proper seasons, yet I must say it is no enjoyment to me to have the regular and agreeable routine of my daily avocations liable to perpetual interruption. It is however on this account that my troublesome friend is perpetually reproaching me with being" a bad neighbor"-"unsociable" "proud;" and with being indifferent to her society.

I do assure you that I cannot pace up and down our garden walk with a book in my hand, but at the hazard of giving offence; for if she should happen to be within sight, and if I should not happen to raise my head to nod to her, and say Good morning, it will take her a week to pardon the neglect. Then, it would surprise you to hear the plausible manner she has of representing her grievances; so that when her complaints have been repeated to me by some mutual friend, I have really began to fancy myself quite in the wrong; and yet upon the coolest reflection I cannot accuse myself of misconduct in this matter.

My friend is wont, with a very resigned, pathetic, and reasonable sort of look and manner, to make such complaints as the following.-"I do feel a little hurt, I must confess;-so much attention as I have shown to her, and so much regard as, I can truly say, I feel for her. Why, I have known her pass our parlor window twenty times in a day, when she knows I have been sitting there, without once giving herself the trouble to turn her head to nod to me;-is not this a little strange, so intimate as we are?"

..

Certainly, it is," says our mutual friend.

Well, and then she makes an excuse of being so vastly busy for my part I 've no notion of being too busy to speak to a friend, have you ?" "Certainly not."

'Well, one can never step in there but one seems to be interrupting them: and it is quite a favor to get her to bring her work, and sit an hour with one in the morning: in short, I have done asking her. I don't deny that she is willing to come in and do one a kindness, when it is needed; but I like a friend to be a friend at all times; and in my opinion there 's nothing so charming as a sociable disposition; for my own part this is so much my temper, that, as I often say, I feel these slights the more: and certainly at times I cannot help feeling a little hurt."

In this style, as I have been repeatedly informed, she makes out a case against me. But as I never take any other notice of such charges than by doing all in my power to show her real friendship, we might go on tolerably, if it were not that sometimes owing to some unforeseen occurrence, or mistake, which it is impossible always to guard against, my friend takes more serious offence so much so, at times, that during many weeks she has refused to speak to me. I should be ashamed to call the attention of your readers to the detail of affairs so trifling, if it were not for the sake of illustrating my meaning; with this view I will mention an instance or two of the kind.

The last time that she appeared so much offended, it was in consequence of my having omitted to send her a formal invitation to spend the evening with me. Wishing to see several of my young friends, I had previously consulted with her about the day, and, having fully agreed together when it should be, I sat down to write the notes to my other friends, without its even occurring to me that she would expect any further notice. However, to my great surprise, she did not join our party; and when I sent in to inquire the reason, she returned me only a cold and formal excuse. It was in vain that I endeavored to recollect any thing I had done or left undone that could have vexed her; and it was not till weeks afterwards that she condescended to explain the cause of her displeasure. Now really, if I had thought of writing her a note of invitation, I should have been in equal danger of giving offence; for then, it is probable she would have accused me of being too ceremonious with her.

I should be more ready to suspect that the blame was on my part, if it were not that others of her acquaintance make the same complaints. We are both of us teachers in our Sunday School; and there is no situation, as you may be aware, in which a quarrelsome or peevish disposition is more likely to show itself. You will not be surprised, therefore, when I say that my poor neighbor is continually taking umbrage with some of her fellow teachers: when any fresh

arrangement takes place in the classes, she seldom fails to complain that all the most stupid children are selected for her. Her attendance at the school is not the most regular; yet no one can offer her the kindest remonstrance on this subject, or suggest the smallest improvement in her method of teaching, without the certainty of her being highly offended. If any new plans are projected without consulting her, that is sure to be considered as a personal affront; and if, on the other hand, she is consulted, we are equally sure of her objecting to what is proposed. She is always complaining that she has so little to do with the management of the school; and indeed she is so constantly dissatisfied, that her services are much less acceptable than they would otherwise be; for there is, you know, trouble and difficulty and fatigue enough in a Sunday School, without having our embarrassments increased by disagreements among the teachers.

Having been so long used to the peculiarity of my friend's temper, I was really scarcely aware of the degree of bondage and restraint which it imposed upon me, until lately when she was absent from home on a visit of some months. I cannot adequately describe to you how much I felt at liberty as soon as she was gone. I could now walk in the garden without looking fifty ways to see if she was within sight. I could go out or come in, read or write, or take a walk with any other friend,

and all with a degree of freedom and comfort unknown heretofore. And the glow of sincere. pleasure with which I should otherwise have welcomed her return, was (I do not deny it) damped exceedingly by the recollection of the trouble it would inevitably bring upon me.

Now surely that must be a serious fault in a person's character, which, in spite of many good qualities, renders her company burdensome, and her absence a deliverance: and if any thing could be suggested that might successfully represent the weakness and unreasonableness of such a disposition, it would at once do a real service to all such troublesome friends, and inspire with the warmest gratitude all their troubled acquaintance.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

PENELOPE.

XXXVIII.

A LETTER TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN.

Dear Reader,

HAPPENING to glance my eye upon the title of a paper in the last number of the Youth's Magazine, I was induced to put on my spectacles, and give it a reading: and although many of those who contribute to its pages are doubtless better prepared, in most respects, than myself, to reply to it, yet on one account I feel peculiarly qualified,