80 EGLANTINE OR

instruction up to about the age I have introduced her
at, and while possessing all the talents which go to
make an excellent governess, she wanted experience
—Eglantine’s education being the first over which she
had presided—and ’twas she spoiled the child. She
did not see at the time all the sad consequences of her
over indulgence to her daughter. She did not see
Eglantine’s predominant fault (a fault indeed the
most difficult to overcome). She flattered herself
that as Eglantine advanced in years she would acquire
more sense ; she contented herself with reprimanding
her from time to time, instead of punishing her and
making her feel her error before it was too late to
remedy it.

However, seeing her daughter’s negligence every
day increasing, she thought it would be a good plan
to keep a book in which she would write at night
everything that Eglantine had lost during the day,
with the cost of each article.

She did so, and in the list figured torn books,
broken playthings, new dresses stained or spoiled in
a manner that made them useless, pieces of bread
thrown in all corners of the house and garden, etc.
Not including lost articles, Doralice found that in one
month Eglantine’s negligence cost her about £4.