76 PREJUDICE.

she associated with stiff, over-pious people,
and I supposed she must be stiff and whining
herself.

E. In other words, you had a prejudice
against her; you had a dislike, without any
just reason. Let us take care of such pre-
judices, my dear Lydia! and allow me to ask
if you are not indulging the same unreason-
able feeling, when you speak of Grace’s
friends and associates, as stiff and whining
and hypocritical?

L. Oh no—at least, I think not.

E. And yet, Lydia—you do not know
these people. Is not this in itself wicked ?
Observe how this false reasoning misled you
in respect to Grace Gridley. It led you to
eall her bigoted and hypocritical—whereas,
you now admit, that she is the reverse of all
this. Only think of the awful injustice you
did her;—you tried to steal away her good
character, and committed that worst of all
cruelty—you gave her ¥* name.—

Here Lydia, stung to the heart with a
sense of her error, burst into tears: she was
thoughtless, but pot hardened, and had
“only done as too many do; she had indulged