The next morning, Miss Lydia, as soon as she waked, recollected the conversation that had passed the day before between her Mamma and her, and determined to be very good all day; accordingly she jumped out of bed as soon as the maid called her, flood very still to be dressed; and when she was dressed, said, Thank you, Mary, in a very pretty tone of voice, and then kneeled down and said her prayers in a very decent composed manner; and prayed very heartily that she might be good all day. When she met her papa and mamma, and brothers and sisters in the parlour, after she had bidden them all good morning, she sat herself down very quietly at the bottom of the table, and did not ask for any thing, nor reach across the table to pull the bread and butter about, but sat still and looked very good-humoured, till her Mamma gave her a piece of bread with some very nice honey upon it, and a cup of tea, and then she ate her breakfast very genteely.

After breakfast, Miss Lydia went into her Mamma’s dressing-room, unlocked a little red trunk, which her Mamma had given her a few days before, to keep her work and her books in, and took out the book she read in to her Mamma, which at that time was, The Footstep to Mrs. Trimmer’s Sacred History; and sitting down on a little stool at a distance from the fire, began to read very slowly, and in a very easy natural tone of voice; she minded her stops, and paid great attention to the sense, that she might read with propriety.

After she had done reading English, she carried her book away, and put it into the trunk again, and brought her French book, which was the second volume of La Bagatelle, and translated her lesson very readily; her next business was to learn the Indicative mood of the verb Aimer; this she found rather troublesome, and was once or twice just going to fret and whine; but she recollected that her Mamma was to write an account of her, and therefore she put on a cheerful countenance, and took pains to learn her verb, and said it very perfectly to her Mamma.

After this she took out her work, which was a small cover for a stool she was doing in single cross-stitch, and worked very deligently for an hour; her Mamma then gave her leave to go and play in the garden.

In the garden she played very quietly and prettily, and did not run into any dirt, but amused herself with seeing her brother at work in his garden. She behaved at dinner quite as well as she had done at breakfast; and after dinner, asked her Mamma to give her leave to put the map of Europe together, which was her usual amusement in an afternoon. Just as she had put all the pieces exactly together, and was beginning to tell her Mamma the names of all the capital cities, her little brother came running into the room, full of play, and throwing his hat across the table, entirely disunited all her kingdoms. She was on the point of crying out pretty violently, but the thought of to-morrow’s story came into her mind, and she only took Edwin’s hat gently off the table, and said, Pray, brother, do not throw your hat any more: see what mischief you have done! But the little fellow thought there was something very diverting in seeing all the pieces fly about and, therefore as soon as she began to put them in order again, he again skimmed his hat across the table. Three times she attempted to settle the affairs of Europe, and as often Master Edwin deranged them. The little girl then, with great good-humour, put the pieces into the box, and said to her Mamma, Edwin is in such a wild humour, that I think I had better put the box away till he is gone. No, my dear, said her Mamma, he shall not tease you any more. I had a mind to give you an opportunity of showing how good you could be; and now he shall not interfere with you again: so calling the little boy, his Mamma told him, if he did not let his sister’s things alone, he must be sent out of the room; she then gave him a box of ivory letters to amuse him.

Miss Lydia continued to behave quite well till she went to bed. Not being in the least troublesome, by making a noise, or worrying for books or play-things which were not at hand; but employing herself with such things as she met with, without being in any body’s way. You may be sure that she went to-bed very happy at night; and that her Papa and Mamma took a very affectionate leave of her.