used as a means of paying debts by needy
members of Parliament。 The rector sealed his epistles with an immense
coat of arms； and showed by the care with which he had performed this
ceremony that he expected they should be cut open； not broken by any
thoughtless or impatient hand。 Now； Miss Jenkyns's letters were of a
later date in form and writing。 She wrote on the square sheet which we
have learned to call old…fashioned。 Her hand was admirably calculated；
together with her use of many…syllabled words； to fill up a sheet； and
then came the pride and delight of crossing。 Poor Miss Matty got sadly
puzzled with this； for the words gathered size like snowballs； and
towards the end of her letter Miss Jenkyns used to become quite
sesquipedalian。 In one to her father； slightly theological and
controversial in its tone； she had spoken of Herod； Tetrarch of Idumea。
Miss Matty read it 〃Herod Petrarch of Etruria；〃 and was just as well
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pleased as if she had been right。
I can't quite remember the date； but I think it was in 1805 that Miss
Jenkyns wrote the longest series of letters … on occasion of her absence
on a visit to some friends near Newcastle…upon…Tyne。 These friends
were intimate with the commandant of the garrison there； and heard
from him of all the preparations that were being made to repel the
invasion of Buonaparte； which some people imagined might take place
at the mouth of the Tyne。 Miss Jenkyns was evidently very much
alarmed； and the first part of her letters was