Tales and Novels, vol 5 | Page 2

a stratagem.'
Even from the time when Mrs. Beaumont was a girl of sixteen I
remember her manoeuvring to gain a husband, and then manoeuvring
to manage him, which she did with triumphant address."
"What sort of a man was Colonel Beaumont?"
"An excellent man; an open-hearted soldier, of the strictest honour and
integrity."
"Then is it not much in Mrs. Beaumont's favour, that she enjoyed the
confidence of such a man, and that he left her guardian to his son and
daughter?"

"If he had lived with her long enough to become acquainted with her
real character, what you say, my dear, would be unanswerable. But
Colonel Beaumont died a few years after his marriage, and during those
few years he was chiefly with his regiment."
"You will, however, allow," said Miss Walsingham, "that since his
death Mrs. Beaumont has justified his confidence.--Has she not been a
good guardian, and an affectionate mother?"
"Why--as a guardian, I think she has allowed her son too much liberty,
and too much money. I have heard that young Beaumont has lost a
considerable sum at Newmarket, I grant you that Mrs. Beaumont is an
affectionate mother, and I am convinced that she is extremely anxious
to advance the worldly interests of her children; still I cannot, my dear,
agree with you, that she is a good mother. In the whole course of the
education of her son and daughter, she has pursued a system of artifice.
Whatever she wanted them to learn, or to do, or to leave undone, some
stratagem, sentimental or scenic, was employed; somebody was to hint
to some other body to act upon Amelia to make her do so and so.
Nothing--that is, nothing like truth, ever came directly from the mother:
there were always whisperings and mysteries, and 'Don't say that before
Amelia!' and 'I would not have this told to Edward,' because it might
make him like something that she did not wish that he should like, and
that she had her reasons for not letting him know that she did not wish
him to like. There was always some truth to be concealed for some
mighty good purpose; and things and persons were to be represented in
false lights, to produce on some particular occasion some partial effect.
All this succeeded admirably in detail, and for the management of
helpless, ignorant, credulous childhood. But mark the consequences of
this system: children grow up, and cannot always see, hear, and
understand, just as their mothers please. They will go into the world;
they will mix with others; their eyes will be opened; they will see
through the whole system of artifice by which their childhood was so
cleverly managed; and then, confidence in the parent must be destroyed
for ever."
Miss Walsingham acknowledged the truth of what her father said; but

she observed that this was a common error in education, which had the
sanction of high authority in its favour; even the eloquent Rousseau,
and the elegant and ingenious Madame de Genlis. "And it is certain,"
continued Miss Walsingham, "that Mrs. Beaumont has not made her
children artful; both Amelia and Mr. Beaumont are remarkably open,
sincere, honourable characters. Mr. Beaumont, indeed, carries his
sincerity almost to a fault: he is too blunt, perhaps, in his manner;--and
Amelia, though she is of such a timid, gentle temper, and so much
afraid of giving pain, has always courage enough to speak the truth,
even in circumstances where it is most difficult. So at least you must
allow, my dear father, that Mrs. Beaumont has made her children
sincere."
"I am sorry, my dear, to seem uncharitable; but I must observe, that
sometimes the very faults of parents produce a tendency to opposite
virtues in their children: for the children suffer by the consequences of
these faults, and detecting, despise, and resolve to avoid them. As to
Amelia and Mr. Beaumont, their acquaintance with our family has been
no unfavourable circumstance in their education. They saw amongst us
the advantages of sincerity: they became attached to you, and to my
excellent ward Captain Walsingham; he obtained strong power over
young Beaumont's mind, and used it to the best purposes. Your
friendship for Amelia was, I think, equally advantageous to her: as you
are nearly of the same age, you had opportunities of winning her
confidence; and your stronger mind fortified hers, and inspired her
timid character with the courage necessary to be sincere."
"Well," persisted Miss Walsingham, "though Mrs. Beaumont may have
used a little finesse towards her children in trifles, yet in matters of
consequence, I do think that she has no interest but theirs; and her
affection for them will make her lay aside all art, when their happiness
is at stake."
Mr. Walsingham shook his head.--"And