Letters-Lord Jeffrey's Essays-Charles Lamb-Coleridge- Thackeray's 'Roundabout Papers '-Sir Arthur Helps-Hallam- Mrs. Craik -Carlyle's 'Sartor Resartus'-Walter Savage Landor- SCIENTIFIC READING Scanty Scientific Knowledge acquired by Girls at School-Scientific Women-What Women can do-Value of Mathematics-Professor Bain quoted-Division of Sciences— A Wide Field-Mrs. Somerville's Physical Geography '—Dr. Cor- field's Health'-Sir John Herschel's Outlines of Astronomy'- Tyndall's 'Glaciers of the Alps' and 'Forms of Water '-Charles Kingsley's 'Glaucus'-Huxley's 'Elementary Biology'-Sir Charles Lyell's Principles of Zoology'-Darwin's 'Origin of Species '- Mivart's 'Lessons from Nature'-Principal Shairp's Religion and 'Come forth into the light of things, She has a world of ready wealth, Our minds and hearts to bless- Beauties of Rural Life-Contrast of Life in Cities-Mackay's Lines-- Ruskin quoted-Keen bodily Sensibility indicative of the higher Sensibility of the Mind-Ruskin quoted again-Summer always associated with the Country-Enjoyment to be found in every Season -Spenser's Lines on JANUARY-Pastimes for the Winter-Walking -Skating-To be practised with Modesty—Sliding—Sleighing— Snow-balling-The Scotch game 'Curling'-Indoor Pastimes- Charades-Concerts-Parlour Amusements.-FEBRUARY—Especial Beauty of Nature-Miss Mitford quoted-Flowers of the Month- The Crocus-The Snowdrop-The Primrose-Lines to a Primrose -Advice about the Crocus.-MARCH-Signs of Spring-Habits of Rooks-The Daffodil-Jean Ingelow's Verses-Shakespeare quoted -Ovid quoted-Wordsworth's Lines-Herrick's Ode to Daffodils —Violets—The Daisy, one of Shakespeare's Flowers-The Sleep of Flowers-Allusions to the Violet-Extract from 'A Year in a Lanca- shire Garden'-Birds of Spring-Jean Ingelow's Lines-William Howitt quoted.-APRIL-The Prime of Spring-Spenser's Lines— William Morris's Lines-Beauty of awakening Life-Wordsworth's the Bird of MAY-Thomson's Lines-Extract from 'The Bird- World' The 'Maying-time'-Washington Irving's Delight on seeing a May-pole-The Decline of May-Day Customs-May, the Month of Flowers-Botanising-Specimen-hunting.-JUNE-Lines on Summer -Expeditions and Rambles-Croquet-Lawn-tennis-The Time of Roses'-Varieties of Roses-Herrick's Lines-Hay-making.-JULY, the Month of Picnics-The Visit to the Sea-side-Bathing-Boat- ing-Fishing-Shell-collecting-The Last Rose of Summer '- AUGUST-The Harvest Month-A Harvest Home-Such a Scene now almost Obsolete-Causes-A Substitute in the Harvest Thanks- giving.-SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER-Autumn-George Macdonald's Verses-Keats' Verses-Pleasures of Autumn-Nutting-Blackberry- ing-Fruit-gathering-Hop-picking-Wasp-nesting-Acorn-gather- ing-Lines by Charles Lamb-Winter-Shakespeare's Picture of Winter-Keats' St. Agnes' Eve'-Winter Companions-The Poets -Historians-Great Writers-Shakespeare Clubs-Walter Scott Clubs --Musical Societies-Choral Classes-Chess-Draughts- Parlour Billiards-Cards-Dumb Crambo-Charade-acting-Sug- gestions for Charades-Variety to be found in the Old Dramatists- expected-Enthusiasm essential to True Nobility of Character-What The 'History of the Year 1829'-Early Writings -The Miscellaneous Character of her Reading-Harriet Martineau-Her early Life- Mrs. Inchbald-Fanny Burney-Her Education-Pope quoted-The Potency of Industry-Caroline Herschel-Her Letters-Her Scientific Labours-Ben Jonson's Lines-Sara Coleridge-Her youthful Pur- suits and Accomplishments-Wordsworth's Poem The Trial '-- Aubrey de Vere's Description of Sara Coleridge-Mrs. Hemans's PAGE 272 а CHAPTER I. THE GIRL AT HOME. 'Gentle thoughts, when they may give the foil, 'Our home is still home, be it ever so homely.' C. DIBDIN. Definition of 'a Girl'-The Girl in her Domestic Relations-The Girl as N venturing on the pleasant task of describing 'Girls and their Ways,' I rely on the sympathies and kindly feelings of my readers. There is little difficulty in defining what the 'Girl' is, for most judgments are alike respecting her. So far as I know there is a general consensus of opinion in her favour. The Girl is usually the mother's companion and the father's pet; and whilst in not a few families the ominous hint has been heard that the boy 2 THE GIRL IN HER TEENS. could be dispensed with-that, to say the least of it, his absence would be endured with calmness-no such hint is thrown out as regards the Girl. She remains the inevitable, the indispensable. Nothing can be done without her. She must be foremost in the family's councils; she must share in and contribute to the family's pleasures. Uncles caress and aunts adore her; grandfathers lavish smiles upon her, and grandmothers consent to be wheedled by her. She may be defined, therefore, as the sunshine of domestic life; she is the charm of the home, the queen of the fireside. I speak of the Girl in her 'teens'—as she is, or ought to be, in the happy period that intervenes between childhood and womanhood. Never is the woman, I think-however blessed may be her later years, however devoted may be her love of husband and children, not even though her ambition be gratified, though all her wishes be fulfilled-so happy as in the years between twelve and twenty. Then she rests in her mother's encircling arms; she is sustained by her father's experience and sagacity; her brothers wait upon her and dote upon her; she enjoys, perhaps, a sister's sweet companionship, and life comes to her like a rose from which all the thorns have been removed. It is needless to say that the Girl presents herself for examination under several aspects. First, we must regard her as the Daughter. And in no other capacity does she appear more to advantage when she is true to herself, when she understands and discharges a daughter's duties, and while enjoying a daughter's privileges, takes upon herself a daughter's obligations. When a mother can say 'I rely upon my daughter: to have her in my place is just as if I were there myself.' When a father can say 'I have implicit confidence in my daughter; she has never deceived, never disobeyed me.' When both parents can say 'Our daughter thoroughly understands us, and we thoroughly understand her; the most entire sympathy exists between us.' Such a daughter as Mrs. Oliphant's 'Miss Marjoribanks,' only a little softer, or perhaps her 'Rose in |