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[Illustration: Frontispiece Eddystone Light House as erectedby Lord Bywater 1759.]
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The happy Fire-side.
Domestic happiness, thou only bliss Of Paradise, that has surviv'd thefall! Tho' few do taste thee unimpair'd and pure, Or tasting, long enjoythee! too infirm, Or too incautious to preserve thy sweets Unmix'd withdrops of bitter, which neglect Or temper sheds into thy crystal cup;Thou art the nurse of virtue; in thine arms She smiles, appearing, as intruth she is, Heaven-born, and destin'd to the skies again.
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When I was a child, if a new book were given to me, I recollect, myfirst question invariably was:—"Is this true." If the answer were inthe affirmative, the volume immediately assumed, in my eyes, a newvalue, and was perused with far greater interest than a story merelyfictitious. Now, as I am very desirous that you should take up thislittle volume with a prepossession in its favour, I must inform you,that the characters of the children here pourtrayed, are all realcharacters. The little work was undertaken for the improvement of afamily very dear to me, and was, during its progress, regarded by themas a faithful mirror, reflecting both their virtues and defects. Youwill find in it, among other subjects, a slight sketch of the early partof the Roman history; but you must not suppose, that in offering it toyou, I mean my little book to supersede the more detailed accounts thatare usually put into the hands of children. I have often found, thateven when a volume has been read entirely through, very few of the factshave made any deep impression on the youthful mind; and the improvementto be derived from those facts, is still more completely overlooked.This I discovered to be the case with my little friends: they had readthe Roman history, and I had hoped that they had read it attentively;but upon questioning them afterwards, even upon some leading events, Ifound them exceedingly deficient in information. This suggested to methe idea of the following little volume. I recommended them to beginagain the perusal of the Roman history; to take notes as they proceeded,and write, from them, an abridgment for themselves; promising that Iwould do the same, and give my manuscript to the one who should mostdeserve it. They were pleased with the plan, and regularly brought theirlittle productions, once a fortnight, for my inspection. I, at the sametime, read them mine. They soon discovered in it their own characters,delineated under fictitious names, and took a still more lively interestin their task. By the time I had completed the regal government of Rome,I found my manuscript had attained a considerable size; I therefore hadit neatly bound, and as Emily and Louisa equally deserved the prize,they drew lots, and it fell to the former. Several young persons who hadperused the little work, united in begging it might be printed, thatthey also might have it in their libraries. This, my dear young readers,is the origin of DOMESTIC PLEASURES.
The conversations recorded in the following pages, are chiefly such ashave, at different times, taken place between my little friends andmyself. I sincerely wish you may derive, not only amusement, butinstruction, from the transcript; and that it may convince you, nopleasures a