Frederic arrived in England soon after this happy change in their circumstances; he would have wished his sister to return to their native country, but the inconvenience of removing her grandmother, and the still unquiet state of the continent, induced her to prefer a residence in that land where she was secured from the horrors she had once witnessed. Frederic yielded to her reasons; and when their affairs obliged him to leave her, a constant correspondence maintained the affection that had always subsisted from their earliest years.
"Dear mamma," said Anne, "I think I like Elizabeth better than any of the young people I have yet read about, but do you really believe there ever was so good a character?"
_Mrs. Harley._ Certainly, my dear; and I have no doubt but many such are to be found. They must be depraved indeed, who can be wanting in affection to their parents. But I fear we must not comment a great deal on this story at present, or there will not be time to give you some account of _Geography_, which I intend for your study this morning.
_Anne._ I will then, mamma, after dinner, ask you to explain to me a few of the words I did not quite understand.
_Mrs. Harley._ Do, my dear, I shall be happy to give you all the information you desire.
_Mrs. Harley._ You know, my dear, what is meant by Geography?
_Anne._ O yes, mamma, Geography is a description of the earth we inhabit.
_Mrs. Harley._ And the earth (which the globe before us represents,) is divided into four parts, viz. Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. The three first are contained in the eastern hemisphere, and are called the old world. America is situated in the western hemisphere, and is called the new world, because discovered in modern times.
_Anne._ Pray, mamma, is not a continent one of the divisions of the land?
_Mrs. Harley._ Yes, my dear; for after we have divided the whole globe into land and water, we again subdivide the land into Continents, Islands, Peninsulas, Isthmusses, and Promontories,--the water into Oceans, Seas, Straits, Gulfs, Bays, Lakes, Rivers, and Creeks.
A Continent is a large tract of land containing several countries which are not separated by seas; as Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.