And virtue1 blossoms for a better age.”— BARBAULD.
A few days after Mad. de Fleury had told Victoire the fable2 of the lion and the mouse, she was informed by Sister Frances that Victoire had put the fable into verse. It was wonderfully well done for a child of nine years old, and Mad. de Fleury was tempted3 to praise the lines; but, checking the enthusiasm of the moment, she considered whether it would be advantageous4 to cultivate her pupil’s talent for poetry. Excellence5 in the poetic6 art cannot be obtained without a degree of application for which a girl in her situation could not have leisure. To encourage her to become a mere7 rhyming scribbler, without any chance of obtaining celebrity8 or securing subsistence, would be folly9 and cruelty. Early prodigies10, in the lower ranks of life, are seldom permanently11 successful; they are cried up one day, and cried down the next. Their productions rarely have that superiority which secures a fair preference in the great literary market. Their performances are, perhaps, said to be —wonderful, all things considered, &c. Charitable allowances are made; the books are purchased by associations of complaisant12 friends or opulent patrons; a kind of forced demand is raised, but this can be only temporary and delusive13. In spite of bounties14 and of all the arts of protection, nothing but what is intrinsically good will long be preferred, when it must be purchased. But granting that positive excellence is attained15, there is always danger that for works of fancy the taste of the public may suddenly vary; there is a fashion in these things; and when the mode changes, the mere literary manufacturer is thrown out of employment; he is unable to turn his hand to another trade, or to any but his own peculiar16 branch of the business. The powers of the mind are often partially17 cultivated in these self-taught geniuses. We often see that one part of their understanding is nourished to the prejudice of the rest — the imagination, for instance, at the expense of the judgment19: so that, whilst they have acquired talents for show, they have none for use. In the affairs of common life, they are utterly20 ignorant and imbecile — or worse than imbecile. Early called into public notice, probably before their moral habits are formed, they are extolled21 for some play of fancy or of wit, as Bacon calls it, some juggler’s trick of the intellect; they immediately take an aversion to plodding22 labour, they feel raised above their situation; possessed23 by the notion that genius exempts24 them, not only from labour, but from vulgar rules of prudence25, they soon disgrace themselves by their conduct, are deserted26 by their patrons, and sink into despair, or plunge27 into profligacy28.15
15 To these observations there are honourable29 exceptions.]
Convinced of these melancholy30 truths, Mad. de Fleury was determined31 not to add to the number of those imprudent or ostentatious patrons, who sacrifice to their own amusement and vanity the future happiness of their favourites. Victoire’s verses were not handed about in fashionable circles, nor was she called upon to recite them before a brilliant audience, nor was she produced in public as a prodigy32; she was educated in private, and by slow and sure degrees, to be a good, useful, and happy member of society. Upon the same principles which decided33 Mad. de Fleury against encouraging Victoire to be a poetess, she refrained from giving any of her little pupils accomplishments34 unsuited to their situation. Some had a fine ear for music, others showed powers of dancing; but they were taught neither dancing nor music — talents which in their station were more likely to be dangerous than serviceable. They were not intended for actresses or opera-girls, but for shop-girls, mantua-makers, work-women, and servants of different sorts; consequently they were instructed in things which would be most necessary and useful to young women in their rank of life. Before they were ten years old, they could do all kinds of plain needlework, they could read and write well, and they were mistresses of the common rules of arithmetic. After this age, they were practised by a writing-master in drawing out bills neatly35, keeping accounts, and applying to every-day use their knowledge of arithmetic. Some were taught by a laundress to wash, and get up fine linen36 and lace; others were instructed by a neighbouring traiteur in those culinary mysteries with which Sister Frances was unacquainted. In sweetmeats and confectionaries she yielded to no one; and she made her pupils as expert as herself. Those who were intended for ladies’ maids were taught mantua-making, and had lessons from Mad. de Fleury’s own woman in hair-dressing.
Amongst her numerous friends and acquaintances, and amongst the shopkeepers whom she was in the habit of employing, Mad. de Fleury had means of placing and establishing her pupils suitably and advantageously: of this both they and their parents were aware, so that there was a constant and great motive37 operating continually to induce them to exert themselves, and to behave well. This reasonable hope of reaping the fruits of their education, and of being immediately rewarded for their good conduct; this perception of the connexion between what they are taught and what they are to become, is necessary to make young people assiduous: for want of attending to these principles, many splendid establishments have failed to produce pupils answerable to the expectations which had been formed of them.
During seven years that Mad. de Fleury persevered38 uniformly on the same plan, only one girl forfeited39 her protection — a girl of the name of Manon; she was Victoire’s cousin, but totally unlike her in character.
When very young, her beautiful eyes and hair caught the fancy of a rich lady, who took her into her family as a sort of humble40 playfellow for her children. She was taught to dance and to sing: she soon excelled in these accomplishments, and was admired, and produced as a prodigy of talent. The lady of the house gave herself great credit for having discerned, and having brought forward, such talents. Manon’s moral character was in the mean time neglected. In this house, where there was a constant scene of hurry and dissipation, the child had frequent opportunities and temptations to be dishonest. For some time she was not detected; her caressing41 manners pleased her patroness, and servile compliance42 with the humours of the children of the family secured their good-will. Encouraged by daily petty successes in the art of deceit, she became a complete hypocrite. With culpable43 negligence44, her mistress trusted implicitly45 to appearances; and without examining whether she were really honest, she suffered her to have free access to unlocked drawers and valuable cabinets. Several articles of dress were missed from time to time; but Manon managed so artfully, that she averted46 from herself all suspicion. Emboldened47 by this fatal impunity48, she at last attempted depredations49 of more importance. She purloined50 a valuable, snuff-box — was detected in disposing of the broken parts of it at a pawnbroker51’s, and was immediately discarded in disgrace; but by her tears and vehement52 expressions of remorse53, she so far worked upon the weakness of the lady of the house, as to prevail upon her to conceal54 the circumstance that occasioned her dismissal. Some months afterwards Manon, pleading that she was thoroughly55 reformed, obtained from this lady a recommendation to Mad. de Fleury’s school. It is wonderful that people, who in other respects profess56 and practise integrity, can be so culpably57 weak as to give good characters to those who do not deserve them: this is really one of the worst species of forgery58. Imposed upon by this treacherous59 recommendation, Mad. de Fleury received into the midst of her innocent young pupils one who might have corrupted60 their minds secretly and irrecoverably. Fortunately a discovery was made in time of Manon’s real disposition61. A mere trifle led to the detection of her habits of falsehood. As she could not do any kind of needlework, she was employed in winding62 cotton; she was negligent63, and did not in the course of the week wind the same number of balls as her companions; and to conceal this, she pretended that she had delivered the proper number to the woman, who regularly called at the end of the week for the cotton. The woman persisted in her account; the children in theirs; and Manon would not retract64 her assertion. The poor woman gave up the point; but she declared that she would the next time send her brother to make up the account, because he was sharper than herself, and would not be imposed upon so easily. The ensuing week the brother came, and he proved to be the very pawnbroker to whom Manon formerly65 offered the stolen box: he knew her immediately; it was in vain that she attempted to puzzle him, and to persuade him that she was not the same person. The man was clear and firm. Sister Frances could scarcely believe what she heard. Struck with horror, the children shrunk back from Manon, and stood in silence. Mad. de Fleury immediately wrote to the lady who had recommended this girl, and inquired into the truth of the pawnbroker’s assertions. The lady, who had given Manon a false character, could not deny the facts, and could apologize for herself only by saying, that “she believed the girl to be partly reformed, and that she hoped, under Mad. de Fleury’s judicious66 care, she would become an amiable67 and respectable woman.”
Mad. de Fleury, however, wisely judged, that the hazard of corrupting68 all her pupils should not be incurred69 for the slight chance of correcting one, whose had habits were of such long standing18. Manon was expelled from this happy little community — even Sister Frances, the most mild of human beings, could never think of the danger to which they had been exposed without expressing indignation against the lady who recommended such a girl as a fit companion for her blameless and beloved pupils.
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1
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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2
fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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4
advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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6
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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7
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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celebrity
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| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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10
prodigies
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| n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）( prodigy的名词复数 ) | |
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permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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complaisant
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| adj.顺从的，讨好的 | |
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delusive
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| adj.欺骗的，妄想的 | |
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bounties
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| （由政府提供的）奖金( bounty的名词复数 )； 赏金； 慷慨； 大方 | |
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15
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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16
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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21
extolled
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| v.赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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exempts
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| 使免除[豁免]( exempt的第三人称单数 ) | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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27
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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profligacy
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| n.放荡，不检点，肆意挥霍 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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prodigy
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| n.惊人的事物，奇迹，神童，天才，预兆 | |
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33
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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38
persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
forfeited
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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41
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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42
compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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43
culpable
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| adj.有罪的，该受谴责的 | |
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44
negligence
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| n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意 | |
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45
implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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46
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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47
emboldened
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| v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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49
depredations
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| n.劫掠，毁坏( depredation的名词复数 ) | |
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50
purloined
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| v.偷窃( purloin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
pawnbroker
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| n.典当商，当铺老板 | |
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52
vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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53
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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54
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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56
profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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57
culpably
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| adv.该罚地，可恶地 | |
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58
forgery
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| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
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59
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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60
corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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64
retract
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| vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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68
corrupting
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的现在分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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69
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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