The Governess | Page 3

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This Etexst prepared by Pat Pflieger [email protected]

THE GOVERNESS; OR, THE LITTLE FEMALE ACADEMY (1749)
by Sarah Fielding
There lived in the northern parts of England, a gentlewoman who
undertook the education of young ladies; and this trust she endeavoured
faithfully to discharge, by instructing those committed to her care in
reading, writing, working, and in all proper forms of behaviour. And
though her principal aim was to improve their minds in all useful
knowledge; to render them obedient to their superiors, and gentle, kind,
and affectionate to each other; yet did she not omit teaching them an
exact neatness in their persons and dress, and a perfect gentility in their
whole carriage.
This gentlewoman, whose name was Teachum, was the widow of a
clergyman, with whom she had lived nine years in all the harmony and
concord which forms the only satisfactory happiness in the married
state. Two little girls (the youngest of which was born before the
second year of their marriage was expired) took up a great part of their
thoughts; and it was their mutual design to spare no pains or trouble in
their education.
Mr. Teachum was a very sensible man, and took great delight in
improving his wife; as she also placed her chief pleasure in receiving
his instructions. One of his constant subjects of discourse to her was
concerning the education of children: so that, when in his last illness
his physicians pronounced him beyond the power of their art to relieve
him, he expressed great satisfaction in the thought of leaving his
children to the care of so prudent a mother.
Mrs. Teachum, though exceedingly afflicted by such a loss, yet thought
it her duty to call forth all her resolutions to conquer her grief, in order
to apply herself to the care of these her dear husband's children. But her
misfortunes were not here to end: for within a twelvemonth after the
death of her husband, she was deprived of both her children by a
violent fever that then raged in the country; and, about the same time,
by the unforeseen breaking of a banker, in whose hands almost all her
fortune was just then placed, she was bereft of the means of her future
support.
The Christian fortitude with which (through her husband's instructions)
she had armed her mind, had not left it in the power of any outward

accident to bereave her of her understanding, or to make her incapable
of doing what was proper on all occasions. Therefore, by the advice of
all her friends, she undertook what she was so well qualified for;
namely, the education of children. But as she was moderate in her
desires, and did not seek to raise a great fortune, she was resolved to
take no more scholars than she could have an eye to herself without the
help of other teachers; and instead of making interest to fill her school,
it was