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MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
MAY DAY; OR, ANECDOTES OF _Miss LYDIA LIVELY_.
INTENDED TO IMPROVE AND AMUSE THE _RISING GENERATION_.
Printed and Sold by JOHN MARSHALL, at No. 4, ALDERMARY CHURCH-YARD, in BOW-LANE; and No. 17, QUEEN-STREET, CHEAPSIDE.
Miss _Lydia Lively_ was sitting one day in the parlour, upon a little stool, reading the _History of Little Ann and Little James_, when her Mamma, who had been out some hours on a visit, came in. The little girl ran to her with great joy, and told her, that her aunt had called, and had given her the prettiest little book she ever read.
It is about a little girl, Mamma, just my age; and it tells you every thing that she did; and how well she behaved; and there are some nice pictures in it—I wish I had a great many such little books.
Then you like to read stories about good girls, do you, _Lydia_?
Yes; and to see them too. I think there is nothing so delightful as the company of Children who are gentle and good-humoured; and who are cheerful and ready to oblige, without being troublesome or noisy.
I wish I had some more stories about good girls and boys.
Should you like to have a story written about you, _Lydia_? Do you think it would be a pretty one?
Indeed I doubt there would be some things in the story not quite so pretty. I suspect we should sometimes hear something about whining for a cup of tea; asking ten times for the same thing; or, what is still worse, being cross and impatient with poor little _Edwin_, if he meddle with any of your things.
Oh! Mamma: but I am good sometimes; and I am sure I always wish to be good, and am uncomfortable whenever I am not; but I do not know how it is,—I think I cannot help being naughty sometimes.
Pray do not fancy so my dear; you certainly might help it; but I will tell you the real case—you just follow your present inclination; instead of resolving always to do what is right, you sit down, perhaps, with an inclination to be very good at your lessons, and to read very well, and translate your French very well; as long as that inclination lasts you proceed with pleasure; but you happen to meet with something in your books not quite so entertaining as you expected, or a little difficult, and then you have an inclination to fret, or to look off your book, and complain of being tired; or it may be, you come into the room very good-humoured and cheerful, and find somebody has taken your seat, or that you cannot have the book you wished for, and then you have an inclination directly to whine, grumble, and draw your lip on one side; and, I am sorry to say, _Lydia_, you are too apt to give way to such inclinations.