THE

GOVERNESS;

OR, THE

Little Female Academy.

BY

MRS. SHERWOOD,

Author of "LITTLE HENRY and his BEARER,"

INTRODUCTION.

THIS little volume was published before the middle of the last century, and is said to have been written by a Sister of the celebrated Fielding.

It is remarkable as having been one of the first books of the kind prepared purposely for children: and in this view it may, perhaps, be found not uninteresting to the present generation of children, since it not only contains an exact and lively picture of their Grandmothers and Greatgrandmothers, but was probably the favourite companion of their youthful days.

The editor was induced to undertake the revisal of this work by a Parent, who is now no morë. It was

indeed one of the last tasks allotted her by that dear Parent; and on this account she has been prevailed upon to complete it, although, on a close

perusal, she found it necessary to make more alterations in it than she at first intended.

Several Fairy-tales were incidentally introduced into the original work; and as it is not unlikely that such compositions formed, at that period, one of the chief amusements of the infant mind, a single tale of this description is admitted into the present edition. But since fanciful pro

ductions of this sort can never be rendered generally useful, it has been thought proper to suppress the rest, substituting in their place such appropriate relations as seemed more likely to conduce to juvenile edification.

In the body of the work fewer liberties have been taken. There the original story is preserved nearly throughout; while the old-fashioned manners and modes of speaking have been carefully retained.

THE

GOVERNESS,

&c.

THERE lived, in the beginning of the eighteenth century, in the southern parts of England, a gentlewoman whose name was Teachum. She was the widow of a clergyman, with whom she had lived nine years in that delightful harmony and concord which the marriage state frequently affords, when both parties are humble and cheerful Christians. Two little girls, whom she had endeavoured to bring up in the nurture and fear of the Lord, had greatly added to their felicity; insomuch, that Mrs. Teachum, during the life of her husband, very frequently, with great gratitude to God, professed herself to be one of the happiest of women. But it pleased the Father of mercies, during one period of her life, to exercise this excellent person with many severe trials, no doubt in order to bring her the nearer to himself.

B