Instruction.
A
WEEK
OF
INSTRUCTION
AND
AMUSEMENT;
OR,
MRS. HARLEY'S
BIRTHDAY PRESENT
TO
HER DAUGHTER.
INTERSPERSED WITH SHORT STORIES
—OUTLINES OF SACRED AND
PROPHANE HISTORY—
GEOGRAPHY, &c.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR J. HARRIS,
CORNER OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.
1812.
H. Bryer, Printer, Bridge-Street, Blackfriars, London.
ADVERTISEMENT.
The following pages were written with the design of communicating, in amanner agreeable to children, some knowledge of those subjects whichthey so often find tedious and uninteresting.—Should the storiesrelated inspire a love of virtue, and the lessons awaken a desire forthe further acquisition of useful knowledge, the attempt,notwithstanding its defect, cannot, it is hoped, be deemed whollyuseless.
A WEEK OF INSTRUCTION, &c.
CHAPTER I.
THURSDAY.
At a pleasant village a few miles from London, resided a widow-lady ofthe name of Harley; she had but one child, and to forming her manners[Pg 2]and instructing her mind she devoted her whole time. Anne (for so wasthis little girl named) was an amiable child; she rewarded her mother'scare and affection, by paying great attention to her instructions; likeall other children, she was fond of play, but seldom murmured whencalled to attend the hours set apart for working, reading, or learningher lessons: all these she performed extremely well for her age, and hadalready gone through many of the first books that are put into the handsof children.
As a reward for her application, her mamma had promised to write a fewstories on purpose for her, and one Thursday in the month of August, theday on which little Anne completed her eighth year, Mrs. Harley[Pg 3]presented her the book which contained them, saying, "I shall onlypermit you to read in this book, my dear Anne, when I have reason to besatisfied with your conduct, for as it is now given to a good littlegirl, I would never upon any account, allow a naughty one to make use ofit. We will begin our mornings with reading one of these stories, andafterwards I will give you a lesson upon different subjects, many ofwhich you are now quite unacquainted with. By pursuing this method youwill be daily adding to your stock of knowledge, and will I hope in timebecome a good and sensible girl: this, my dear, is the first wish of myheart, and you must do every thing in your power to promote it. Be[Pg 4]industrious and docile, and you may be sure of succeeding in all Irequire you to undertake. But come, the morning is so fine that we willgo into the garden, where upon yonder seat you shall begin your newstudy."
Little Anne after thanking her mamma for her kind present, followed herto the bench